The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-01-21
ORIGIN Of Some Wel.Knowu Phrases.

ORIGIN of Some Well. Known Phrases.
Bop IA corruption of Bah. the name
OF fierce Gothic general. the son of
Odin, the mention of whose name
spread panic among his enemies.
Nine tdilors make mn, This
phrase originated in the following in.i-
dent; In l742 an orphan boy applied al
a fashionable tail-r shop in London, in
which nine lourneymen were employed.
His interesting appearance opened the
hearts of the benevolent tailors. who
Immediately contributed nine shillings
for the relief of the little stranger.
With this capital he purchased fruit,
which he retailed at pr fit. Time passed
on, and wealth and honor smiled upon
the young tradesman, so that when he
set up his carriage, instead of troubling
the college of heraldry for a crest he
paint ed the following motto on the
panel OF his carriage door: mine tail
ors made me man.
SS.-The abbreviation SIS. is contrac.
ton OF the Latin scticet. itself con-
tracted from scire iicet and equivalent
to the old English ''to wit" The de-
sign of the word was simply to call at
tention to what follows, and in modern
Typography it might be represented by
the index R6H or its equivalent. It is
enormously supposed by many to mean
'place of the SEAL"
Bat better had they ne'er been born
etc:
Within this awful volume lies
The mystery of mysteries
oh, happiest they of human race.
10 whom our God has given grace
To hear, to read to fear, to pray
To hft the latch and force the wsy;
But better had they neer been born
Who read to doubt, or read TO scorn.
The above lines, though originally
written IN pencil marks in fly-leaf Of
a copy of Bible owned by Lord Byron,
and in consequence credited to him, it
has been shown were written there by
his friend and contemporary, Sir Walter
Scott.
This mark, the sign of equality,
was introduced into algebra by Robert
Recorde, the first English author on
his subject, some time about 1867. In
his treatise on algebra, called "Whet-
stone of Witte, he says: ITO avoide the
tedious repetition of these words, sis
equal to. will settle as doe often in
works use, apair of parallel lines of one
lengthe, thus - because ne, 2 thynges
can be more equalle"
When goa 90 to Rome do as Rome
does. In the time of St. Augustine
the question respecting Saturday being
IN Its infancy. that great theologist was
in the habit of dining upon Saturday as
upon Sunday; but his mother, Monica,
being puzzled with the different prac-
tees there prevailing-for they had be-
gun to fast at Rome On Saturday-ap-
piled TO her son for solution Of the
difficulty. He in return went to Milan
on purpose to consult st. Ambrose on
the subject. Now at Milan they did not
fast on Saturday, and the answer of the
Milan saint to the Hippo saint WAS this:
'When | go TO Rome fast on Satur-
day as they do at Rome; but when am
here l do not"-an advice that is cur
rent among Us to this dsy--"When Won
go TO Rome do as Rome does"
lie that fQkts-
Re ths; fights and runs swsy
May live 10 fight another day.
These lines, usually ascribed to Hu IL
bras, are really much older. They sire
TO be found in DO K published in 1856.
The same ides is, however. expressed
in eouplet published in 1912, while
one Of the few fragments of Menander,
the Greek writer, that have been pre-
served, embodies the same ides in a
single line. The couplet in Hudibras is;
For those that Fly may fight sgain,
Which he can never do that's slain.
H-siS'liwg girls, ste,
Whis.ling girls snd Growing hens
Always come 70 some bad end.
In one of the curious Chinese books.
recently translated and published in
Paris, this proverb occurs in substan-
TALLY the same words. 1t is also an in
junction of the Chinese priesthood. and
carefully observed household custom.
70 kill every hen that crows as pre-
ventive against the misforiunes which
the circumstance is supposed to indi-
cate. The same practice prevails
throughout many portions of the United
States.