During WWII , U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would
shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the
wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and
contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return
from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets.
They would say, “I gave them the whole nine yards,” meaning they used up all of
their ammunition.
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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.'
*********************************
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 phrase '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, 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.)
***********************************
Early aircraft's
throttles had a ball on the end of it, in order to go full throttle the pilot
had to push the throttle all the way
forward into the wall of the instrument
panel. Hence "balls to the wall" for going very fast. And now you know, the rest
of the story.
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Friday, March 24, 2017
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