Completely unharmed and secure, often used to express relief that someone has avoided danger or completed a journey without incident.
This phrase pairs two words that historically meant similar things - 'safe' from danger and 'sound' meaning whole or undamaged. The alliterative combination has been used since the 14th century, with 'sound' originally meaning healthy or uninjured, creating a pleasing rhythmic emphasis on security and wellbeing.
The enduring appeal of this phrase lies in its satisfying alliteration and the way it covers both physical safety and overall wellbeing. 'Sound' here preserves an older meaning of the word - not about audio, but about being structurally intact and healthy, showing how language preserves ancient concepts in familiar expressions.
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