Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-01-19
Origin Of WslI-known Phrases.

the house of lords is the lord
chancellor, and the seat he occupies is
called the " woolsaek." This is literally
bag or sack of wool and is covered
with red, but has no support in the
shape Of back or arms. The custom has
venerbale origin, and dates back to the
time Of "good queen Bess." In Eliza
beth's reign an act of parliament was
passed forbidding the expectation OF
wool, then an important source of the
nations wealth; and that this fact
should ever be kept constantly in mind,
it was ordered that woolsack should
be placed in the house of lords. Though
wool is no longer the sole source OF
England's riches, End consequently
there is not the same need for remind
ing the peers of this fact, the woolsack
is still used as the seat for the lord
chancellor.
SNAG.-This is not new word, ex-
cept in the western application of it.
One Of Gilrs proverbs reads: "a bird
in the bag is worth two on the snag."
sHERE's TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH. THE
ancient Germans consulted together at
the table on the most important con-
Germs, such as the election of their
princes, the declaration or prosecution
of war, the concluding Of treaties, etc.
The feast was plentifully supplied with
wine, beer, or other liquor. The prin-
cipal person at table took the cup first,
and rising up, saluted by name the
person he wished to honor then filing
the cup. drank it off and, having caused
it to be filed again. he presented it to
the person whom he had thus saluted.
From this originated our custom of
drinking healths, for though the classic
nations of antiquity had nearly the
same observance, we derived it from
our Teutonic father, rather than from
either the Greeks or the Romans. The
customary expression is, "Here's to
your good health"
HUSBAND. word means strictly
house dweller. It is derived from the
Saxon hus, "house," and 6oudi, con-
tracted from boaudi, or buGudi, the
participle Of the verb 6ua, or byo-" to
dwell to inhabit." The etymology
which is sometimes given, deriving it
from house, bond or band, and hence
meaning the band or tie of the house, is
therefore incorrect. The corresponding
feminine term is houseDife; butwe gen.
orally use as correlatives, simply, hus-
band and s0ye. The words used in our
marriage service are more strictly related
man and rife; and this is after the
analogy of other languages.
Too UTTER, TOO VERY, Erc.-This just
now popular and novel style of slang
originated in the London Punch, and
was used to ridicule the pretensions of
the very exquisite pretenders to art and
aesthetic culture, whom that paper also
trayesties in pictures. 1t was first en-
ployed to satirize in pictures and verbal
jests one Oscar Wilde, a young poet in
London, who is greatly given to affecta-
tion, such as parading the street with a
white lily in his hand, and writing very
extravagant verses. The phraseologys of
Pu7ach is copied by writers who want to
indicate that anything is very preten-
tiously aesthetic or artistic.
Mrs. GRUNDY. - Sc What will Mrs.
Grundy say p is a phrase derived from
an old comedy, Morton's "Speed the
Plough" Dame Ashford, wife Of farmer
Ashford, has a neighbor, whose name
is Mrs. Grundy, evidently a notable
woman, for what Mrs. Grundy will say
or do becomes the bane of her exist
ence.
SoArE GoAT.-The term scape goat is
the rendering in our English version Of
the Hebrew word occurring but four
times in tho bible, and only in the six
teenth chapter of Leviticus. 1t denotes
the second of the two goats that were
there presented as sin-offering on the
great annual day of atonement, on
whose head the sins Of the people were
laid, and which was then sent away into
the wilderness.
It is proper, however, to say that the
word has given rise to considerable
discussion among Hebrew scholars.
Some have maintained the opinion that
this word designates the place to which
the goat was sent-a wild desert region
where it was left to perish. Others
again that it is the name of personal
being, an evil spirit of the devil himself
the separated one, who dwells in
banishment.
CRANK. This word was born in le
old scandinavian days. and had an exist
ence before the Saxons went into Eng
land. Primarily il meant ''twist," and
is as good to-day as ever. A reference
to the authorities shows that two hun
dred years ago it meant Sc cheat" ''an
impostor." That veteran in literature,
Carlyle, used the term repeatedly as
meaning "dim of vision" "violent Of
temper" In Beaumont and Fletcher's
comedy, wit at Several Weapons, .
acted about 1913, there figures as SER
want to certain Sir Gregory Fop, one
Pcmpey Doodle, described in the cast
Of characters as "a piece Of puff paste,
like his master" In the course Of the
play it is inquired, "But how came the
clown to be called Pnmnev first o, The