And we continue with our American stories.

Up next, we continue with our recurring series about the curious origins of everyday

sayings.

Here to join us again is Andrew Thompson as he continues to share another slice

from his ultimate guide to understanding the stories, the mysteries of the English language.

Take it away, Andrew.

To up the ante means to raise the cost or risk of an activity.

And that expression sprung up from a card game of poker.

Anti is a Latin word meaning before or in front.

And at the start of a hand before any cards are dealt, players must place a bet called the

ante, that is the upfront bet.

As the hand progresses and cards are received, players can increase their

bet, which is only usually done if a player has a good hand or is bluffing. Increasing the

bet is known as raising the stakes or upping the ante. The expression was used more widely

since the early 1800s. Up to the mark means to be acceptable or up to the required standard.

And it's often used in the negative in that he's not up to the mark. But the expression originated

in 1697 when the Britannia standard was introduced. It provided that all gold and silver

that satisfied a certain level of purity be stamped with a hallmark.

This proved the authenticity of the material and became assigned to jewelers and buyers that it was genuine.

In the beginning all precious metals were inspected at Goldsmith's Hall in London

before the inspection process spread to other locations.

If a metal was not considered of the required standard, it was rejected as not being up to the

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