huskyfan23
Rah no Hans Bwix
- Joined
- November 21, 2002
- Messages
- 6,707
- Reaction score
- 7
- City, State
- WA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1994 XLT 4x4
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, 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. 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."
**************************************************************
Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and
dignified woman . as in "straight laced" wore a tightly tied lace.
**************************************************************
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 term "minding your
"P's
and Q's."
**************************************************************
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, re! sting 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.)
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, 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. 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."
**************************************************************
Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and
dignified woman . as in "straight laced" wore a tightly tied lace.
**************************************************************
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 term "minding your
"P's
and Q's."
**************************************************************
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, re! sting 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.)
