The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-04
COMMON BUT BLIND SAYINGS.
The Origin of Few Seemingly Mean
inRless AdaRos in General Use.
From the Indianapolis Journal


He was mad as halter" is a phrase
often used TO Indicate that person has
been very angry But why should a halter
be more addicted to anger than the tailor
or the shoemaker No one can tell, and
consequently the phrase has no intelli-
gent meaning if taken as it reads The
original phrase was Mad as an after. "
the last word being the Saxon for adder, -
which gives it sense, as the adder is SUD-
posed TO be always mad and ready to sting.
Mad as a March bare" is another
much-used phrase The hare is not re
putcd to be ferocious ~ any tImc Those
who have given information respecting
the hare assert that in March the animal
is particularly wild and shy. Con
seQuently, the phrase can have no mean
ing except as a sarcastic allusion to one's
lack Of spirit and courage
one often hears: He's as dead as a
door nail, yet it is probable that most Of
those who use the phrase cannot tell why
a door nail should he doader than any
other nail that is made Of metal II is
explained, however, that the door uail i'm
| earlier times was the plate on the door
upon which the old-fashioned and now
unused "knOckcr" struck 10 arouse the
inmates Of the house AZ tho plato or
nail was struck many more times than
amy other nail, it was assumed to be
dcadcr than nails struck only when driven
into wood.
II acknowledge the corn" meaning to
'etract or take back. has a number OF OK
plantations. the most plausible OF when is
that in 1928, one Stewart, OF Ohio, made
u speech in congress in which he declared
that Ohio. Indiana and Kentucky sent
their haystacks and cOlnfclds to New
York and Philadelphia for a market. -
Wicldlffe OF Kentucky, questioned the
correctness of the statement. What do
| they send asked Stewart why.
horses. mules cattle and hogs" what
makes your horses. mules, cattle and
hogs" continued the Ohio man. "you
feed 500 worth Of hay TO a horse: you
Just animate and get on top Of your hay
stack and ride of to market How is "
with your cattle! You make one Of them
carry $50 worth of hay and grass to the
eastern market How much corn does it
take at 33 cents n bushcl TO fatten a hOgI
Why, thirty bushels. Then YOU put
thirty bushels in the shape Of hog and
make it walk of to the eastern market. -
II acknowledge the corn" shouted the
Kentucky member.
All talk and no cider" is an adage
which is said to have originated in Bucks
county, Pennsylvania. A party
was assembled to drink barre /
Of superior cider, but the elders
Of the assemblage engaged in po-
litical discussion which lasted 80 long
that some who were less Interested in
politics than cider Withdrew on the plea
that the invitation was trap 10 get them
TO listen to political talk rather than TO
drink cider One Of them said 1T was
all talk and no cider
To take the cake" had its origin in the
cake walks IN which COlOrc1 couples par
ticipate, the prize being cake. Hence
any one who does q thing conspicuously
well, or, Sarcastically, aud more usually
one who fails is said to take the cake. 3"
"A little bird told me is an almost uni
versal adaRe based upon the idea that
this ubiquitous wanderer from the van
tage Of the upper air spies out all strange
and secret things and tells them to those
who can understand. Thus IN ECclesias-
lps y. ~. Curse not the king, no not in
thy thought: and curse not the rich in
Thy bedchambcr: for the bird OF the air
shall carry the voice, AMI That whicli
hath " ngs shall toll tine matter
Let us return 10 our muttuus, mean
ing let US return 10 the subject matter
from which we nave wandered The
phrase comes from an Old French play in
which a draper who had been cheated bY
lawyer of six ellis Of cloth. appears in
court to defend Il shepherd who had stolen
- sheep al the draper Inc preience Of
the thieyish lawyer causes the draper To
wander from the sheep thief to his swud-
ling lawyer confusing the two INSIDE
meanoys which caused the judge TO FRO
quentlN eXcaim: Let AS r. lurn tJour
muttons Sheep.
Not worth a tinkers damn. is really
not profanc in itself, as the last worl
should be spelled without an M" A
tinkers dam is a wall Of dough or clay
raised around a spot which the plumber
is repairing, just as he desires it, fixed
with solder The material can be used
but once, consequently after being used is