The phrase “ sink or swim,” often heard in modern speech, literally means that someone is on his own resources and can depend on no one else for aid. It is supposed to have originated in the days when witches were bound and cast into the water. If they sank they were guilty, if they floated they were declared innocent.
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Bibliographic details
Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 9
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59Untitled Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20231, 15 February 1934, Page 9
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