The daily sentinel., 1912-11-09
Familiar Phrases
and How They
Originated
"Corporations Have No SouIs."

I Originated with Sir Edward Coke.
a we'll known legal writer of the
sixteenth century: Corporations
cannot commit rtespass. nor be out
lawed, nor communicated, for they
have no souls
diamonds of First Water"
Appropriateness in phrase because
of its resemblance to the sparkling
water. But the expression originated
in mistake. The Anglo-Saxon spoke
of the finest or purest hue" or
color CAngle-SaXon, hew or color.
I The Norman supposed this word to
be their own word eve twaterD and
applied II in that sense.
''rhe Cut of His Jib."
The foremost sail of ship is called
the jib and by its shape indicates, to
some extent, the class of a vessel
bearing II. In war time every yes
sci was carefully scanned, and if the
strange craft looked suspicious the
man on the lookout expressed his
/ opinion by saying, Il don't like the
cut of her jib," and the expression
was transferred to the personal ap-
pearance,
"Getting Into Scrape."
Deer dig up land into holes, to the
depth of foot These are called
''scrapes.' To fall into them often
means a broken leg, hence when a
man finds himself in an unpleasant
position he is said to have got into
sCrape."
81 Would Go Through Fire and Water
10 Serve Him.
This saying is a relic of the old
trials by ordeal-when trial by or
deal of fire and water was recogniz-
( ed by English law, both ordeals could
d la npTfnTr1al hNvI
done for hire and sometimes for
friendship. The ordeal of fire was
passing blindfolded and barefoOted
through place whore nine redhot
ploughshares were arranged at ir-
regular Intervals. In the trial by
I water the person to be tried was
bound hand and foot and thrown in
! to pond or river. If he drowned
/ that was proof of guilt, aud saying
7 q would so through fire and water"
was equivalent to saying that the
pers using it was ready TO sacrifice
life or limb to serve his friend.
AS Quick as You Can Say Jack
Robinson"
During the last of the eighteenth
century in England corruption was
notorious. Jack Robinson the sec
retary of the treasury was known
to use both patronage and money
I to carry out his corrupt ministerial
policy Sheridan declared that
member of the house was employed .
to corrupt everybody in order to Sc
cure votes. Amid intense excitement
voices called out: Name him or
Withdraw" Sheridan was in pre-
dicament, but his ready wit aided
him. Sir he answered, lit would .
be an unpleasant and inyidiOus thing
IN tla and thnrAfpTa |
will not do It, But don't suppose
there would be any difficulty in nam
ing him: | could do it, sir, as quick
as you could say Jack Robinson"
"Buying Pig in Poke
Some wags put cat in a bag or
poke and sold it TO a comtryman as
pig. Poke is still used for sack
in the south of England. Going to
the tavern to have a drink over the
bargain, the buyer opened the bag,
and the cat jumped out. Hence the
origin of the proverbs, You should
never buy pig in poke, and ''You
let the cat out of the bag"
"Itobbing Peter to Pay Paul"
In 1850 several estates belonging
to Westminster abbey we're granted
for the repair and sustenance of st.
Paul's cathedral. As Westminster
abbey is dedicated to s.. Peter, the
taking the abbey funds for the ben
eft of ST. Paul's gave rise TO the
saying.
"Pin-NIoncy."
For long after the invention of
pins in the fourteenth century the
maker was allowed 80 sell them only
on January and >. They were SO
expensive that only the very rich
could buy them and it became the
custom to give a certain sum of mon
ey to women at their marriage for
buying pins. and on January l and .
2 they flocked to the stores with
this pin money
mine TailOrs Make II Man"
The church bells of Leicestershire
tolling for the dead the custom was
nine tolls or tellers to mark a man,
three times three. and three times
two for female on the tenor bell
and for children under = the treble
bell was used, and the old saying,
nine tailors make man" is cor
ruption of nine tollers mark
man.
''Iiains Cats and Dogs"
The blossoms of the willow tree
which were used on Palm Sunday to
represent the branches of the pa I'm
were called cats and dogs" in many
parts of England. They Increase in
size rapidly after a few warm show
ers and the belief prevailed that rain
brought them. Hence the saying,
rains cats and dogs"
Mind Yer Ps and Qs.'
Expression arose from the custom
of chalking up behind alehouses'
doors the debts due from customers,
in which the number of pints or
quarts they owed were made by
stroke opposite the letters ''p" and
%
al"