The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-10
. . 81 . . . .
" FAMILIAR WORDS. =
(By Madison = p,ters

(By Madison c. Peters.)
Awkward-Awk. the left as opposed
70 right-a left-handed maj is there
fore an awkward man thing
ciumsily done is awkwardly done. done
as though with the left hand.
Dexter-Means right as opposed to
left-hence a right-handed man does
things with deXterity.
Bedlam-Corruption Of Bethlehem.
a religious house in London. convert
ed into an asylum in 1546-the first
insane asylum in Europe. though one
in Spain claims priority.
observation-disclosures from a PLAY up
on the word block" the name Of the
wooden mold from which hats are
shaped.
Blue-stocking-In the time of DR..
Johnson. several English ladies held
weekly assemblies for meeting literary
men. One member of the circle wore
blue stockings. When he was absent
they used to say: I'VE can do moth
ing without the blue-stockings." BY
degrees the name became applied to
the ladies who attended and the as
sembltes received the name Of the
Blue Stocking clubs" and literary
ladies were called "blue-stockngs."
Broker-Comes from the Baltic,
where a braker. or bracker. is a pub
lie Inspector. examines goods and re-
ports upon their quality.
Bug-a-boo-Bogill Scotch name for
a phantom-also a figure dressed up to
scare birds away-hence bug a bee,
empty terror.
Bugbear-Bear corruption of bird
a bugbird was a hawk set up to fright
en- small birds from a farmers crop.
Bunkum-A tedious speaker in con-
gress when reminded hat there was
no use talking as all the members were
leaving the house replied. Never
mind. i am talking to Buncombe."
Buncornbe county. in North Carolina,
was the district he represented.
Dun-John Dun. a bailiff in the time
of Henry VIII. who was SO active in
verbal of anyone who was slow to
pay that the creditor must dun him"
send Dun after him.
Filtbuster-A pirate. derived from
the Spanish, filibote, which c%uriously
enough Is a corruption Of the English
word fiyboat.
From Pillar to Post-Corruption
of ola d proverb. s4ignifying going from
S 9%hip e9 MoI post3 to pi &c from post
Sub Rosa-Under the rose. The
phrase dates from AT B. {. when
Pausanias. the commander Of the con-
federated fleet Of Spartans and Athen-
ians. was engaged in an intrigue with
Xerxes. to betray Greece to the Persi-
an ruler and to obtain in marriage the
hand OF the monarch's daughter. Their
negotiations We're carried on under a
roof which was covered with roses.
and were matured literally under the
rose" Pausanias. however. was be-
trayed. and, to escape arrest. fled to
the temple of Minerva. The sanctity
OF this place forbidding intrusion for
violence of any kind. the people walled
up the edifice with stones and left the
fugitive to die of starvation; his own
mother laid the first stone. 1t after
wards became a custom among the
~athentans to wear a rose when they
had confidential compliments to make.
the flower implying strict secrecy. It
was also customary among the ancient
Germans on the occasions of f~estivity
to suspend a rose above the table as a
token that whatever be said during
the feast should be kept secret among
themselves. In 1926 a rose was placed
over confessionals in Roman Catholic
churches.
Straw Balm early New York 1t
was the rule for bondsmen to make
their headquarters in a Park Row no.
tel. Boots We're worn in those days,
and the men ready to furnish bail, in
order that prospective customers
might know them. sat around with
TUFTS OF straw stuffed in their boot
tops. A wink at one was enough to
summon him. Though they v
owned a spadeful Of earth anywhere
they located their property as freely
on Broadway as on the Bowery.
"Old Nick'-From Scandinavian
Mixer, who haunts mines. Nickel
comes from legend amongst the
miners that the hardness Of the ore is
attributable 20 the malevolence Of
Nicker.
Poltroon-From Latin police trun-
cate. deprived Of the thumb. It was
to cut off a thumb to avoid serving in
wars-hence our word poltroon for a
coward.