Smyrna times., 1881-07-06
Popular Phrases.
THEIR ORIGIN EXPLAINED FOR THE BENE.
FIT OF YOUNG READERS.

Dead as Heriing.-This phrase may be
traced to the fact that the herring is an
extremely delicate fish. Whenever it is
taken out of the water, even though it
seems to have no hurt, it gives squeak
and Immediately expires, and though it
be thrown instantly back into the water,
it never RECEIVERS.
| Gone Where the VOOdJine TWineth-It is |
very common in the New England States |
to see the trough or 'spout," which leads
the water from the caves, entwined in the
claspers of the woodbine. J. Fisk, Jr.,
gave the above phrase in answer to
question concerning Il certain sum of
money. He wished to convey the idea
that it had gone up the spout.
Let Slip the Dogs of H'm-In Shak-
spears play, Julius Caesar" act III,
scene /. twenty-five lines from the end,
occurs the above expression. Antony is
soliloquizing as to the outcome of the
murder of CHsor: And Ciesar's spirit
shall i'll these confines < cry
Havoc and let slip the dogs Of war"
HObsOAx ChOicP-Tobias HobsOn was
the first man in England who let out
hackney horses. When a man came for Il
horse he was led into the stable where
there was great choice, but he obliged
him to take the horse which stood next to
the stable door, SO that every customer
was alike well served, according to his
chance. Hence it became a proVerb when
what ought to be your selection was forced
upon to say " Hobson's choice"
By the Skin Of my Tceth-Is found in
job xix, 80: My bone cleaveth to my
skin and to my flesh and I am escaped
with the skin of my teeth"
To Point Moral. etc.
lie left a name at which the world grew
pale,
To point moral or adOrn tale
Written by Samuel Johnson in speaking
of Charles MI Of Sweden in "The Vanity
l of Human Wishes
: The &yc IL the Mda.-This famous saw
is generally quoted ii; one of Buttons :;
1 but it appears that the words thus attrib-
Y uted to Button are not Buttons at all, but
+ a perversiOn of one of his phrases, which
:, occurs i'll his Dissertation sur lie style
e His words are " Le style de phOmme" and
e not lie style, c'est l'hOmme" and not
d lie style, c'est lhOmme,"
d DON'T CrOWd the MOurRers.- This ex-
y preston originated with one of the MieI
It prisoners. The captured Texans over
l. powered their guard at Rancho SaladC
e and escaped, but were afterward captured
1t and compelled to draw lots. A number
: of beans were placed in hat, every tentf
?, bean being black one The man who
& drew black bean was to be executed
4. next morning. One of the unfortunates
IS who had already drawn black bean, wa,
st jostled accidentally by fellowvoaptivt
n who was crOwding up to try his luck
The jostled party, whose fate was already
:, sealed, laughingly remarked: go slow
E don't crowd the mourners, boys"
'r The Pen MghtiPr than the ,Sword. .-Bul
Of wer's famous saying, which he puts int,
Sc the mouth of Richclieu, that 'the pen il
N mightier than the sword,'' is not original
d at least not in this idea. 4 number o
X letters written by Oliver Cromwell have
E. recently been found among the family pa
&c perS Of the descendants of one of his cap
y tains, with the device of sword crossing
$ pen upon them, and the legend "Tcn tC
le one the feather beats the iron"
e H'hOm the Gods Lore Die Youn9.-QuoteC
N by Byron in his don Juan" canto 9th
y 4l2: but the ancient author is Acciu,
ar Plantius Marcus, the greatest of Roman
4 comic poets. He was born in Umbria
)" about 254 b. G.. His history profoundly
T. obscure, and, according to Cicero he died
l. 1874 b, c. Twenty of his comedies arc
10 still extant out of twenty-one enumerated
d by VaccO, and are scarcely less popular
'e among the moderns than they were during
d his lifetime.
n He Tempers the Wind to the Shorn Lamb
v This passage originally occurs in Sternc';
ut Sentimental Journal, in the touching epi
s. sOde of Poor Maria and her goat neal
ut MOulins, France.