Just Where Did that
Saying Come From ?
We're used to "sayings" over our
lives, but how many people know just HOW they came to
be?
Here are a few to brighten the
beginning of your week !
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In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted.
Some paintings of George
Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one
arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both
arms.
Prices
charged by painters were not based on how many people were
to be painted, but by how
many limbs were to be painted.
Arms and legs are
"limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."
******************************
As incredible as it sounds, a few hundred years ago, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October).
Women kept their
hair covered, while men shaved their heads
(because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs.
Wealthy men could
afford good wigs made from wool.
They couldn't wash
the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake
it for 30 minutes.
The heat would
make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big
wig".
Today we often use the
term 'here comes the "Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is
powerful and
wealthy.
*********************************
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair.
Commonly, a
long wide board folded down from the wall, and was
used for dining.
The 'head
of the household' always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the
floor.
Occasionally a guest, who was
usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a
meal..
To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge.
They called
the one sitting in the chair the "chair
man."
Today in business, we
use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."
*********************************
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement way back when !
As a result, many women and men
had developed acne scars by adulthood.
When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax.'
Should the
woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the
term "crack a smile".
In
addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt
.
Therefore, the expression
"losing face."
*********************************
A long time ago, ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the back.
A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced" wore a tightly tied lace corset.
*********************************
Common entertainment included playing cards.
However, there was a tax levied when purchasing
playing cards but
only applicable to the "Ace of
Spades".
To avoid paying the tax, people
would purchase 51 cards instead.
Yet, since most games require
52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or
dumb because they "weren't playing with a full
deck".
********************************
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important.
Since there were no telephones,
TV's or radios, the
politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars.
They were
told to "go sip some Ale"
and listen to people's conversations and political concerns.
Many assistants were dispatched at different times.
"You go sip here" and "You go sip there."
The two words "go sip" were
eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the
term "gossip".
**********************************
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers.
A bar maid's job
was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming.
She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts".
Hence the phrase
"minding your Ps
and Qs".
**********************************
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons.
Those cannons
fired round iron cannon balls and obviously, it was necessary to keep a good
supply near the cannon.
However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck?
The best storage
method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four
resting on nine, which rested on sixteen.
Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.
There was only one
problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under
the others.
The solution was a
metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls
would quickly rust to it.
The solution to the rusting problem was to make "brass Monkeys."
Few landlubbers
realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than
iron when chilled.
Consequently,
when the temperature dropped too
far, the
brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the
monkey.
Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."
Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."
Gotcha on this one, didn't I ?
Enjoy
your week !
Dick
Arendt
From Dave Nall of Wilmington, NC...to...Anthem Opinions
ReplyDeleteNeat, Fascinating, and extremely Well Done!