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100
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. So... when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey.
What is "Cold Enough to Freeze the balls off of a Brass Monkey"?
100
uring the 1500s, taking a bath meant sitting in a big tub filled with hot water. The tub was filled once and ONLY once - for the entire family! The man of the house had the privilege of the first tub and the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. (Perish the THOUGHT, yet true.) By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying:
What is "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater"?
100
In old days, playing cards was very common entertainment. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards that was 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:
What is "Playing with a full deck"?
100
According to undetermined reports, WW1 soldiers who had lost all their limbs were carried around in baskets. The actual term, however was coined by the US military – in denial of this practice – after WW1. In 1919, a bulletin was issued by the U.S. Command on Public Information, making use of the phrase: “The Surgeon General of the Army … denies … that there is any foundation for the stories that have been circulated … of the existence of ‘****** *****’ in our hospitals.”
What is "basket cases"?
100
This widely used term has its origins in the document issued to a ship showing that the port it sailed from suffered from no epidemic or infection at the time of departure.
What is "clean bill of health"?
200
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement in early days. 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:
What is "mind your own beeswax"?
200
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:
What is "It will cost you an arm and a leg"?
200
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. (!!!) So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night:
What is "The graveyard shift"?
200
nce upon a time, fairground stalls favored gifting cigars to winners rather than overstuffed, over-sized plush toys. Needless to say, winning was nearly impossible at the rigged carnival games and thus the idiom war born. The first evidence of the saying comes from a film script for Annie Oakley in 1935, after which it was frequently used in newspaper articles.
What is "close but no cigar"?
200
The Inuit (different from Eskimos) used to chew on pieces of whale blubber almost like chewing gum. The blubber took quite a while to dissolve, so it just sort of helped pass the time while they were doing something else.
What is "chewing the fat"?
300
Houses in the 1500s had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying:
What is "its raining cats and dogs"?
300
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October). Women kept their haircovered, 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:
What is "A Big Wig"?
300
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 so we now have:
What is "gossip"?
300
When hunting raccoons for fur was a popular sport, hunting dogs were used to sniff them out of trees. Being a nocturnal animal, the hunting party had to work at night, and the dogs would sometimes end up choosing the wrong tree. The term was first printed in a book by Davy Crockett in 1833.
What is "bark up the wrong tree"?
300
It was often thought that crocodiles shed tears that slid down into their mouths, moistening their food and making it easier for them to swallow. Hence the tears appear to be an expression of emotion but are in fact a means to make it easier to swallow.
What are "crocodile tears"?
400
Refers to the medieval belief that a person bitten by a rabid dog could be cured by rubbing some of the same dog's hair into the infected wound.
What is "hair of the dog"?
400
It was originally a method used by thieves to entrap their pedestrians and subsequently rob them. One thief would be assigned ‘tripper up’ duty, and would use different instruments to knock the person to the ground. Luckily, these days the saying is much more friendlier, though being on the end of a joke might not always be fun.
What is "pulling someones leg"?
400
In the years after the invention of the Telegraph there was a mad rush to erect telegraphs to as many places as possible in the shortest time. In 1859 Colonel Bee put a line up between Placerville and Virginia City. He used trees to carry the wires instead of telegraph poles. Their movement stretched and tangled the wires until they fell to the ground, looking similar to the wild vines found in California. During the American Civil War messages that were received via the telegraph that were thought to be mis-information or inaccurate were said to have arrived on the 'grapevine telegraph', a mocking reference to Colonel Bees venture.
What is "heard it through the grapevine"?
400
This is a pirate phrase originating in Port Royal Jamaica in the 1600's. Having only single shot black powder weapons and cutlesses, they would carry many of these weapons at once to keep up the fight. In addition they carried a knife in their mouth for maximum security.
What is "armed to the teeth"?
400
Common lore has it that a tailor making a high quality suit uses more fabric. The best suits are made from nine yards of fabric. This may seem like a lot but a proper suit does indeed take nine yards of fabric. This is because a good suit has all the fabric cut in the same direction with the warp, or long strands of thread, parallel with the vertical line of the suit. This causes a great amount of waste in suit making, but if you want to go, you must pay for such waste
What is "dressed to the nines"?
500
The origin of this funny cat phrase is said to come from the Middle Ages, where markets were held to sell livestock, produce and other goods. Small animals like piglets were usually sold alive and placed in sacks to be carried home. Unscrupulous merchants sometimes swindled their customers by substituting cats for piglets. However, if the buyer happened to open the bag while still at the market, they'd foil the ruse by:
What is "letting the cat out of the bag"?
500
Pertains to torture used during the Crusade's. As a method for extracting confession for heresy, non-believers were positioned in a manner that allowed the inquisitor to apply flames to the feet of the accused. This was done until the accused confessed or died.
What is "holding feet to the fire"?
500
In slaughterhouses, the rail on which pigs are hung after slaughter to drain off the blood is known as the bucket bar. Muscle spasms after death sometimes lead to the dead pig twitching as if to:
What is "kick the bucket"?
500
Boilers are commonly used in steam heating systems and steam engines such as those used in a steam locomotive. The boilers contain water that is heated by burning some fuel such as oil. The heated water turns to steam, which is then sent through a system of radiators (in the case of heating systems) or harnessed by a steam engine. The steam creates considerable pressure in the boiler. If the pressure becomes too great, there is a danger of the boiler exploding. Hence boilers are equipped with safety valves called blow off valves that open if the pressure becomes to great.
What is "blowing off steam"?
500
Comes from the British military. When someone was court marshaled, there would be a military drum squad playing. The term "drummed out of the military" came from this practice....
What is "face the music"?
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