> LITTLE HISTORY LESSONS
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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."
> **************************************************************
> 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, 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.) .//zip