“Every Tom, Dick and Harry will be there.”

“I don’t care. They’ll probably have that DJ Jack in the Box. He’s awful.”

“C’mon, you know you’ll be as happy as Larry if you go.”

“I’ll Peter out after two or three dances.”

“Well, heavens to Betsy! At your age, you should never get tired.”

“They’re making us sign our John Doe before we go in.”

“They don’t want troublemakers at such an upscale place so let Katy bar the door.”

“You just want me to show my face there so we can keep up with the Joneses.”

Conversations with idioms having names were common in the 20th century. Yet, to the curious mind like mine, the origins of these phrases and others like them provide interesting discoveries.

While this phrase has been used since the 17th century, Tom, Dick and Harry were three underground tunnels dug by American prisoners of war to escape German prisons in World War II. This meant that everybody held captive would have had the opportunity to try to break out by using the tunnels.

The toy name, Jack in the Box, is derived from an English swindler who was trading empty boxes to merchants in exchange for boxes filled with goods. The disgruntled merchants were left with nothing but sudden and upsetting surprises.

Larry Foley was an Australian boxer in the 1870s who never lost a match; hence, he was always happy.

Peter out was an expression by United States mineworkers in the mid 19th century after long and tiring workdays. According to one theory, the phrase originated in biblical times when St. Peter denied Jesus before the crucifixion.

Heavens to Betsy refers to our American flag maker, Betsy Ross. Early settlers shouted this out before they fired their rifles at their enemies for their right to freedom in the new country.

According to the website Mental Floss, “the John Doe custom was born out of a strange and long since vanished British legal process called an action of ejectment. Under old English common law, the actions landowners could take against squatters or defaulting tenants in court were often too technical and difficult to be of any use. So landlords would instead bring an action of ejectment on behalf of a fictitious tenant against another fictitious person who had allegedly evicted or ousted him.” In modern terms, John or Jane Doe is a popular synonym for an unidentified person.

In 1437, a mob of Scottish peasants stormed the chambers of King James I. The door was missing its lock so Catherine (Katy) Douglas tried to hold it shut with her arm but to no avail. Her arm was broken and the mob murdered the king. Despite her failure, the phrase is used today to take precaution. Trouble is coming.

Keeping up with the Joneses originated from a 1913 comic strip in which the main character is constantly challenged to maintain the social status of his neighbors.

Here’s another conversation with names.

“You were Johnny on the spot last night whenever they passed you the ball.”

“I was in like Flynn; that’s for sure.”

“Great Scott! That three pointer that won the game was from nearly half court.”

“I was a nervous Nellie when I let it go. I knew there’d be no time left on the clock.”

“As soon as it left your hands I knew it was the real McCoy.”

“When I saw it come down toward the rim, I thought it was even Stevens that it might go in.”

“Well you certainly put your John Hancock on this game.’

In 1896, a writer for the New York Sun created the phrase, “Johnny on the spot” in an article, not aware that his subject would be forgotten, but the four word phrase about being in the right place at the right time has hung around for more than a century.

Errol Flynn, a popular 1940s actor became a heartthrob to his female fans, so “in like Flynn” explains itself.

Winfield Scott was a Union general in the Civil War and revered by his troops. Nervous Nellie described a too-old, too-anxious horse.

Elijah McCoy was a Canadian inventor whose ironing board and lawn sprinkler were so well made that in 1844, buyers refused to purchase these items unless they were the real McCoys.

Even Stevens was a great Australian racehorse who was at even odds to win every race.

John Hancock’s outstanding signature upon the Declaration of Independence now refers to anyone signing a specific document.

Names of the average Joe come and go, but when Thomas Crapper designed a plumbing system in 1880 to remove human waste, little did he know that part of his last name would become, well, we know what it became.

Three centuries before Crapper’s plumbing trap and floating ball cock inventions, John Harrington invented the first flushing toilet for Queen Elizabeth to prevent his banishment from her kingdom.

Perhaps we should credit Tom and John for the best inventions ever. In the olden days, when royalty finished their business in chamber pots, maids dumped it out the windows. I wonder if they shouted, “Look out below!”

Rich Strack can be reached at katehep11@gmail.com.