Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-23
ORIGIN OF SOME PHRASES.
First Use of Some Expressions that Are
Part OF Everyday Language.
[Frans II. stauf1er in Detroit Free Press.l


The phrase az acknowledge the
corn originated with a slave in the
South. He was charged with stealing
corn found in his possession. Having
a sack with him he was also charged
with steslingtba His reply was NO,
sar / knowledge de corn. but / amt
gwine to knowledge TO de sack"
clipping the wink" generally re,
earded as a vulgar phrase, is to be found
in grave historical romance. IT occurs
in "Valerius, a Roman Story, by John
Gibson Lockhart, Sir Walter Scott s SON
in-law, and for many years editor OF the
Quarterly ReUtew.
"Any color, so it's red," originated
among the class of characters called
Jackeys in the local drama. One OF
them being on committee appointed to
procure new fire engine, was asked
what color the company desired the
apparatus painted. He replied, why,
any color. so it's red.
The origin OF the phrase, Z" can't see
IT," is traced TO Lord Nelson, who, at the
battle of Copenhagen, was told that a
signal was given to cease firing, and the
direction pointed out to him. Selling
telescope he applied it to his blind eye
eve and exclaimed, " can't see it.
"Hauling over the Goals" dates SIX or
seven centuries back, when feudal
barons often used harsh methods OF ex-
tracing gold from the rich Jews by sus-
pending their victims above slow fires
until they paid ransoms or died. There
is a scene of this sort in "Ivanhoe," IN
which the Templar endeavors to e1tort
money from Isaac of York, father OF
| RebeCca.
"Barking up the wrong tree is q
very common expression IN the West
II originated from the fact that dog
will bark at the foot of n particular tree
TO indicate to his master where the game
is located. While endeavoring to see
the animal bo discovers it on another
tree, and it finally escapes him alto
gether. in its application 1t denotes
/ that person has mistaken his object, OF
is looking for it in the wrong place.
Anxious mothers often tell their hand
some daughters that beauty IS but
skin deep" The phrase probably orig
mated with these two lines
Beauty f. but skin deep. and 50 doth fall
| Short Of those statues made Of wood or stone"
which occur in Rev. Robert Fleming's
poem, published in 1921.
The term "blue stocking" was origi'
nally used in Venice about the year 400.
TO designate literary classes by colors.
In Mills " History OF Chivalry we are
told that members OF the various acade-
mics were distinguished by the color OF
their stockings, blue being the prevail
ing color. The application of the term
TO women originated with Miss Hannah
Moore's admirable description of a
lue-Stocking Club" in her "Bas
Bleu"
Corporations have no souls is q
much older expression than most people
imagine. 1t originated with Sir Edward
Coke. who in the sixteenth century was
considered one Of the best legal writers
of the age. He says in one OF his trea,
tises: Corporation cannot commit
trespass, nor he outlawed, nor excommu'
nicated, for they have no souls.
"Drowning the miller" originated
from the following fact II the mill
stream below the mill is damned OF
stopped the water is ponded back and
the mill becomes what the millers cal
"tailed." There is too much water, the
mill will not work, and the miller is safe
10 be drowned out" Hence, when tot
much OF any one article is put into
mixture it is called "drownlng the
miller"
Better late than never" was uset
over 800 years ago by Thomas Tucker. II
his Five Hundred Points of Good bus
bandry." Later on Bunyan used it IL
his " Pilgrims Progress.
Not few of the phrases in use at thu
day originated with Lyiy, aud are founC
in his "Euphues," popular book pub
hshed in 1880. Among them might b'
mentioned "caught mapping" "a crook
cd stick or none" drown study,
catching birds by putting salt on thei
tails, etc. 80
When people do not particularly hk'
each other it is sometimes said: Their
is no love lost between them. In
phrase occurs in the old ballad OF eth
Babes Of the Wood, +" and in q tale OF tn
DAYS of Shakespeare entitled "Mont
! clepsey."