The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-02-04
Origin of Some Familiar Sayings.


There are any number of the com
monest words and expressions In daily
use among us whose derivation is equally
unknown TO the very people who use
them. We say "hard as adamant, but
how many of us are aware that adamant
never existed, but was name given by
the ancients to the diamond, because it
was the hardest gem known? The IA
| miliar term of "dog days" has no apph-
cation to hydrophobia, dog catchers, and
other trials of the canine race during
the summer heat, but to the fact that
the Romans used to believe the dog star,
which Uses and sets with the sun, was
the cause of excessive heat, and were
wont to sacrifice a dog to appease it.
"Dead as a door nail' is favorite form
of intimating absolute lack of vitality.
1t does not mean that door nail has
any the less life in it than one driven in
wall, but that in the times when
knockers were in use big spike used
to be placed for the knocker to fall on
its head and make noise without hurt
ing the woodwork. The natural infer
ence was that anything that was knocked
on the head as often as that nail was,
must be very dead indeed.
| We call an Englishman John Bull
without knowing that Dean Swift invent
ed the name for that purpose in his
"Comic History of Europe" To "trem-
BILE like an aspen, is a common smile.
It is derived from beautiful old legend
| which tells of Christ walking through a
wood in which all the trees bowed to
him but one, which one persisted in be-
ing uncivilly upright. It was an aspen
tree, and in punishment, curse was
imposed upon it that it should SILVER al
ways, even In the mildest weather. and it
has done so ever since. Many people
believe that the fap-iack is an American
! inventive name in all, but it belongs to
England, where fap-iacks used to form
a special Shrove Tuesday delicacy.
"Where the shoe pinches," is an ex-
preston as old as the Romans, who in
vented it. The marks X, Xxx, XXX, to
ale denote its strength. Common ale
used to be sold for. ten shillings o bar
rel, and the more potent varieties for
twenty and thirty shillings. "Taking
time by the forelock," is derived from
| the fact that in ancient pictures of the
worthy father he was represented as a
bald old man, with only a single lock of
hair for Mother Time to grab him by
when he came home late from the club.
A Greek warrior named Stentor, who
had voice equal to that of fifty COM
mon men, if the histories don't lie, gave
the name to q "stentorian voice." The
three Graces were three beautiful sisters
who waited on Venus as dressing maida
Their names were: Aglaia, or Splel4-
dor; Euphrosyne, or Joy F; and Thalia,
or Pleasure. The title of the Thalia
Theater is now apparent "He sleeps
like top" is from an italian proverb,
which says, "He sleeps like topo," or
mouse.
Cutting an unpopular child off with a
shilling originated with the Romans.
"To rule the roast is old English. It
used to be "the roist," and meant to be
at the head of a row, or tumult. The
court crier's exclamation so yes f.! o
yes 0 yes!' is from the French word
~oyez, and means hear. The name OF
the court Oyer and Terminer is also old
French. It means, as every one knows,
"hear and determine" and was applied
to criminal tribunals, centuries ago, as
places where Judge heard what pris-
oner had to say and determined what to
do with him. The wise men of Gotham
got their name from a village in En-
gland in the olden time which was sup
posed to be peopled with fools. "All in
my eye, Betty Martin, is actually a
corruption of very fervent old prayer,
Cora mini, beate Martini" or &c
blessed Martha, pray for me-" The
Romans called the list of April CAL.
Fools Day." because the Druids, whom
they had vast contempt for, held q
very impressive ceremony on it. Some
people believe bonfres were so called
because such fires used to be built to
burn bones in, but the name is old
French. The fires that were lighted in
the middle ages-in periods of plague
to clear the tainted air, were called
"6Om1e,f eU," OF good fires.
The common oath, "By Jingo," is a
corruption of one on the name of q
saint, "By st. Gingoulph." The clarion
was Moorish trumpet. The Office Of
deacon was one introduced by the
apostles. The excise tax, now applied
exclusively to liquor, originally meant a
tax on any of the necessities of life.
clip, hip, hurrah p was battle-cry Of
the Crusaders.