The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-26
ORIGIN OF SOME FAMILIAR
PHRASES.

The origin Of phrases is curious and
their beginning are very common. The
common phrase, Catching Il Tartar,
has its cause variously stated. Crosse,
the antiquarian, says it came of story
Of an Irish soldier in the Imperial service
who, in a battle against the Turks, called
out to his comratle that he had caught a
Tartar. Bring him along them was
the reply. lie won't COME answered
Paddy. Then come YOURSELF" said his;
comrade. To which the IIibernian re-
sponded: = All. but he won't let me-
"You cannot say boo to goose
How often have persons relieved their
feelings of irritation at the weakness Of
others hy hurting this phrase at them"
Had the latter only known its origin they
could have been paid back i'll their own
coin. The origin is this: When Ben
Johnson, the dramatist, was introduced
to nobleman the peer was so struck
with his homely appearance that he ex-
claimed: ''What. are you Ben Johnson
Why you look as if you could not say
boo to goose ''Boo" exclaimed the
witty dramatist, turning to the peer and
making his bow.
81 have a bone to pick with you is a
phrase that is uncomplimentary to the
ladies at starting. 1t means. as is well
known, having an unpleasant matter to
settle with you, and this is the origin of
the phrase: At the marriage banluets of
the Sicilian poor. the brides father after
the meal. used to hand the bridegroom Il
bone, saying, ''Pick this bone, for you
have taken in hand harder task
The wellknown saying that the shoe
maker should stick to his last originated
with Appelles, the celebrated Greek paint
er, who set picture he had finished in 4
public place and concealed himself be-
hind it in order to hear the criticism of
paSscrs by. \ shoemaker observed 4 de-
feet in the shoe and the painter forthwith
corrected it. The cobbler came again the
next day, and, encouraged by the success
of his first remark, began to extend his
censure to the legs Of the figure, when
the angry painter thrust out his head
from behind the picture and told the
shoemaker to keep to his trade.
''Going the whole hog This phrase
originated in Ireland, where Il British
shilling has been called "a hog" time
out of mind. In Ireland, if Il fellow hap,
pcncd to have Il shilling, when he met
his friends he would announce that he
would stand treat, even if the expenses
reached the whole amount--in plain
words, that he would Ego the whole hog
to crafty them.
There is mode Of declaring by til,
words ''he has kicked the bucket that
person is dead. There is tradition thai
one Balsover, having hung himself to ;
beam while standing on the bottom of ;
pail OF bucket, kicked the vessel away il
order to pry into tuturity and it was Ill
story of dairy maid who. having upse
pail of milk, was assaulted by her rrra
beau, There! you We kicked the bucket.
To which her ready and clever reply was
NO. I've only turned little pail(pale).
mo great shakes = is Il contemptuou
expression when applied to any one. II
!,
be traced to the custom of shaking hands
the shake being estimated according t.
the value set upon the person giving it
and hence offered to the person. Lore
Byron writing to his publisher in Septem
Der, 1920 said: Il had my hands full ant
my head too Just then''-when' he wrot
Marine Faliero' $50 it can be no grea
shakes
\ curious piece of history is wrapped
up in the word ''poltroon, Supposin!
it to be. indeed, derived. as many etymol
ogists have considered from the Latil
t'police truncus." one that is deprived
or who has deprived himself, of hi
! w Z hlloh llltlt III VIZ
self-mutlation of this description va.
not inirequent on the part of some COW
ardly, Sinking fellow, who wished t,
escape lis share in the defence of hi
country. He would cut off his RICH
thumb, and at once became incapabl,
Of drawing tho bow, and thus useless
for wars. 1t IL not to be wondered Il
that the police truncus'' the poltrool
first applied to a coward of this sor
should afterward become name of scorl
affixed to every base and cowardly evad'
of the duties and dangers of life.
- As dead as q herring" has q simple
origin. That fish, whiGh when fat il
called '.bloater," dies Immediately up
ON its removal from the sea. 1t want!
air and can live only in salt water; where
as an eel lives Il long time after leaving
its native element. Swimming So neal
the surface Us IL does, the herring re
quires much air, and the gills when DIR!
cannot perform their fqnction-that OF
breathing.
The f.,h.iii;F phrase, ::Fle scioolmas-
ter is abroad, was first uttered by Lore
Brougham about fifty years ago. In {
speech in the House of Lords, in reply
to the Duke..of Wellington, he said: lie!
the sqllief be abroad if he will. He can
do nothing III this agl. There is another
person abroad-a person less Imposing
in the eyes of some, perhaps, insigniti-
cant. The schoolmaster is abroad. and
trust tq him, armed with his primer,
against ,i.o sg.i.,ieriH full military array.
How to be Miserable.
] 1 L i l. L