Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-11-10
FAMOUS EXPRESSIONS.
Origin of Some of the Common Sayings
Curious DeyiatiOns.

Origin of Some of the Common Sayings
Curious Deviations.
"He was as mad as a halter" Is a
phrase often used to indicate that a
person has been very angry. But why
should halter be more addicted to
anger than the tailor or the shoe
maker? No one can tell, and conSe-
quently the phrase has no intelligent
meaning if taken as it reads. The or
il nal phrase was mad as an AFTER
the last word being the Saxon for ''ad-
der which gave it sense. as the adder
is supposed to be always mad and
ready to sting.
Mad as a March hare" is another
much used phrase. The hare is not re-
puted to be feroc:ous at any time.
Those who have given information
respecting the hare assert that in
March the animal is perfectly wild
and shy. Consequently the phrase can
have no meaning. unless sarcastic
allusion to ones lack of spirit and
courage.
One often hears Hes dead as a
door nail" yet it is probable that most
of those who use the phrase cannot
tell why a door nail should be any
dcader than any other nail that is
made of metal. 1t is explained, how
ever, that the door nail in earlier times
was the plate on the door upon which
the old-fashioned and now unused
''knocker" struck to arouse the in
mates of the house. As the plate Of
Ill I was struck MANY more times than
any other nail, it was assumed to be
dradcr than a nail struck only when
driven into wood.
II acknowledge the corn" meaning
t" rctract or take back, has number
of rXplana tons, the most plausible Of
which is that in 1923 one Stewart, Of
OHIO. made speech in Congress, in
which he declared that "Ohio, Indiana
and Kentucky sent their haystacks
and corntields to New York and Phila-
i'lphia for a market" Wickliffe. of
Kentucky. questioned the correctness
Of the statement. 'What do they
Scnd?' 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 horse; you just
an mate and get on top Of your hay
stack and ride off to market. How is
il 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 thirty-fve cents a
hr>hel to fatten a hog? Why. thirty
bushels Then, you put thirty bushels
in the shape of a hog. and make it
walk OFF to the eastern market 81
: knowledge the corn" shouted the
Kentucky member.
''All talk and no cider" is an adage
which IS said to have originated in
EuckS county, Pa. A party was as
st'ml,'cl to drink a barrel of superior
CIDER but the elders of the assemblage
engaged in political discussion,
which lasted so long that some who
were less interested in politics than
c;.lcr withdrew on the plea that the in
v.tation was trap to get them to lis
ten to a political talk rather than to
drink CIDER. One Of them said it was
"all talk and no CIDER"
ITO take the cake" had its origin
in The cakewalk in which colored
couples participated, the prize being a
cake. Hence any one who does a
ring ccnSp,cuously well, or, sarcas-
'irally and more usually, one who
'l:lS. s said "to take the cake
"A title bird told me" is an almost
IN vrr>ll adage, based upon the idea
;',at this ubiquitous wanderer from
III" vantage of the upper air spies out
~ strange and secret things and tells
I'm 10 those who can understand
Tvs. II Ecclesiastics X. 20: Course
mi the king. no not in thy thought;
:"l curse not the rich in thy bed
chamber. for the bird of the air will
carry the voice. and that which hath
N.ngS shall tell the matter. New
York Advertiser