I miss you Sam!!

I miss you Sam!!
I miss you Sam!!

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Some Intersting Facts for the Day!


A SHOT OF WHISKY
 
In the old west a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a shot glass of whisky.  If a cowhand was low on cash, he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink.  This became known as a "shot" of whisky.
 
 
THE WHOLE NINE YARDS
 
American fighter planes in WW2 had machine guns that were fed by a belt of cartridges.  The average plane held belts that were 27 feet (that is, 9 yards) long.  If the pilot used up all his ammo, he was said to have given it the whole nine yards.
 
 
BUYING THE FARM
 
This is synonymous with dying.  During WW1, soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000.  This was about the price of an average farm, so if a soldier died, he "bought the farm" for his survivors.
 
 
IRON-CLAD CONTRACT
 
This term came about from the ironclad ships of the Civil War.  It meant something so strong that it could not be broken.
 
 
PASSING THE BUCK/THE BUCK STOPS HERE
 
Most men in the early west carried a jack knife made by the Buck Knife Company.  When playing poker, it was common to place one of these Buck Knives in front of the dealer so that everyone knew who he was.  When it was time for a new dealer, the deck of cards and the knife were given to the new dealer.  If this person didn't want to deal, he would "pass the buck" to the next player.  If that player accepted, then "the buck stopped here."
 
 
RIFF RAFF
 
The Mississippi River was the main way of traveling from north to south.  Riverboats carried passengers and freight, but the cost was expensive, so most people used rafts.  All other boats had the right of way over rafts, which were considered cheap.  The steering oar on the rafts was called a "riff," and this transposed into riff-raff, meaning low class.
 
 
COBWEB
 
The Old English word for "spider" was "cob."
 
 
SHIP STATEROOMS
 
Traveling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort.  Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered.  Instead, they were named after states.  To this day, cabins on ships are called staterooms.
 
 
SLEEP TIGHT
 
Early beds were made with a wooden frame.  Ropes were tied across the frame in a criss-cross pattern.  A straw mattress was then put on top of the ropes.  Over time, the ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag.  The owner would then have to tighten the ropes to get a better night's sleep.
 
 
SHOWBOAT
 
These were floating theaters built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat.  The showboats played small towns along the Mississippi River.  Unlike the boat shown in the movie "Showboat," these showboats did not have an engine.  They were gaudy and attention-grabbing, which is why we say that someone who is being the life of the party is "showboating."
 
 
OVER A BARREL
 
In the days before CPR, a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel, which would be rolled back and forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water.  It was rarely effective.  If you are over a barrel, you are in deep trouble.
 
 
BARGE IN
 
Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats.  These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats, so people would say that they "barged in."
 
 
HOGWASH
 
Steamboats carried both people and animals.  Since pigs smelled so badly, they would be washed before being put on board.  The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless "hog wash."
 
 
CURFEW
 
The word "curfew" comes from the French phrase "couvre-feu," which means "cover the fire."  It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles.  The term was later adopted into Middle English as "curfeu," which later became the modern word "curfew."  In the early American colonies, homes had no real fireplaces, so a fire was built in the center of the room.  To ensure that a fire did not get out of control during the night, it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called a "curfew."
 
 
BARRELS OF OIL
 
When the first oil wells were drilled, oil drillers had made no provision for storing the liquid, so they used water barrels.  That is why, to this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons.
 
 
HOT OFF THE PRESS
 
As the newspaper goes through the rotary printing press, friction causes it to heat up.  Therefore, if you grabbed the paper right off the press, it was hot.  The expression means to get immediate information.
 


7 comments:

Lowell said...

You are an erudite educator, my dear! I knew none of these things. So interesting, though. Thanks for sharing. I think buck knives are still being made these days. I might even have one. Don't need it, though, 'cause I'm sharp as a tack. Wonder where that phrase came from? :)

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Well, I learned a lot today Sylvia!!

TexWisGirl said...

a few i had heard of before but many i had not! very interesting!

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Tres interesting Sylvia.. I hope to 'sleep tight' any minute now :)

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Yes some familiar others a revelation... great selection! YAM xx

Brian Miller said...

huh, are these for real? that is pretty funny being rolled over a barrel...and a shot of whiskey...hmmm...wonder which was better for you...smiles.

Indrani said...

Very interesting.
I didn't know any of them. I am so glad I stopped to read this. :)

What Can I Say?

What Can I Say?
I'm interested in almost everything. Use to like to travel, but it's too expensive now. I take Tai Chi classes, swim, volunteer in a Jump-start program for pre-schoolers. I'm an avid reader and like nearly everyone these days I follow politics avidly. I'm a former teacher and Special Projects Coordinator for a Telecommunications company, Assistant to the President of a Japanese silicon wafer manufacturing company. Am now enjoying retirement -- most of the time. I have two daughters, one son-in-law and two sons scattered all over the country. No grandchildren.

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