The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-03-20
Origin of Words and Phrases.

OF England, by the tenure OF their estates
were forbidden selling any of the trees upon
them, the timber being preserved for the use
OF the royal navy Such trees as fell with
out cutting were the property of occupants.
A tornado, therefore. was perfect godsend
IN every sense of the term, to those who
had occupancy of the extensive forest, and
the 1CindtdU was sometimes Of a very great
value.
RoBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.-In the time
OF Edward VI, much of the lands of St.
Peter, at Westminster, were seized by his
majesty's ministers and courtiers but in
order to reconcile the people to that robbery,
| they always allowed portion of the lands
to be appropriated towards the repairs of
st. Paul's church hence the phrase, "rob-
bing Peter to pay Paul"
HE'S CAUGHT A TARTAR.-In some battle
between the Russians and Tartars, who are
a wild sort of people in the north of Asia, a
private soldier called out :" Captain, hal
loo there, I've caught Tartar "Fetch
him along, then" said the Captain. cay,
but he won't let me-" said the man. The
fact was that the Tartar had caught him.
So when man thinks to get another in,
and gets bit himself they say, Hes caught
a Tartar"
BANKRUPT.-Few words have so remarka
bic history as the familiar word bankrupt.
The money changers of Italy had, it is said,
benches or stalls in the courts of exchange
III former times, and at these they conducted
their ordinary business. When any any of
them fell back in the world, and became in
solvent his bench was broken, and the name
broken bench, bencoratto, was given to
him. When the word was adopted into
English, it was nearer the Italian than it
now is, being bankrout instead of bank
rupt.
HE, BETTY MART1N.-Many of our most
popular vulgarisms have their origin in some
whimsical perversion of knowledge or fact.
st. Martin is one of the worthiest of the
Roman Calendar, and form of prayer COM
mences with the words, 80 mihi beaty Mar
tin,' which was corrupted to '' My eye and
Betty Martini and still further to ellie
Betty Martin
ROLAND FOR AN OLIvER.-Although no
phrase is IN more common use, yet few are
acquainted with its origin. The impress
sion signifies the giving of an equivalent
Roland and Oliver Were two knights famous
IN romance. The wonderful achievements
OF the one can only be equalled by those of
the other. Hence the phrase, sc Roland for
an Oliver"
MIND YOUR P's AND Qs.-The origin of
this phrase is said to have been call of at
tention; in the old English ale-houses,
Iplnts and quarts being scored down to the
unconscious or reckless beer bibber.
EFFECT OF DEEP PLowING.--A cores
pondent of the New England Farmer says
:" striking instance of the benefits res
ultlng from continued deep plowing, was
brought to our notice on viewing the cult
waited ground Of A. M. Whipple, Esq, on
the banks of the Connecticut river near
Lowell. This was naturally light and
sandy soil. His men We're engaged in
gathering in the crop of hay from an extern
sive field, which yielded more than two tons
to the acre. The enquiry arose by what
means was the crop made so abundant, on
land so shallow His answer was, deep
pIOa'ing mainly. That for eight or ten
years past he usually plowed twslve inches
deep. That he put on his grounds but a
light dressing of stable manure-made no
compost whatever-but relied almost entire