"Fits the Bill" Idiom Meaning, Origin & History | Superduper English Idioms
0:00 - How to Say, “Fits the bill.”
0:38 - Examples of “Fits the bill.”
1:25 - Meaning of “Fits the bill.”
1:43 - Origin of “Fits the bill.”
3:45 - More Examples of “Fits the bill.”
4:32 - Conclusion
“Fits the bill.”
If someone says that something “fits the bill”, it means that it’s perfect, suitable, proper for a particular situation, circumstance or use.
This idiom is very common in all dialects of English, though you may just as often hear “fill the bill” in British or Australian English, instead.
“They were looking for someone who could speak three languages and had a background in technology. I fit the bill perfectly!” you might be telling your friend how you found your new job.
Maybe you’re craving a snack that is both sweet and salty, when your partner says, “Oh! I have something in the cupboard that fits the bill.”
“After many months of searching, I finally found a car that fit the bill for my family,” you might be telling your sister about your new vehicle.
As you can see, if something “fits the bill”, it is perfectly suited, absolutely appropriate, meets a long list of requirements, is what you’ve been looking for.
The idiom, “fits the bill”, started life off as “fills the bill”, in 1800s America, when one of the most popular forms of entertainment were live shows…
… you see, live shows - whether plays, musicals, circus acts, etc. - would post or hand out “bills”, flyers, posters to would-be attendees or show-goers, listing the names of the night’s acts.
Most of these shows had one main act, one main attraction, along with several smaller acts that rounded out the night’s attractions, or in other words, “filled the bill”.
People in other industries, such as manufacturing or shipping, took this popular idiom and turned it into, “fit the bill”, to suit their own line of work where bills were primarily lists of requirements, lists of goods, work orders, etc.
Since then, the idiom, “fit the bill” has become an idiom with everyday, ordinary, common usage and is used to describe nearly any situation in which something is well-suited to a certain need.
In your own life, you should definitely make sure that something “fits the bill” before you commit to it! For example; your next job, your university degree, your new house - even someone you are looking to start a romantic relationship with!
“Let’s watch this movie together, we both need cheering up and this comedy looks like it fits the bill,” your best friend might suggest one gloomy day.
You may be talking about your last girlfriend to your cousin, “She wasn’t really looking for a serious relationship. She was nice, but she just didn’t fit the bill!”
“This tool fits the bill exactly! Let’s get it and get out of here,” you might say to your mom while you’re both at the hardware store looking for a tool to fix a plumbing issue.
So, the next time you find something that is absolutely appropriate, compellingly compatible, perfectly pertinent, really relevant, just be sure to say that it, “fits the bill”!
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References: https://brians.wsu.edu/2016/05/22/fit...