Many old sayings come from nautical terms as is the case with ‘Spinning a a yarn’. Rope was made in ports everywhere. The rope makers chatted while they worked. They told each other stories while they were spinning a yarn. WHERE DO I START? Hints and Tips for Beginning Genealogists with On-line resources
Did you know that….. In olden days, a tavern wench was often told to “Mind her P’s and Q’s” because…. she served ale in pints and quarts. She kept track of her orders on a slate with P in one corner and Q in the opposite corner so she wouldn’t overcharge or undercharge patrons. […]
Did you know that…. In the seventeenth century, a person’s social standing determined what he or she ate at dinners. The best and most expensive food was placed next to the most important people. Also, people didn’t tend to sample everything that was on the table, they just ate what was closest to them. […]
DYK: Did you know? MOOT POINT – which means and irrelevant Argument comes from the Saxon word moot or mote, which meant a meeting to discuss things. In medieval England, moots, or meets, were assemblies or councils where points of government were debated. The country was split into juridicial areas called hundreds and administered via assemblies known […]
Pay through the nose is a very strange saying that has a simple meaning. It comes from the ninth-century in Ireland. When the Danes conquered the Irish, they imposed an exorbitant Nose Tax on the island’s inhabitants. They took a census (by counting noses) and levied oppressive sums on their victims, forcing them to pay […]
The saying swan song is usually referred to a final theatrical or dramatic appearance, or any final work. It generally carries the connotation that the performer is aware that this is the last performance of his or her lifetime, and is expending everything in one magnificent final effort. Swan song comes from an old belief that swans, […]
In the 18th century it was the fashion to wear white, curly wigs. They were often powdered. The wigs were called wool possibly because they resembled a sheep’s fleece -if a wig slipped, one could have the “wool pulled over their eyes”
DYK: Did You Know? GO THE EXTRA MILE – By law a Roman soldier could force anybody to carry his equipment 1 mile. The expression probably comes from the Bible, when Jesus declares in his Sermon on the Mount, “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” (Matthew 5:41) The verse is a reference to the practice […]
Did you know that…. In olden days, space was limited so to “set the table” meant you had to take the board hanging from the rafter in the kitchen and “set” it on trestle legs where the meal would be eaten. For example, “set the table” in front of the fireplace or “set the […]
When coins were made of gold, silver or other metals. Their value depended on the amount of gold or silver they contained. Some people would make counterfeit coins by mixing gold or silver with a cheaper metal. However you could check if a coin was genuine by dropping it. If it was made of the […]
