Neither witches nor their male counterparts, warlocks, commonly pretended to be in league with the devil. Most were herbalists and midwives, while others charged fees for peering into the future or the secrets of nature.
Popular thought credited a witch with supernatural power even if she didn't claim it. To ordinary folk, such a woman seemed to be forever boiling some mysterious brew in a cauldron--often a homemade cold remedy. When ready for use, this potent stuff was believed capable of influencing the fate of individuals and nations. Shakespeare immortalized the concept when in Macbeth he described "dreadful charms" simmering in a big iron pot.
Despite modern health concerns for natural ingredients, few today bend over pots in order to concoct a witch's brew. But the name of the mysterious stuff lives in speech to designate any potent compound prepared with unknown motives.
from Why You Say It: The Fascinating Stories Behind Over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases by Webb Garrison
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