River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-10-12
Origin OF Popular Phrases.
Globe-Democrat.

Wring-A correspondent of the
London Notes and Q Ueries gives the fol-
lowing concerning the origin and use
of this word: "Wring is plain Eng
fish word. The words, Let the CALLED
jade vince our withers are unwrung,
in the play sense precisely caps and
explains the poor Kenthis woman's err
roneous theory regarding the cause of
bed-sores. Whenever / come across a
controversy about grabbed English
word, such as feud, kex, lap, or cyn@r,
/ take down my Walker and rarely
fail to find it there. A Kentish man,
educated at Merchant Taylor's, who
was very active pedestrian, used to
complain that new boots wrung his feet.
He thus. preferred the Eizabethan
word to gall, or blister, or fret; and he
and Walker were agreed in thinking
that among the meanings of the word
to wiring are to squeeze. to press 70
prick" + / have frequently
heard this word applied to clothes.
My clothes wiring me-" to denote that
they occasion suffering from the pres
sure, or from being twisted, or too
tight. 1t is applicable to other cases
of suffering. l quote few instances
from Shakespeare of the use of the
word to express suffering: "He wrings
at some distress" "Let me wiring
your heart, etc." "rhe poor jade is
wrung in the withers out of all cess"
Three Blind Mice.--This well-known
and favorite nursery song dates back
to 1909, during which year it originally
appeared in a music book. the author
ship of which cannot be traced.
Little Jack Horner.-Thls familiar
nursery rhyme was written in the six
teenth century, though by whom can
not be ascertained.
GabrieTs Hor7s.-Lorenzo Dow was
on his way to preach in South Carolina.
as the story goes, and on reaching a
large spruce tree he overlook colored
lad, who was blowing a tin horn, and
could send forth blast with rise and
swell and cadence which walked the
echoes of the distant hills. Calling
aside the blower, Dow said to him,
"What's your name, sir?" "My name
is Gabriel, SIR" said the brother in
ebony. "Well, Gabriel, have you ever
been to Church Hip Eyes, massa,
Use been dar many time" "Do you
remember q big spruce pine tree on
the hill?,' ooh, yes, masss, knows
dat pine tree" "Did you know that
Lorenzo Dow had an appointment to
preach under that tree tomorrow ?"
'Oh, yes. massa. everybody knows dat
swell, Gabriel, Pm Lorenzo Dow.
and if you'll take your horn
and go to : morrow morning
and climb up into that tree and hide
yourself among the branches before
the people begin to gather, and wait
there till call your name, and then
blow such blast with your horn as ]
heard you blow minute ago, I'll give
you a dollar. Will you do it, Gabriel"
Gabriel, like Zacheus, was hid away in
the tree-top in due time. An immense
concourse of persons of all sizes and
colors assembled at the appointed
hour, and Dow preached on-the judg
ment of the last day. By his power of
description he wrought the multitude
up to the opening of the scenes of the
resurrection, and grand assize at the
call of the trumpet peals which are to
wake the sleeping nations. "Then,"
said he, suppose, my dying friends,
suppose that this should be the very
hour? Suppose now, that you should
hear at this moment the sound of
Gabriels trumpet" Sure enough, at
this moment, the trumpet of Gabriel
sounded, the women shrieked, and
many tainted; the men sprang up and
stood aghast, some ran, others fell and
cried for mercy, and all felt for time
that the judgment was set and tie
books were opened. Dow stood and
watched the drifting storm till the
fright abated, and some one discovered
the colored angel who had caused the
alarm quietly perched on limb of the
old spruce, and wanted to get him down
to whip him. Then he resumed his
theme, saying: 81 forbid all persons
present from touching that boy up
there If colored boy with tin
horn can frighten you almost out of
your wits, what will you do when you
hear the trumpet thunder of the arch
angel? How will you be able to stand
in the great day Of the wrath of God?'
And this is the origin of the oft-times
heard expression, "When Gabriel blows
his horn"