The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-09-13
The Origin OF Familiar Expressions.

"Walk your chalks." A very
simple explanation of this express
sion may be given. English ale
horse frequenters, when they have
been drinking long enough to
make a boast of being sober, and
to dispute a point with each other,
will chalk a line on the ground
and then endeavor one after an
other to walk upon it without
swerying to right or left. Those
who succeed are adjudged to be
sober. e., to have "walked their
chalks.n
Cooking your goose.n Ac-
eording TO Notes and Queries
cooking your goose" is thus ex.
planned: "The King of Sweden's
Goose The King of Sweden
coming to town of his enemys )
with very little company, his enc
my, to slight his forces, did hang
out a goose for him to shoote;
but perceiving before night that
these few soldiers had invaded
and set their chiefe houlds on fire,
they demanded of him what his in.
tent was. To whom he replied:
"To roast your goosew
"Scotfree." Scot, according TO
Cowel Qaw Dictionary, signifies
certain custom or foliage. The
right of voting in England was
formerly in those who paid scot
and lot. "Scot-free,n therefore, is
free from such custom or foliage.
"Pll 60 through fire aud water
TO serve YOU" The Bishops of
Rochester possessed the manor
of Southheet, in Kent, before the
conquest, and, as not unusual in
ancient times, tho court of South.
fleet had the power of trying and
executing felons. The jurisdiction
extended not only to acts of felony
done within the village, but also
over criminals apprehended in an.
other country. An instance of
this kind in the year 100 is men.
toned by I Blount in his "Ancient
Tenures.n 1t was of two women
who had stolen some clothes in
Croidene supposed to be Croy.
DOM and the men of that place,
having pursued them to Southfleet,
they were imprisoned and tried by
Lord Henry do Gotham, and other
discreet men of the country, who
adjudged them to undergo the fire
ordeal or examination of the hot
iron. by this foolish test one of
them was cxculpated and the
other condemned. The two chief
species of trial by ordeal were
those of fire and water. Both
these methods might be perform.
ed by deputy; but the principal
was to answer for the success of
the trial, the deputy only ventur-
ing somo corporeal pain for hire,
or perhaps, for friendship. "This,n
says Blackstone, lis still express.
ed in that common form Of speech
of going through fire and water to
serve another.n Hale tells us "ln
the time of King John, the purga
tion per ignem ct aquam, or the
trial by ordeal continued; but il
ended with this king.o
"By hook or by crook" The
destruction by the fire of London
in 1866, during which somo 13,20t
houses, etc, were burnt down, in
very many cases obliterated all
the boundary marks requisite to
determine the extent of land, and
sites occupied by buildings previ
GUS to the fire. When the rub
bish was removed disputes arose
among persons as to the position
and extent of their property
which promised not only interim
nable lawsuits, but created the SO
rious evil of delaying the building
of the city until these disputes
were settled. Impelled by the ne
cessity of coming to more speedy
settlement, it was determined that
the claims and interests of oil per.
sons should be referred to the
judgment and decision of two ex
perienced land surveyors of that
day, and in order to escape from
the evils which delay must occa
sion, the decision of these two ar
bitrators was to be final and bind
ing. The surveyors appointed
were named Mr.. Hook and Mr.
Crook. Hence arose the saying
above quoted.
"He's a brick.n Plutarch, in his
life of Agesilaus, King of Sparta
gives us the origin of the quaint
and familiar saying. On certain
occasion an ambassador from Epi
rus, on a diplomatic mission, was
shown by the King over his capi
tai. The ambassador knew of the
monarch's fame-knew that though
only nominally King of Sparta, he
was ruler Of Grcece-and he look
cd TO see massive walls rearing
aloft their embattled towers fol
the defense of the town but found
nothing of the kind. lie marvel
led much at this, and spoke of il
to the King.
"Sire,n he said, 81 have visitet
most of the principal towns, and
find no walls reared for defense
Why is this I"
"Indeed, Sir Ambassador" re
! piled Agesilaus, "thou cans't no
have looked carefully. Come will
me tomorrow morning and l will
I show you the walls of Sparta"
Accordingly, on the following
morning, the King led his gucs
out upon the plain where his al
my was drawn up in full battle NJ
' ray, and pointing proudly to tn
!, serried hosts, he said
"There thou beholdest the wall
of Sparta-10,000 men, aud ever,