The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-29


same men serving at the same hours on
subsequent days two dog-watches of two
hours each are introduced in the course of
the twenty-fOur hours. by which means
the ordinary sequence of the fouI-hour
watches Is lodged or avoided. We have
the same corruption in the expression.
ito dog a persons footsteps
What will Mrs. Grundy say?" that ven-
cradle social bugaboo. which has been
thrown at us so long, had its origin in a
very old popular play. In Bishop Nor
toms speed the Plough written In the
sixteenth century, Farmer Ashfield. one
OF the leading characters, becomes net
tied al the continual Difference his wife
pays 10 her neighbors' opinions, and thus
breaks forth at his sensitive helpmate:
BE quiet. wool ye?-always d.nging Dame
Grundy into my ears-what will Mrs.
Grundy say? What will Mrs. Grundy
think? Let ur alone and behaved
y'self pratty:'
Good wine needs no bush," meaning
that good thing can make its way with
out advertising or horn blowing. Is not
sound gospel in these days of department
stores and newspapers, but its pedigree is
quite clear. 1t was the custom in England
several centuries ago TO put an ivy bush
as a sign outside OF taverns. where trav-
elers could be RECALLED with wine and beer.
The custom still survives In some parts OF
Gloucester, especially on festival occa-
sions.
'f'H cook your goose for yoU," another
old friend. was born when Eric, the war
rior king of Swede:, had the habit OF
sighting everybody that came along. He
laid siege once 10 town which he hadn't
the force to capture, and the inhabitants
had some fun at his royal expense by
hanging goose from the walls on a pole.
Eric returned later with achievements
o. Who hovx yo6 fhair c1a
ienge from the towers he announced that
be had come to cook their goose" which
he did.
40 show the white feather" has refer
ence to game birds. The presence OF
white feather in game bird generally
indicates cross-breed. In fact, no game
cock has one and as the inseparabi.ity OF
pluck and good breeding in the animal
world is generally admitted. so also Is
the converse. and the presence of the
white feather Is regarded as a sign OF
lack of courage.
To grin like Cheshire cat" dates back
TO the particular pattern of stamp for
their butter pats. long used by farmers
OF that agricultural district In England.
The popular imprint was a cat wearing a
remarkably wide and open smie--hence
the expression
70 ''seud one TO Coventry" meaning TO
declare social boycott on a person for
some breach OF decorum, is based on the
tradition that in one OF the long-ago
reigns. when partisan feeling ran high
against the royal forces. the good people
OF Coventry set their faces against any
communication between their own party
and the soldiery quartered there and IL
Any OF their womenfolk transgressed their
uhwriten social law and were caught
speaking TO these sons OF Mars they at
once became the object OF town scandal
pf str ~ Ia
we go back. In fancy, 10 the court Gus
toms once In vogue at the Old Bailey or
Westminster hall. When the lawyers had
need OF an elastic sort of witness they
took a stroll around the precincts Of the
court. where there could always be found
eligible gentlemen bearing straws in their
SHOES or sleeves. sort of cipher code
which conveyed the intelligence that they
were waiting patiently 10 be "suborned''
in every emergency. TX has been said
however. that the straw was also the pc
cuiar jewe.ry worn by professional bonds
men, who made business of supplying
ball for prisoners In civil cases.
Mind your ps and q's' has three nos
sibie origins: First, that il is the outcome
OF the writing masters injunction 10 his
pupil 10 be careful in the formation of
those letters. TO distinguish them from VS.
and gs; next. that it may be derived from
the formerly common custom OF chalking
up beer scores on a slate or board behind
the door, pinis being Indicated by p's and
quarts by as. When such an account
growing beyond reasonable proper
lions IL would be likely that the landlord
or the customers gossips, would bid the
offender mind his p's and a's. The third
is thar p's and as are the angicized YER
son OF pieds tdeporsmentD and queues
t.ails of ha!rb The grace and the grace
ful arrangement Of these We're distinguish
Ing marks Of the exquisites OF France in
the time OF the later Louis.
Dead a door nail is not so hard 20
guess. Its origin dates 20 the primitive
times Of old-fasaioned knockers, which
the visitor hammered ON TO arouse the
inmates As the plate or the nail that
held II. was favored with more pounding
than other nails. X was naturally thought
brotherhood.