The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-03-15
Scraps for the Curious.

salt over the left shoulder Salt has al |
ways been held in great honor as far back
as the time Of Pythagoras, who called it
the emblem Of justice. The modern su-
perstition, however, is probably due to the
fact that in Leonardo da Yinci's painting
Of the Last Supper Judas isrepresented as
oyerturuing the salt-celar. The custom
of throwing the salt over the left shoulder
is derived from the notion that to point
over the left shoulder is TO contradict ones
words, and "oyer the left" is a general ex-
preston that inyalidates anything of which
it is said.
A Turkish testator left to his eldest son
one-half Of his seventeen horses, to his
second son one-third, TO his third son one
ninth Of his horses The executor did not
know what to do, as seventeen will Meth.
er divide by two, nor by three, nor by nine.
A dcrvise came up on horseback, aud the
executor consulted him. The devise said,
''Take my horse, and add him to the 9th
ers." There were then eighteen horses.
The executor then gave to the eldest son
one-half, mine; to the second son one.
third six; to the third son one-ninth,-
two total, seventeen The deryise then
said. "You don't want my horse now;
will take him back again
Grass widow, says "ROugh Notes, is a
corruption of grace widow. The latter
term was used to designate one who be-
comes widow by grace or favor, not of
necessity, as by death, and originated in
the carly ages Of European civilization,
when divorces were granted but seldom,
and wholly by the Catholic Church. When
such decree was granted to a woman, the
Papal receipt stated Pidua de qratia, I"
which, interpreted, is "widow of grace"
In the law of the French il would read
EeaUs de grace" or "grace widow"
Who was William Patterson and who
struck him, and why was he struck, and
why has everybody been 80 much inter.
ested to know who struck him William
Patterson was the boss Of fire company
In New York some thirty years since. In
an election row, in which he was assisting
somebody hit him over the head. An in
dignant friend Immediately began rushing
around, asking who struck Billy Patter
son. Whereupon large and athleti,
. lrishman stepped forward and answered
. "0i did "Did YOU ?l?ll Did YOU
; Well, strike him again,
. The word dun, generally supposed to b,
: derived from the French donnez, owes il
D origin, according to the British Apollo o
September, l7OS, to one Joe Dun, a "a
J nous bailiff Of Lincoln, in the time o
r Henry VII. He is said to have been .
a extremely shrewd in the management O
e his rough business, and 50 dexterous i
= the collection of dues, that his name be
J came proverbial; aud whenever man re
/ fused to pay his debts, it grew into prev
: alent custoE to say, "Why don't you Dul
: him 2"
e What Is the origin of the phrase. al
+ will never set the river on fire.? aH
i will never set the river on fire" is proper
I ly "He will never set the Thames on fire.
e Tho tense was corn seive which wa
4 worked in former times over the receive
!, Of the sifted flour. A hard-working, a,
: tive man would not infrequently ply Ii
!. tense so quickly as to set FIRE to the wooc
$ en- hoop at the bottom, but lazy fello'
/ would never set the tense on fire."
: The story of William Tell and the appl
' is very doubtful. 1t appears In the Wi,
S ings of no historians Of the age, but
0 found in those who wrote not less tban
century and half later; whereas tbo - =,
: story is to be met with in the folk lore q
D almost every country and in a PARTICULAR
; distinct form among Northern nations
{ Why has Halifax been used ns a SYNONYM
: for the place Of eternal pupishmenf9 HI
) ifax was town in Cornwall wbero a.,
4 used to hang a man for STEALING bafor
e trying him. The thieves, Therefore nse,
to say :--"From He'll, Hull and HsI;fav
j good Lord deliver us" and the decon
{ people told the thieves to Oo to Hai;esv
The sense by which we onnrec;ato H.
I, sweetness Of bodies is liable to sinoula
notifications. Thus the leaves of ~,
t Gymnema sylvestre.-a plant Of Nor,bsr,
: InSia.-wben chewed take ,wav ~. -,
, er of tasting sugar for twenty fnr ban.s
) without otherwise iniuripg tbe ,enera
sense Of taste.
Said Omar. "Either these books lnaon
ing the Alexancrian Librarv,o are !,
conformity with the Koran or ,bey .r
not. If thew are. thew are useloss "a - I;
not, they arc evil; in either event there
, fore, let them be DESTROYED Snsb wa
, the logic that led TO the destrnot;on of sova,
, hundred thousand manuscript volumes
Il was Alphonsus. surnamed tbo WIS.,
King Of Araeon, who used 10 saw ssTha
! among so many things as are bv mon nos
sessed or pursued Ia the course ~ tbs;
. lives. all the rest are baubles bes;dos ,s, u,
wood to burn. old wine to dr;nl old fr;saJ ~
to converse with. and old hooks 10 rs.S AL
The tradition among tbe o sIan. q C.,"0,I. 'eaui
' tv as to the ORIGIN of MI - .ass' ~ !.
, aKick the Rncket " ia tb,, 90 @0naP P.Ioe P.lae.
having bung himself 10 be.n' sUsei ~,
standing an tba hotsom 90 a.,I IAN WIN, WI,
licked The vessel awav n ol,1a. P - !, DuoAe'
fn,nr;tv IA !, was IN - oluss :., y Ply lu1
!. that momsnt-Eia;s ~ - y "''" "'" i'on
What was tho or;,;, 80 a.. !,
, to.a.cater Tho snan;a.i. 4. Tue i,s pnlase !,
few Moor vho ro,aI;nas na,d'us y saaeo "
tbs land or Arrogon ] am,.as,.. \. sstsan's .s : J