Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-07
ORIGIN OF PHRASES
Familiar Words Came Into Use as
Matter of Course.

| Matter OF Course.
/ In the days of chivalry-when Mi
lady was the idol of the blades OF
derring- do-many men of gallantry
were attached to no particular prince
or cause, but lent their prowess and
their lances to such noble masters as
might engage their service. They
were, therefore, free lances, like those
present day writer's whose quilts tilt
the ink-horn or whose keyboards top
the ribbon for any editorial accolade.
Such was the origin Of the term free
Flance as now applied to doughty SOL
diers of fortune in the writing con-
fraternity.
| The phrase coat of arms comes also
from the days when llnighthood was
a hardy perennial. Those jousting
gentlemen of time when fair Dull
cineas rode white palfreys wore brave
blazonry on their persons. Over their
armor they were arrayed in a sleeve
less outer garment called tabard.
Such items of apparel were embrofd-
cred with the heraldry of the wearer,
whence arose the expression coat-of-
arms. r
| One Is not profane who doesn't
| give a dam" A dam was a small Hin
du. coin at a time when the English
came to India. The phrase sprang
into use to signify that a matter was
of no consequence. The term "tinker's
dam," also, is not to be spelled damn" !"
1t is a piece Of course cloth used by a
tinsmith to hold hot solder from run
ming.
| The phrase mot worth a rap" is
likewise numismatic in origin. For
rap was an Irish copper coin issued
early in the eighteenth century to sup
ply a long-felt need for small money.
Nominally it was worth a halfpenny,
but its metal was so thin and base
that it never passed for more than a
farthing. ,t. A...s
At the front Of the throat Is pro-
lection of sliding cartilage colloquially
called Adams apple. The name comes
! from the old belief that piece Of the
forbidden fruit lodged In Adams
larynx. Hence It Is prominent in
males. ....-. r. ., ,a,
Daniel Drew was q Western drover.
Before driving his stock to market the
willy cattleman would feed salt in
large quantities to the animals to
make them thirsty. They would drink
so plentifully that their weight was
much increased. When put on the
scales and sold they fetched" mate
rally more. To this chicanery on the
part of that obscure ranchnan the
world owes the phrase 'watered
stock" .- ...
Indeed, words have a romance all
their own. Mac Adam was a road
builder. Guillotine a compassionate
physician. Derrick an inventor. Gen
eral Silhouette first devised the cut
outs which in the hands of a few have
been raised to the point Of genuine art,
Lord Sandwich made hasty repast
at the gaming table. The spurious
jewelry called pinchbeck is made of
cheap alloy first used by a jeweler of
that name. Mrs. Bloomer set the FEM
mime world agog in her day.o Mr.. Boy
colt was landlord in Ireland whose
tenantry refused to pay their rentals
until certain Of their demands were
granted. ........ .....-... .... ..
A diverting hoax was once perpe-
trated by one DAILY, manager Of a Dub
! lin theatre. He. wagered that within
twenty-four hours he could Introduce
a new and meaningless word into the
English language. That night he and
his cronies chalked on walls and pave
ments throughout the town the four
letters QUIZ. In the morning all
Dublin was set wondering as to their
significance-wonder in vain. In
a week rain washed away the battling
riddle, but the seven days bewilder-
ment of a citizenry as yet unused to
outdoor advertising resulted in the
circulation Of concocted word that is
widely current and is a collegiate bug
bear to the students Of today.
Canard, the French for duck, has
come to be used in Characterization of
incredible items in the newspapers,
and is word of curious origin. Many
years ago story went the rounds of
European journals recounting an al
legged experiment in the voracity Of
ducks. 1t was said that ten had been
taken and one killed and fed to the
remaining nine. OF the nine one had
then been killed, cut into pieces, and
ravenously devoured by the eight. An
other having been chopped up was
gluttonously gobbled by the seven.
| And so there finally remained only one
duck which perforce must have eaten
the other nine! This yarn gave rise to
the word 'canard'' when an improb-
able or ridiculous story was printed.
Strange is the word saunterer,