Tweet
In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs", therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression. "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg".
************************************************** *******************
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year! (May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. The wigs couldn't be washed, so to clean them they could carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig". Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
************************************************** ******************
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Once in a while, a guest (who was almost always a man) would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. Sitting in the chair, one was called the "chair man". Today in business we use the expression or title "Chairman or Chairman of the Board".
************************************************** *******************
Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile". Also, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt and therefore the expression "losing face".
************************************************** *******************
Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied lace was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."
************************************************** **********
Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax! levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "ace of Spades". To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."
************************************************** *******************
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what was considered important to the people. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there". The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip".
************************************************** ******************
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts", hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is Love?
A group of professional people posted this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds. "What does love mean?" the answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.....
When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.
Rebecca- age 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths.
Billy- age 4
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving Cologne and they go out and smell each other.
Kari- age 5
Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs.
Chrissy- age 6
Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.
Terri- age 4
Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.
Danny- age 7
Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.
Emily- age 8
Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.
Bobby-age 7 (wow!)
If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.
Nikka- age 6
Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.
Noelle- age 7
Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.
Tommy- age 6
During my piano recital, I was on stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.
Cindy- age 8
My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.
Clare- age 6
Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.
Elaine- age 5
Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.
Chris- age 7
Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.
Mary Ann- age 4
When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you
Karen- age 7
Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and doesn't think it's gross.
Mark- age 6
You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.
Jessica- age 8
And the winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed on top of the man's lap and just sat there.
When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
************************************************** *******************
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year! (May and October) Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. The wigs couldn't be washed, so to clean them they could carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig". Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
************************************************** ******************
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board was folded down from the wall and used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Once in a while, a guest (who was almost always a man) would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. Sitting in the chair, one was called the "chair man". Today in business we use the expression or title "Chairman or Chairman of the Board".
************************************************** *******************
Needless to say, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile". Also, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt and therefore the expression "losing face".
************************************************** *******************
Ladies wore corsets which would lace up in the front. A tightly tied lace was worn by a proper and dignified lady as in "straight laced."
************************************************** **********
Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax! levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "ace of Spades". To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."
************************************************** *******************
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what was considered important to the people. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars who were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there". The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip".
************************************************** ******************
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts", hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Is Love?
A group of professional people posted this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds. "What does love mean?" the answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.....
When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.
Rebecca- age 8
When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouths.
Billy- age 4
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving Cologne and they go out and smell each other.
Kari- age 5
Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs.
Chrissy- age 6
Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.
Terri- age 4
Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.
Danny- age 7
Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.
Emily- age 8
Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.
Bobby-age 7 (wow!)
If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.
Nikka- age 6
Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.
Noelle- age 7
Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.
Tommy- age 6
During my piano recital, I was on stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.
Cindy- age 8
My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.
Clare- age 6
Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken.
Elaine- age 5
Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.
Chris- age 7
Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.
Mary Ann- age 4
When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you
Karen- age 7
Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and doesn't think it's gross.
Mark- age 6
You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.
Jessica- age 8
And the winner was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed on top of the man's lap and just sat there.
When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
Comment