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INTERESTING if true
Posted by
gcuser1
12 Jan 2005 7:56pm
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, 'It'll cost you an arm and a leg.'
**********
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.'
********
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,
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.'
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