The saying "taken aback" originated from the maritime industry. It comes from nautical terminology and dates back to the 1700s. When a ship's sails were suddenly filled by the wind from the opposite direction, sailors said it was "taken aback". This usually caused the ship to suddenly stop or be pushed backward, catching the crew off guard. The phrase is now used to express surprise over an event. ^{english-grammar-lessons.com}+3 ^{1 2 3 4}