El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-20

After year in the wilds of Africa
and triumphal tour Of Europe it may
be expected that Col Roosevelt has
brought back to America d number of
new phrases and expressions which
Will go down in the history of our
language as part of our national life,
for no one man of modern times has
given to people so many expressions
which have become seemingly ineradi-
cally part of our vocabulary. Male
factors of great wealth." 'muckrakers,'
'mOllycOddles" and the strenuous life
are destined TO live in our literature.
That sage who urged to be allowed to
write a peoples songs as the most
potent influence in their lives, might
have added a codicil to the wish-'and
their pet phrases
Bible and SHAKESPEARE Not Responsible.
The origin of many of our most
hackneyed phrases have curious and In
teresting histories. General belief to
the contrary, all our idioms of speech
have not their origin in the Bible or
Shakspere- Nor have others just evolv-
ed themselves When the average man
speaks Of a friend as an good fellow
and describes him as "a brick" he has
no idea that he is employing a form
of praise which was firs5 employed by
Lycurgus, the great LacedaemOnian.
1t is said that on one occasion when
an ambassador from Epirus visited
Sparta he expected TO find the city sur
rounded BY an impregnable wall.
knowing that the leader of the Spartans
was virtually the ruler of all Greece
he asked: Sire. how is it that a city
like Sparta is not protected by walls?"
Indeed" replied the king, you must
not have observed our walls when you
came into the city, l will show them
to you in the morning" The follow
ing day he took the ambassador out
on the plains where the Spartan army
was drawn up in battle array and
pointing proudly TO the serried host
said There YOU behold the walls Of
Sparta, and every man a brick"
When we speak of an achievement
as feather in a mans cap" we would
hardly think of going back to Hungary
in the 18th century for our right to
the phrase, but its origin is actually OF
that period and country A manu-
script in the British Museum says of
the Hungarians in 1899; 1T hath been an
ancient custom among them that none
should wear fether but he who had
killed Turk, to whom onlie vt was
lawful to shew the number of his slaine
enemyS by the number of fetherS in
his cappe."
CharIemaGne Expressions Popular.
"A Roland for an oliver" dates back
and Oliver were two of the IL paladins
of Charlemagne. Both were giants in
stature and they We're so nearly match
ed that their boosted prowess finally
led TO single combat on an island in
the rhine. They fought for five sue
cessive days, so tradition says. without
either gaining the advantage, and thus
the expression Roland for an Oliver
means blow for blow, tit for tat, quid
pro quo.
This is the origin of Brother Jona-
than" as designating the United States
in the same manner that John Bull
applies to England: When George
Washington was appointed commander
in-chief of the revolutionary forces he
SSe4ES ~MaSsSsGhIltS+st1s TO >2rgG>piz e is
men. He found the army in a most
deplorabIe condition. in need of ammu-
milton and arms. Jonathan TrumbuI
the elder was at that time governor of
Connecticut. and Washington, placing
great confidence in the governors
judgement and resources, remarked We
must consult Brother Jonathan on the
subject" Brother Jonathan proved a
very present help in time of trouble
and the expression became a by-phraSe
finally being applied to the whole
nation.
"Robbing Peter Originated In 1859.
Paul" had its origin in 1859 when there ;
vas great rivalry between ST Peters, |
aOw Westminster abbey, and st. PauIs /
cathedral in London. In that year an 4
was made from st. Peters /
20 meet deficiency in the accounts of 1
St PauIs but there was a great hue /
and cry raised, the people saying |
Why rob st. Peter to pay st. Paul?' |
rhe expression was revived upon the 1
1oaTb n William 1-TS
here was a discussion as to whether I
his ashes should lie next to the kings /
n st. Peters, or as the city OF London ,
urged in st. PauTs. Parliament urged !
hat not to bury him in Westminster /
Abbey would be robbing St Peter TO
)ay St Paul once more. Parliament /
Won.
Slaves Prediction Fulfilled.
The expression There's many a slip
twixt the cup and the lip originated
Turing the time of Ancaeus, king OF !
he Leleges in SamOs. an island in the
Srecian Archipelago. Ancaeus oppress-
d his slaves so bitterly while culti-
-ating a vineyard that one of his vic
inns prOphesied that he would never
I've to taste the wine. When the grapes
lad been gathered and the wine made
Ancaeus sent for tre slave and holding
he goblet in his hands asked what he
lad to say for his prophecy. The
lave replied: There's many
lip 'twixt the cup and the lip" At
hat moment a messenger ran in an
Iouncing that avid boar had broken
nto the vineyard and was doing great
amage- Ancaeus hastily set down the
goblet of wine untaSted and rushed
ut in pursuit of the boar. He was
TILED in the encounter.
The term min money" had IFS origin