The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-05-17
Phrases and Their Origin.

hears every day have been handed
down to Us from generation to genera
ton for hundreds Of years, and in
many cases they can be traced TO a
quaint and curious origin.
One Of the oldest OF these familiar
expressions is ITO cut dido. which is
said Of person who plays single
trick, and carries US back to 500 years
B. c.. when Dido, queen Of Tyre, after
the murder Of her husband by her
brother, fled TO the northern coast Of
Africa and founded city. She bar
gained for as much land as could be
surrounded by bulls hide, and in or
der to claim Is large a tract as possible
she had the hide cut into narrow strips,
aud on the land thus surrounded she
built citadel. The natives, seeing
that they had been quietly outwit
ted by woman, submitted gracefully
10 tins "cutiing Of dido
There's many slip 'twixt the cup
and the lip is nearly as old, and is at
tributed to Aacaeus, king Of the island
Of Samos, il the Grecian archipelago.
This king, so runs the story, had plant
ed a vineyard, bat he had treated his
slaves so badly that one Of them pre-
dicted that his uaster would never live
To even taste OF its wine. When the
vintage came, however, the king called
for cup Of wine and then asked the
slave what he thought Of his prophecy.
II think there's many a slip between
the cup and the lip be solemnly an
swered Just at that instant a messen-
ger in hot haste rushed into the palace,
informing the king that wild boar
had broken into the vineyard and was
destroying it. Ancaeus put down his
wine-cup untasted and hurried out to
attack the ravager, but in the chase
was killed.
''He's a brick, f" meaning brave aud
noble fellow, doubtless originated With
Agesilaus, king Of Sparta, about $50 b.
3. a visitor at the Lacedaemonian
capital was surprised 10 find it without
walls OF other visible means Of defense
and asked bis royal host what they
would do in a case of invasion by a
foreign power.
dor replied the heroic king; "why,
Sparta has $1,000 soldiers and each man
is a brickp
''DoRe to turn" suggests the story
of st Lawrence, who suffered martyr
dom by being roasted on a gridiron.
During his torture he calmly requested I
the attendants 10 turn him over, as he
was thoroughly roasted on one side
Hence the phrase, 'Done to turn
In one Of the battles between the
Russians and the Tartars, 100 years
ago, a private soldier Of the former cri- (
ed out: Captain, I've caught Tar
tarF' Bring him along, then" an
swered the officer. Il can't, for be
won't let me, was the response. Up
on investigation it was apparent that
the captured had the eaPtor by the arm
and would not release him. SO "eatch-
ing a Tartar Is applicable to one who
has found an antagonist too strong for
him.
The familiar expression, "robbiug
Peter TO pay Paul, IS connected with
the history Of Westminster Abbey. In
the early middle ages it was the custom
to call the abbey ST. Peters Cathedral.
At one time the funds Of st. Paurs Ca
thedral being low. these in authority
took sufficient from st. Peters to settle
the accounts, much to the dissatisfae-
ton of the people, NhO asked, "Why
rob st. Peter 10 pay st. Paul?'' Some
200 years later the saying was again
used in regard to the same collegiate
churches, at the time of the death Of
the Earl Of Chatham, the city of Lon
don declaring that the famous states
man ought 70 lie in St Paul's. Parlia-
ment, however, insisted that Westmin-
ster Abbey was the proper place, and
not to bury him there would be, for the
second time, "robbing ST. Peter to pay
st. Paul" The abbey properly carried
the day.
dying in the last ditch was, ac-
cording to Hume, first used by William
of Orange. When Holland was 50
badly pressed by her enemies that
complete disaster seemed imminent,
the Duke Of Buckingham implored the
prince to change his tactics or the coun-
try would be ruined. "There is one
way to prevent my seeing the ruin Of
my country answered the prince. ~
will die in the last diteh.r
He has an AK TO grind" Early in
the century the story was lold of a lad
who was induced by a promised reward
TO turn the grindstone for one who
wished to sharpen his ak The prom
ised paymeut was not made. Since
then one who disguises his selfish aims
by fair promises is said to "have an ak
to grind"
20. K.p has many alleged origins.
The most probable is the following: In
ls4O, when Alvah Adams organized the
Adams Express Company, a young
country lad applied for work. He was
employed 20 do all sorts Of odl jobs
and make himself generally useful IN
the Office. The boy bad an otservant
eye aud saw that the shipping clerk
/ placed upon the managers desk each
night a list Of packages marked "AH
correct" {" The clerk being absent one
day, the boy was asked to write the list.
OF, rather, to check it. When ne placed
it on the desk it bore on the outside the
letters 30. X" Asked what they meant
the youth replied: 40. X means all
correct" Mr.. Adams enjoyed hearty
laugh and adopted the striking abbre-
Walton thereafter.
Immediate Improvement
81 doctOred for bong time for indi-
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