The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-05-30
HOW PHRASES ORIGINATED.
Curious Expressions That Have Becom
Household Words.

Curious Expressions That Have Become
Household Words.
The origin Of the phrase, 81 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. Seiz-
ing a telescope he applied it to his blind
eye and exclaimed: Il 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
suspending their victims above slow
fires until they paid ransoms or died.
There was a scene of this sort in Ivan
hoe" in which the Front de Boeuf en-
deavors to extort money from Isaac OK
York, father of Rebecca-
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
More's admirable description of a
Blue Stocking club" in her Bias Bleu."
Corporations have no souls" is a
much older expression than most peo-
pie imagine. 1t originated with Sir
Edward Coke. who, in the sixteenth
century, was considered one of the best
legal writer's of the age. He says in
one of his treatises: Corporations can
not commit trespass. nor he outlawed,
nor communicated, for they have no
souls"
The phrase 81 acknowledge the
corn originated with a slave. lie was
charged with stealing corn found in his
possession. Having a sack with him he
was also charged with stealing that.
His reply was: mo, sar: l knowledge
de corn, but I amt gwinc to 'knowl-
edge to dc sack"
ANY color so it's red" originated
among the class of characters called
Jakeys in the local drama One Of
them being on a committee appointed
to procure a new fire engine was asked
what color the company desired the APP
paratus painted. He replied: Why,
any color so it's red"
Drowning the miller" originated
from the following fact: If the mill
stream below the mill is damned or
stopped the water is pounded back and
the mill becomes what the millers call
tailed" There is too much water, the
mill will not work and the miller is
| said to be drowned out" Hence when
too much of any one article is put into
a mixture it is called drowning the
miller"
Better late than never" was used
over three hundred years g by
| Thomas Tucker in his Five Hundred
Points of Good Husbandry." Later on
Bunyan used it in his "Pilgrim's Prog
ress."
Not a few of the phrases in use at
this day originated with Lyly and are
found in his Euphues, a popular book
published in 1850. Among them might
be mentioned caught mapping" "a
| crooked stick or none" brown study"
catching birds by putting salt on their
tails" etc.
When people do not particularly like
each other it is sometimes said there
is no love lost between them" Tho
phrase occurs in the old ballad, THE
Babes of the Wood" and in a tale of the
days of Shakespeare entitled Mont
chensey."-Chicago News.