Herman Goering, who used to fly by the seat of his pants, is now too big for his britches ... "
Charles Lindbergh
Liliputins. What, the heck, is this?
http://stihi.ru/2021/11/24/7101
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What's the meaning of the phrase 'Fly by the seat of your pants'?
To 'fly by the seat of your pants' is to decide a course of action as you go along, using your own initiative and perceptions rather than a predetermined plan or mechanical aids.
What's the origin of the phrase 'Fly by the seat of your pants'?
'Fly by the seat of your pants' is parlance from the early days of aviation. Aircraft initially had few navigation aids and flying was accomplished by means of the pilot's judgment. The term emerged in the 1930s and was first widely used in reports of Douglas Corrigan's flight from the USA to Ireland in 1938.
Fly by the seat of your pants
That flight was reported in many US newspapers of the day, including this piece, titled 'Corrigan Flies By The Seat Of His Pants', in The Edwardsville Intelligencer, 19th July 1938:
"Douglas Corrigan was described as an aviator 'who flies by the seat of his pants' today by a mechanic who helped him rejuvinate the plane which airport men have now nicknamed the 'Spirit of $69.90'. The old flying expression of 'flies by the seat of his trousers' was explained by Larry Conner, means going aloft without instruments, radio or other such luxuries."
Two days before this report Corrigan had submitted a flight plan to fly from Brooklyn to California. He had previously had a plan for a trans-Atlantic flight rejected (presumably on the grounds that the 'Spirit of $69.60 wasn't considered up to the job). His subsequent 29 hour flight ended in Dublin, Ireland. He claimed that his compasses had failed. He didn't openly admit it but it was widely assumed that he had ignored the rejection of his flight plan and deliberately flown east rather than west. He was thereafter known as 'Wrong Way Corrigan' and starred as himself in the 1938 movie The Flying Irishman.
The 'old flying expression' quoted above (although it can't have been very old in 1938) that refers to trousers rather than pants does suggest that the phrase was originally British and crossed the Atlantic (the right way) prior to becoming 'flies by the seat of your pants'.
Overconfident in one's importance
too big for (one's) britches
Overconfident in one's importance, skill, or authority; behaving as if one is more important or influential than one actually is.
The history behind the phrase 'too big for his britches'
The history behind the phrase 'too big for his britches'
Chances are, if you've lived in the South -- or even just talked to a Southerner -- you've heard someone say, "He's gotten too big for his britches."
If you're not from around here, then don't worry: we're not body-shaming the person. (We're not that cruel, y'all.) Instead, we're implying that the person in question has gotten a little full of themselves -- i.e., their ego has gotten so big it can't fit in their pants. (Think, "Ever since he caught the winning touchdown pass, he's gotten too big for his britches.")
But when did Southerners start saying "too big for his/her britches"? Well, we've been saying it for a long, long time -- since at least 1835.
That year, Tennessee folk hero Davy Crockett wrote An Account of Col. Crockett's Tour to the North and Down East, and according to most people, it's the first instance of the phrase in print. (Spoiler alert: He's totally talking about Andrew Jackson when he coins the expression.) Here's the full context:
"I myself was one of the first to fire a gun under Andrew Jackson. I helped to give him all his glory. But I liked him well once: but when a man gets too big for his breeches, I say Goodbye."
(Notice the breeches instead of britches?)
But Southerners aren't the only ones that have used imagery of someone busting out of clothes to insinuate they're conceited. According to Laura Lee, author of Around the World in 80 Cliches: Overused Expressions from Across the Globe, says that there's a Scottish English phrase that embraces the same motif: "He thinks he's big, but a wee (small) coat fits him."
So, the next time you hear someone utter that a friend is too big for his britches, think of Davy Crockett.
From Your Site Articles
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wee
Small or little
Wee is a Scottish English or informal word that means small or little1. It is often used as an adjective before a noun, as in "a wee lad"1. The word can also be used as a noun, as in "a wee bit more to eat"1. The meaning of WEE is also very small or diminutive.
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Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator and military officer. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance of 3,600 miles (5,800 km), flying alone for 33.5 hours. His aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis, was designed and built by the Ryan Airline Company specifically to compete for the Orteig Prize for the first flight between the two cities. Although not the first transatlantic flight, it was the first solo transatlantic flight and the longest at the time by nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km). It became known as one of the most consequential flights in history and ushered in a new era of air transportation between parts of the globe
In the months before the United States entered World War II, Lindbergh's non-interventionist stance and statements about Jews and race led some to believe he was a Nazi sympathizer, although Lindbergh never publicly stated support for the Nazis and condemned them several times in both his public speeches and personal diary. However, like many Americans before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he opposed not only the military intervention of the U.S. but also the provision of military supplies to the British.[6] He supported the isolationist America First Committee and resigned from the U.S. Army Air Corps in April 1941 after President Franklin Roosevelt publicly rebuked him for his views.[7] In September 1941, Lindbergh gave a significant address, titled "Speech on Neutrality", outlining his position and arguments against greater American involvement in the war.[8]
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and German declaration of war against the U.S., Lindbergh avidly supported the American war effort but was rejected for active duty, as Roosevelt refused to restore his Air Corps colonel's commission.[9] Instead he flew 50 combat missions in the Pacific Theater as a civilian consultant and was unofficially credited with shooting down an enemy aircraft.[10][11] In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower restored his commission and promoted him to brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.[12] In his later years, he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, international explorer and environmentalist, helping to establish national parks in the U.S. and protect certain endangered species and tribal people in both the Philippines and east Africa.[13] In 1974, Lindbergh died of lymphoma at age 72.