Q: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the
right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
A:
When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the
rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the
right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids,
dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's
buttons have remained since.
Q: Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
A: This comes from the French word m'aidez -meaning 'help me' -- and is
pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'
Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
A: In France , where tennis became popular, round zero on the scoreboard looked
like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis was
introduced in the US, Americans mispronounced it 'love.'
Q. Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
A: In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents
were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to
fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss
eventually became synonymous.
Q: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?
A: In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from
player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not
wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the
next player.
Q: Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
A: It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a
poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary
for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host.
Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he
would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.
Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in
the limelight'?
A: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning
a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a
performer 'in the limelight' was the centre of attention.
Q: Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud
nine'?
A: Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with
nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine,
that person is floating well above worldly cares.
Q: In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
A. When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of
France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' So he had the first
course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was
properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets
from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when
returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the
practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day'
and the Scots changed it into 'caddie.
Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?
A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay
called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the
jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the
word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.
Q: Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches
(milling), while pennies and nickels do not?
A: The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and
silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious
metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to
contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they
contain are not valuable enough to shave.
So there! Now you know.
h/t JP
Everything I need to know to get through another day!
ReplyDeleteI have a couple old Roman coins in my collection that show signs of "shaving".
ReplyDeleteLL- LOL...
ReplyDeleteMSgt- I'd think yours are NOT the only ones that show that...
I have always been facinated how words change in meaning over the years - pretty cool stuff.
ReplyDeleteFun and interesting post.
ReplyDeleteCool
ReplyDeleteAs we used to say back in the sixties, cool.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting stuff - thanks!
ReplyDeleteeia- Isn't it though!
ReplyDeleteOpus- Thanks!
Ed/Stephen- Yep! :-D
Rev- You're welcome!