Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-01-03
ORIGIN OF BY-WORDS.

This IS an express age, new ideas customs
and manners are constantly appearing on llte's
panorama oIog;es and iSms, clothed III high
sou; ding rhetoric, aud pcrplexlog bombast
keen the mind continually on the Qui vlve, lest
,r, balloon of trans ccndeutaisu should ascend
without them, or the clue to our labyrinth Of
r the tics be scarcely found. ere another may
theory appear. Yet, with all this glitter OF
word aod idea, it is curious to note how the
world cings to the coinage of minds, and days,
80 long gone by, that though the ideas are re-
tanned, the phraseoIogy iD which they were first
rnthed is obsolete, and their origin forgotten.
''poItroon" is Instantly 90 the lips, when we
hear of cowavdly act, but few know that
"poce trpucus' was name OF scorn hrst ap-
plled to the base Norman, who deprived him
self Of his thumb that lie might not draw his
bow in dct4ucc OF his couotry: Who would
inagire that Man Of Straw term we'll
kuowu to all verSed in the techncalltes OF law,
had been traced back to the Atheuiaa Court,
50 celebrated for equity that the Areopagltes
sat iu the open air, lest their sacred persons
should be contaminated by proiane aud wicked
y rsuus slipping in unawares amongst them.
Il
straws stuck Ia their sanuals, seemed ouly care
less lockers ou, aud lStcuers to what they lelt
no Unrest in, but wink or nod brought them
into The vicinity OF Il law glves, and keeu list
cntr might have heard this colloquy: Don't
vyu remembcl ? said the Adv0c ,te-( the par
~ Looked at the ice aud gave no sign; but the
Ice Increased, aud the powers OF memory ln-
creased with i,)-'ro be sure do. Then come
INTO Court and swear It ! and straw shoes went
into Court and sworc it. Athens abounded 10
straw shoes" Young folks would not shun
the namc Of "B Ne Stocking" as a term OF op-
probrium, if they had ever read the history OF
the Society de la Gaia, formed at Venice
in l4OO. whrsc members we're distinguished by
the color Of their stockings, blue being the
!avollt, color. Boswell gives charming &C.
count Of club which existed in the time of
johnson, whose most eminent member was Mr.
Stillinghcet (grandsou of the Bishop,) who
wore blue stocEngs, and was so distinguished
for the brliliancy and Wit of his conversation,
that when absel the other members would ex
claim. I'VE can do nothing without blue stock
iugs." ln this way the title OF the club be-
came established, and the name drifted into
sobriquci for all who Affected literature The
earliest mcutlou OF a 'blue stocking occurs IN
Greek comedy entitled 'The Banquet OF
piutarch.' Ny ideas seem to be tingcd with
blue. for just uuw true blue" appears Tor hon
orablr mention. It's origin has been much dis.
cusscd Que writer claims it for the Cove
MATTERS, VINO assumed it in opposition to the
scarlet badge Of Charles Ii. 1t was worn by
the troops OF Lcsly aud Moptrose 10 1884. The
Govcnautcrs were noted Tor their religious pc
uaulrics and afcctatiou OF strict observance OF
Hebrew customs. They uamed their children
X.rubbabcl and Habbakuk; called their ciapcls
Xruu and Ebcnczcr, and decorated their per
suns with blue ribbons, because the law OF
Muses. commanded: Speak to the children OF
| >racl and tell them to make to themselves
tripgcs on the borders of their garmeuts put
ting in them ribbons of blue So when
Covcuantcr was very brave he was true to his
color.
Apropos of round heads they have the credit
of Fools cap papsr" Charles the FIRST al
ways generous when the act did not cnpty his
own pockets, gave The monopoly of the manu-
tacturr Of paper to party who stamped their
goods with the royal crest. Cromwell's Parlla-
mrut made many ie>ts on the ki0gly mono
grain, and in mockcry substituted the FOOLS
cap and bells The rump Parliament had its
brlci day and passed away, SO also did the
figures of tho fool and his bells from the paper,
but sheets the size of the Parliament journals
still retain the name.
One more glimpse at common sayings and |
have done, though many more occur to me:
"Hurrah" is Slavouian word and is heard
from the coast of Damatia t, Behring's Straits
when any OF the inhabitants of those limits
lave occasion to show courage or valor The
word originated in the primitive idea that
every ulan that dies hravely for his country
''goeS strait to heaven Huray Ito Paradise
and in the heat OF battle the soldiers shout that
cry as the Turks do that of "Allah," animat-
ing themselves by the hope of death being but
IN entrance on a state of reward for their hero
ism and suffering here.
POLITICAL,