Learn English – Does “throw a leg over” means “riding a horse” or “sexual intercourse”

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Now anyone reading this article – http://mentalfloss.com/article/31841/why-new-york-city-called-big-apple and especially this line from that: "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York." can say that it talking about a boy or lad that ever rode a horse, then why is it using the Idiom "throw a leg over" which when googled, shows to mean "to have sex with" ?

While we're at it, is there a website or reference link that has the detailed meaning and usage information on such idioms(especially US English Idioms and Proverbs) which give an indication of something, but when used in different contexts(and situations), means a variety of different and un-related things or situations ?

Expecting(if possible) a brief explanation with history when such Idioms may have started to divert their meaning in different direction than what they used to mean when used in British-English.

Best Answer

This question is much too broad. I'll answer the first part.

Why did the author of that quotation use the phrase "every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred"? Because the author was writing about horse racing.

A little more context from that article would have been helpful:

But the nickname actually springs from a catchphrase used in the 1920s by The Morning Telegraph sports writer John J. Fitz Gerald in his horse racing column, “Around the Big Apple.” Beginning on February 18, 1924, he began every column with the header, “The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York.” [emphasis added]

People love to talk and write about sex, but are afraid of doing so openly, so they invent all kinds of euphemisms. If you Google hard enough, you'll find that nearly every imaginable phrase has been used as a euphemism for sex. Usually this does not prevent the phrase's literal meaning from also being used.

Ex:
I did it with Alice -> possibly means I had sex with Alice
"Did you take out the recycling?" "Yes, I did it with Alice" -> clearly means "I took out the recycling with Alice"

I slept with Alan -> possibly means I had sex with Alan
"Did you find a bunkmate? Where did you end up sleeping last night?" "I slept with Alan" -> likely means "I slept in Alan's room"

"And Adam knew Eve his wife" -> Adam had sex with his wife, Eve
"Adam knew his wife Eve when she was in medical school" -> This is my attempt at being funny; no one, outside of the Bible, uses "knew" to mean sex

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