The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1919-01-25
Of SIMPLE ORIGIN
Interesting to Trace Source Of
Familiar Expressions.
"MInd Your Pc and as" Said to Have
First Come Into Use In London
Taproom-"Humbuo" First 70
Come From Ireland.

It is. think, generally supposed
Tint the expression "Mind your p's
and q's" originated In schOOlrOOm
and was teachers warning to pupils
that the two letters. when not cap
italized. were very similar In con-
struction, says writer In the Mem
phis Commercinl-Appeal. There Is.
however. authority for the statement
that the place of origin was very far
from being schoolhouse, and was. In
fact. an ancient London taproom.
whose proprietor. on giving credit for
ale to customers. chalked their In
lebtedness on the wall In the form Of
p's for pints and q's for quarts. and
was In the habit of bidding such debt
orr to ''mind" them.
The expression ''sub rosa" (under
the rose). Implying secrecy, IL said to
have originated from an incident dat.
Ing back as far as the year AT B. G.
At TINT time Pausanias, commander
In chief Of the confedernted feet OF
the Spartnns and Athenlnns, was en-
gagged in an intrigue with Xerxes for
the subjugntiOn Of Greece to the Per
sian rule, and for the hand of the mon
arch's daughter In marriage. The re-
cret negotiations were carried on
under an overhnnging bower Of roses.
The perfidy Of Pnusnnins was discOv.
cred. but. whether In defiance OF his
fate or not, II became a custom among
the AthenInns to wear roses in their
hnir whenever impnrting secret they
wished kept invlolate. hence the say.
Ing "sub rosa" among them. and,
since. among Christian nations.
The word "dun" as used in the
phrnse Cumming a man" Is commonly
thought to be derived from the French
"donnez." but, according to an Eng
fish publication, bearing date OF 17O6,
II owes its origin to one Joe Dun. n
famous baIliff Of Lincoln in the time
of Henry VII. The bailiff II said to
hive been 30 dexterous In the man.
ngement Of his rough business, and
so successful In the collection Of dues,
that his name became prOverbinl, and
whenever a man refused to pay his
debt It became customary to say to
his creditors: "Why don't you Dun
hint"
To find the origin Of the word
'humbug" We are invited to ireland
In the days OF james II. That mon
arch Is snId to have caused to be
made ut the mint In Dublin coin
out Of anything obtalnable, such as
lend, pewter. copper, brass, and 40
low was Its intrinsic value that &c
shilIings OF 1t WINS worth only two
pence sterling. The soft metal Of
which the coin was composed became
known among the Irish as "Uim bog
pronounced SOON hog" !. e.. soft cop
per, |. e.. worthless money. md In the
course of their dealings the modern
use of the word "humbug" took Its
rise. as In the Phrases: "Thnt's II
piece of 'uim bog" "DOnt think to
pnss of your uim log on me-" etc.
Looking for an explanation of how
the expression "A feather In ones
cnp" originated you may find in
the I.nnsIowne manuscript. British
museum, a Prescription Of Hungary
In 1000" In which the writer says Of
the Inhabitants: ut hath ben antient
custom none may wenr fether save
onlie he who slew Turk. to whom
onlIe 1t Ia lawful to shew we number
Of his Slnine enemys by ye number OF
fethers In his cappe."