Fwd: Phrases from the old days

>Things you probably did not know.
>
> >
> >All of these sound like they could be true!
> >
> >
> > 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.)
> >
> > You must send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to unsuspecting
> > friends. If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive
> > and kill your mouse.

>Things you probably did not know.
>
> >
> >All of these sound like they could be true!
> >
> >
> > 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.)
> >
> > You must send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to unsuspecting
> > friends. If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive
> > and kill your mouse.

----- End forwarded message -----