Sarah, there is great wisdom pouring forth from the likes of Jack P., Denny G. and Keith B. Out of the Cultural Center of Our Universe! ;)
Did
you know the saying "God willing and the Creek don't rise" was in
reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written
by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and
Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the
President of the U.S. to return to Washington . In his response, he was
said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't rise." Because he
capitalized the word "Creek" it is deduced that he was referring to the
Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water.
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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.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)
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As
incredible as it sounds, 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.
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In
the late 1700's, 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.'
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Personal
hygiene left much room for improvement.. As a result, many women and
men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's
wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. 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.'
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Ladies
wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified
woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied lace..
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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..'
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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.'
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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 'P's and Q's'.
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One more: bet you didn't know this!
In
the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried
iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. 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.' (All this time, you
thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)
If
you don't send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to any and all
your unsuspecting friends, your hard drive will kill your mouse.
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11:10 AM (0 minutes ago)
