Re: Did you ever wonder??
But did you know these little tid bits?<br /><br />In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either<br /> sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing<br /> behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and<br /> both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were<br /> to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "<br /> limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the<br /> expression. "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."<br /><br /> As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year! (May<br /> and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads<br />( because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs<br /> made from wool. The wigs couldn't be washed, so to clean them they could<br /> carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30<br /> minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig."<br /> Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone<br /> appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.<br /><br /> In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair<br /> Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and used for dining.<br /> The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate<br /> sitting on the floor. Once in a while, a guest (who was almost always a man)<br /> would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal.<br /> To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. Sitting in the<br /> chair, one was called the "chair man." Today in business we use the<br /> expression or title "Chairman or Chairman of the Board,"<br /><br /> Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a<br /> result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The<br />women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions.<br /> When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another<br /> woman's face she was told "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile,<br /> the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." Also, when they sat too<br /> close to the fire, the wax would melt and therefore the expression "losing face."<br /><br /> Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied lace<br /> was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."<br /><br /> Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied<br /> when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "ace of Spades." To<br /> avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most<br /> games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb<br /> because they weren't "playing with a full deck."<br /><br /> Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what was<br /> considered important to the people. Since there were no telephones, TV's or<br /> radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and<br /> bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations<br /> and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times.<br /> " You go sip here" and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were<br /> eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we<br />have the term "gossip."<br /><br /> At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint-and quart-sized<br /> containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep<br /> the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was<br />drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding<br />your 'P' s and Q's,"<br /><br /> One more: bet you didn't know this!!!!<br /> In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried<br /> iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary<br /> to keep a good supply near the cannon, but how to prevent them from<br />rolling about the deck?<br /> The best storage method devised was a square based pyramid with one ball<br /> on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply<br /> of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon.<br /> There was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from<br />sliding or rolling from under the others.<br /> The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.<br /> But, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it.<br /> The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys."<br /> Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than<br /> iron when chilled.<br /> Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations<br /> would shrink so much that the iron cannon balls would come right off the monkey.<br /> Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass<br /> monkey". (And all this time, you thought that was an improper expression,<br /> didn't you?)
