The Origins of sayings

[whomper]

I read the other day that when patrons would get rowdy in the old english pubs the bartenders would yell "Mind your pints and quarts " - Hence the term mind your P's and Q's. There was also a printing press explanation for mind your Ps and Qs as well but I thought the bar one was interesting.

 

Anyone else have the origin of some every day saying we may use ?

[tazinib1]

S.H.I.T

 

Ship High In Transit

 

Stamped on crates of manure in the late 19th century when it was discovered shipping manure below decks caused severe sickness and even death when methane gas had no where to go.

[Tford]

Fairly well known but the phrase "Rule of Thumb" actually comes from a ruling in England in the 1700s that allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick as long as it was no thicker than his thumb. Pretty dark.

 

 

Also, the phrase "taken with a grain of salt" actually comes from an ancient text describing an antidote for poison being taken while fasting with a grain of salt. Therefore, the grain of salt is meant to allow you to take things easier, or in the case of the phrase, less serious.

[montster]

The game of golf supposedly was named because of signs that said, "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden." But I believe that's just a myth.

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

 

You can tell a horses age by looking at their teeth ,,, so if it is a gift you should just except it and say thank you

[whomper]

Bury the hatchet

 

 

 

When Indian Chiefs came to a peace agreement they would bury hatchets to signify putting the hatchet that would have been used as a weapon deep into the earth

[Big John]

POSH - Port Out, Starboard Home, better conditions without the sun beating down on you.

[The Holy Roller]

It takes Juan to know Juan. Two Mexicans were.......

[tazinib1]

It takes Juan to know Juan. Two Mexicans were.......

 

[darin3]

Give 'em the whole nine yards...

 

Supposedly in WWII, fighter plane's ammunition belts were in 9-yard sections... so givin' them the whole nine yards would mean give 'em everything you got.

Edited August 6, 2011 by darin3

[Brentastic]

Give 'em the whole nine yards...

 

Supposedly in WWII, fighter plane's ammunition belts were in 9-yard sections... so givin' them the whole nine yards would mean give 'em everything you got.

I came in here to post this

[Footballjoe]

My ancesters are of Lebanese decent. The story that is told around our table is that Uncle Aheb was traveling across the desert (on a camel of cousre) and his many wifes were riding with him. They became very thirsty so decided to stop at the 7-11 next to the large Cactus. He went through the drive in and got a Super Big Gulp. However, he did not get a straw and asked the store attendant to hand him one. That was the "The Straw That Broke The Camels Back."

[Hugh 0ne]

The game of golf supposedly was named because of signs that said, "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden." But I believe that's just a myth.

 

Yep. While it may (or should) hold truth, it's not true: http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/golf.asp

[cliaz]

My ancesters are of Lebanese decent.

 

 

I first I wondered how you could be from lesbian decent

 

 

Origins of Saying:

By and large

 

Meaning

 

On the whole; generally speaking; all things considered.

 

Origin

 

Many phrases are wrongly ascribed a nautical origin just because they sound like mariner's lingo. This one really is and, like many such nautical phrases, it originated in the days of sail.

 

To get a sense of the original meaning of the phrase we need to understand the nautical terms 'by' and 'large'. 'Large' is easier, so we'll start there. When the wind is blowing from some compass point behind a ship's direction of travel then it is said to be 'large'. Sailors have used this term for centuries. For example, this piece from Richard Hakluyt's The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, 1591:

 

"When the wind came larger we waied anchor and set saile."

 

When the wind is in that favourable large direction the largest square sails may be set and the ship is able to travel in whatever downwind direction the captain sees fit.

 

'By' is a rather more difficult concept for landlubbers like me. In simplified terms it means 'in the general direction of'. Sailors would say to be 'by the wind' is to face into the wind or within six compass points of it.

 

The earliest known reference to 'by and large' in print is from Samuel Sturmy, in The Mariners Magazine, 1669:

 

"Thus you see the ship handled in fair weather and foul, by and learge."

 

by and largeTo sail 'by and large' required the ability to sail not only as earlier square-rigged ships could do, i.e. downwind, but also against the wind. At first sight, and for many non-sailors I'm sure second and third sight too, it seems impossible that a sailing ship could progress against the wind. They can though. The physics behind this is better left to others. Suffice it to say that it involves the use of triangular sails which act like aeroplane wings and provide a force which drags the ship sideways against the wind. By the use of this and by careful angling of the rudder the ship can make progress towards the wind.

 

The 19th century windjammers like Cutty Sark were able to maintain progress 'by and large' even in bad wind conditions by the use of many such aerodynamic triangular sails and large crews of able seamen.

 

*No poop, midgets or weird fetishes were mentioned in this post

[BeeR]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sou...origins+sayings

 

I know there are a lot related to beer eg Honeymoon etc.

 

PS most of those surrounding the f word are false. eg it's not an acronym. I think it came from some old English word like fache or some such.

Edited August 11, 2011 by BeeR

[satelliteoflovegm]

I believe "Balls to the Wall" is in reference to a steam engine being at maximum power and some internal parts being against the engine wall.

[satelliteoflovegm]

I hear people say with good intentions "not if I see you first" which is actually a slam.

 

People also throw the term "japped" around a bit. It seems fairly racist now. People who would never say "n" rigged or similar.

[Tford]

I hear people say with good intentions "not if I see you first" which is actually a slam.

 

People also throw the term "japped" around a bit. It seems fairly racist now. People who would never say "n" rigged or similar.

 

Like Bill Parcells?

[darin3]

I hear people say with good intentions "not if I see you first" which is actually a slam.

 

People also throw the term "japped" around a bit. It seems fairly racist now. People who would never say "n" rigged or similar.

In a similar vain, the word "gypped"... as in getting screwed out of money, etc. It's akin to saying getting "Jewed". Jews and gypsies were similarly persecuted by the Nazis and thus grouped together. At least that's what I've heard. I've never Googled it.

 

if this is true, i was close...

Edited August 12, 2011 by darin3

[Double Agent]

I believe "Balls to the Wall" is in reference to a steam engine being at maximum power and some internal parts being against the engine wall.

 

You're thinking of "balls deep."

[whomper]

I believe "Balls to the Wall" is in reference to a steam engine being at maximum power and some internal parts being against the engine wall.

 

 

It is an old saying from the dirkschneider era

[loaf]

S.H.I.T

 

Ship High In Transit

 

Stamped on crates of manure in the late 19th century when it was discovered shipping manure below decks caused severe sickness and even death when methane gas had no where to go.

I think a snopes search will disprove this

[satelliteoflovegm]

You're thinking of "balls deep."

 

that's an old saying from the dirkdiggler era.

[Big John]

that's an old saying from the dirkdiggler era.

We don't want to be reminded of a OIA alias.