Some Theories about expressions used today.

Some Theories about expressions used today.

>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."
>
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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 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."
>
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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 term
>"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

heheh, those are pretty cool.

that IS neat