The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1882-12-26
Origin Of POPULAR Phrases.
81. Louis Globe Dcmocra.

4
| A bird IN the hand is worth two In
the bush-This saying originated
from tho following circumstances :
Will Somert, the celebrated jester
to Henry VIII, happened to Gail at
Lord Surveys whom lie had often, by
a weil-tined jest, saved from the dis-
pleasure OF his royal master, and who
consequently was glad 10 see him,
wac on this occasion ushered into thu
ayiury, where he found my lord
amusing himself with his birds
Somers happened TO admire the plu-
nsge OF q king fischer.
By my lady, said Surrey, my
prince Of wits, will give il TO you.
Will skipped about with delight,
and sworc by tho great Henry he was
n most noble gentleman. Away
went WIN with his king-tischer, tell.
ing all his acquaintances whom he
met that his friend Surrey had just
presented him with II.
Now, II llsppenrd that Lord North
ampton. who had seen this bird thr
day previous, arrived at lord Sur
rey's justas viii 6omcrs had left,
with the intention OF asking II OF Sur.
rey for present 10 u lady friend.
Great was his shagrin on finding the
bird gone. Surrey, however, con-
suleu him with saving that he knew
SOmers would restore il TO him il be
promised him two anoiher day.
Away went u messenger TO the prince
OF wits, whom he found IN rapturcs
with his bird, and TO whom he dcliv-
cred his lords message. Great was
VANS surprise, but he wac not to be
bamboozled by eveu the monarch
himeelf.
''Sirrah," raid he, "tell your master
that am obliged Tor his liberal offer
OF two 10 one but that. prefer one
bird in the hand 10 two In the bush ;"
Hence originated tho oit-repcated
saying.
To Talk Like Dutch Unclc.--Dr.
Brewer, in his Dicuonary OF Phrases
and Fables, says the significance OF
This sHying is 10 offer severe reproof,
and quotes from the Latin classics 10
prove The awe in which All uncle's re-
buke WAS held. lie does not treat
the word Dnlch under this head, but
ina neighboring paragraph declares
that during riynlry between England
aud Holland the word Dutch was
SYNONYMOUS with all that was false
aud llateiul. SO Dutch uncle may
be regarded as more caustic than one
OF any other country. According TO
Hottcn, Dutch uncle Is a per.oiisge
oil introduced into ouyersaiioil, hut
exceedingly difficult to describe. III
talk 10 him like Dutch uncle, con.
veys the notion Of ANY thing but dc.
sirublc relation. Dutch 10 a slong
term for any language that is nnin,
iciligible to the hcarcr. To talk
double Dutch backward, signifies ex
trcme qgickness in the use OF bibber-
fsh. This may teud TO explain the
above.
-. Kit has been asserted that
these letters were first uscd oy An
drew jackson, as All fbbrcyia,ion OF
|sall correct" One OF "old iiickory's'
friends, however, comesto the front
with the declaration that from close
and Intimate ACQUAINTANCE and con.
.nection with jackson during his
whole presidency from 1880 10 1888.
he knows that jackson never used
such an expression. lie was very
courteous and gentlemanly person
and retained his military habit OF de-
vslving all his epistoiary matters
upon his secretaries that D. X. was
popular slang of Jackson's day,
which was then attributed to Davy
Crockett. Still another asserts that
this peculiar mark OF approval was
first officially used by Statesman
connected with the New York city
government about 1897, and the ih-
iroduclion ot. pipc-laying as politi-
cal fine art.s The fact IL, that neither
Jack suu, Crockett nor the aforesaid
New York City statesman, had any
thing TO do with its. origin. The
cabalis,ic letters are aulhentically
traced to Old Keokuk, paci6c chief
OF tlle>S aud Fox indians, who,
when ho sold Iowa TO the Unitoe
States government, signed the deed
with tho initials OK. Ills co-chiei,
the fiery Black uawk, refused to cell
or siyn away the rightsol liis people
10 the beautiful land, and hence the
Black Hawk war. Old Keokuk
years ago passcd away 10 the happy
| huntino V-ounds of tho great hcvonfl