Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-01-20
COMMON PHRASES
Here Are the Origins of Some
Popular Forms of Expression.
REAL DUN WAS A COLLECTOR
"Mind Your P's and as" Attributed to
Old English AIehouses' Queer Charge
Account System-How the Name
"UncIe Sam" Was Coined.

Here are l1e IOrSOtlcu OrlSlnS OI
number of words and phrases that are
used every day by all manner of men.
Few of the people who use them
know where the came FROM
Joe. Dun was famous bailiff, who
had reputation as a collector of bad
debts that was second to ne one in
England. Whenever one man com
planned to another that his debtors
were slow he was always advised ITO
Dun Them Millions of people on or
about the first of every month are re-
minded of the meaning of the short
word of three letters, but few of them
know anything about old Joe Dun of
London town.
mot worth a picayune'' dates back
to the days when the Frenchmen held
gay capital of what was left of New
France There was a coin of small
value known as the '.picayune" 1t was
naturally used to show that a thing
was well nigh valueless. not worth the
snap of a finger.
An expression that is almost forgot
ten now was "a flash in the pam"
Since percussion caps, fixed ammuni-
| ton and breechloading guns have dis
placed the fiintlock this expression
| has lost its meaning. 1t used to be
| said of any man who started out bril-
liantly and failed that he '.was n flash
| In the PAN" When men hunted and
fought with fintlock rifles they were
frequently annoyed by the powder in
the pan under the flint fiaring up and
in the rife barrel This mishap was
going out without igniting the charge
! called flash in the pam"
The word news" is a new word
when compared with many others and
had a peculiar origin, states the ST.
Louis Republic. 1t is not derived from
the adjective new" Three or four
| hundred years ago it was unknown.
When newspapers We're first started
1 they had a custom of placing at the
top of their first page a sort of a cross.
| The four ends of the cross lines were
marked ''N.," &c" "W.," s." This
signified that the paper contained in
telligence from north, south. east and
| west-in fact, from all over the world.
"Humbug' is a word that seems to
express exactly a certain shade of ras-
cality. Its origin goes back to James
IL, who ordered coined at the Dublin
mint certain coin made of base
metal. Anything that was handiest
| WIS uScu III Tie ludh1AS VI tAAS AAiOhSs
lead, copper, pewter and brass We're
all poured into the melting pots at diff
ferent times. So low was its intrinsic
value that 20 shillings of it was hard
ly worth twopence. The Irishmen
| knew this soft base metal as uim bog,
meaning soft copper or worthless mon
ey.
Thus the word 'shumbug' originated
| through men saying THAT is piece of
uim bog. Don't try to pass any uim
bog me-" In the course of time
the Englishman added an ''h'' to the
front of the word.
The expression mind your P's and
Q's" is said to have originated in the
old English alehouses, where custom
ers' accounts were marked up on the
wall behind the door of the taproom.
In marking down these accounts it
: was customary to put the initials ''P"
| and 90 at the head of every mans
account to show the number of piits
and quarts he owed for.
Two mythical figures are often used
: as being symbolical of the United
: States of America One is known as
Brother Jonathan and the other is
the better known s'Uncle Sam Both
{ originated from actual people. When
Washington went to Massachusetts to
reorganize the continental army he
found a great lack of ammunition and
supplies Jonathan Trumbull, then
governor of Connecticut, had proved
himself the strong man of New Eng
land. and his advice was much sought.
Placing great reliance on Trumbuli.
Washington is said to have remarked
I'VE must ask Brother Jonathan about
this
This was done, and Trumbull was
able to suggest way out of the diff
Guilty. Thenceforth, when difficulties
arose it became the byword, I'VE must
consult Brother Jonathan" and the
name became a sort of designation for
the plain, common sense of the whole
country.
During the war with England In 49,
contractor visited Troy, " Y, and
bought many supplies for the Ameri
can army The inspector left there by
the army was known as Uncle Sam
Wilson. The casks OF foodstuff were
all marked 4.U. 81 Another inspector
was asked what the 20. 81 meant Hs
/ answered that he had no idea unless il
referred to Uncle Sam Wilson The
| joke took among the workmen anf
gradually spread over the Unites
| States.
The expression '.to have a feather ii
ones cap" takes on a certain grew
some meaning when its origin is found
Il