🩺 The Clean Bill of Health: Passing Life’s Inspections with Flying Colors 💯
To have passed a rigorous inspection. The term comes from the nineteenth-century practice of issuing an actual bill of health, a document signed by the authorities and given to the ship’s master, stating that no infectious diseases existed in the port of embarkation. If there was some kind of epidemic, the ship received a foul bill of health. Before long, the term was transferred to the assurance that an individual, group, or organization was found, after investigation, to be morally sound.
🎓 Related and Similar Terms:
- Spick and span: showing no signs of dirt or neglect.
- Shipshape and Bristol fashion: in good order.
- Squeaky clean: morally upright and avoiding any appearance of impropriety.
- In the clear: free of any implication or guilt.
🧠 Synonyms:
- All clear
- Unblemished
- Immaculate
🙃 Antonyms:
- Under suspicion
- Questionable
- Clean slate
😂 Humor-Filled Quotes:
- “Going through life with a clean bill of health feels like waiting for the other sandal to drop.” — Chuckle Chuckleman
- “I have a clean bill of health because negotiating with germs requires skill, cunning, and a bit of sanitizer.” — Slick Sneezeberg
📚 Recommended Literature and Media:
- Book: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville – While Melville doesn’t exactly issue clean bills of health, his nautical tales are full of adventure and old-timey maritime practices.
- Song: Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees – An anthem for maintaining a “clean bill” (of health or a dancing repertoire).
- Poetry: If by Rudyard Kipling – Demonstrates virtues of moral soundness in the face of inspections.
- Movie: Catch Me If You Can – Although it’s more about elusive cunning than clean bills of health, it’ll keep you entertained and on your toes.
🏁 Inspirational Thought:
Remember, life may inspect you when you least expect it. Keeping a metaphorical clean bill of health—ethically, physically, and emotionally—leads you through stormy seas toward bright horizons. Always be ready, and may your voyages be smooth sailing!
### What does "clean bill of health" mean?
- [ ] A pristine piece of paper
- [ ] A detailed ship’s steering guide
- [x] Assurance of no infectious diseases or being morally sound
- [ ] A certificate of ship ownership
> **Explanation:** "Clean bill of health" originally assured no diseases in the ship’s departure port, now meaning moral soundness or freedom from serious issues.
### True or False: "Clean bill of health" originated in medieval Britain.
- [ ] True
- [x] False
> **Explanation:** The term dates back to nineteenth-century maritime practices, not medieval Britain.
### Which phrase is NOT related to being in good order?
- [ ] Spick and span
- [ ] Shipshape and Bristol fashion
- [ ] Squeaky clean
- [x] Dirty laundry
> **Explanation:** The first three phrases indicate cleanliness or good order, while "dirty laundry" implies the opposite—something hidden or untidy.
