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Date Posted: 13:44:34 02/22/11 Tue
Author: BC
Subject: "Why do we say it?" ..

- found a "new" [1985] book at a "thrifty price" ...
- "Why do we say it?" ...
- " ... the stories behind words, expressions and cliches"

- a few highlights from section "A" ...

"Analyze" ...
"The word, which comes to us from the Greek, literally means to 'loosen up.' There would seem to be no connection between this and the word's present meaning, but the primitive method of gathering gold dust was 'to loosen up' the earth and then toss it into the air. Just as tossing a handful of grain into the air winnows out the chaff, so the breezes would blow away the earth - and only gold would fall back into the pan."

"A-1" ...
referring to "the very best" ...
- Because the Marine insurance firms of London started the association later to become known as "Lloyds," they also started a register of ships and shipping in which the condition of the ships and their cargo was noted. The ships were rated by letter; the cargoes by number.
- "A" meant the ship itself was perfect.
- "1" that the cargo was likewise perfect.

"apple of the eye" ...
- "The 'apple of the eye' is correctly the pupil ... people originally thought the pupil of the eye was a little round ball like an apple ... the allusion is to the image of the adored person so filling the pupil of the eye that nothing else can be seen."

"alcohol" ...
- originally meant "eye paint"
- "The ancient Egyptians and later the Arabians used a fine black powder for tinting the eyelids. The Arabian name for this was 'al koh'l'. From this any fine powder got the name - and finally the vinous spirits extracted by means of a fine charcoal filter came to be called 'alcohol' ..."

"amethyst" ...
- literally means "not intoxicating"
- "The word is Greek, and Greeks believed that wine drunk from an 'amethyst' cup was not intoxicating ... just wearing a ring with this stone in it was [then] considered sufficient protection."

Last edited by author: Tue February 22, 2011 13:53:21   Edited 1 time.

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Replies:

[> Re: "Why do we say it?" .. -- Brittany, 15:33:02 02/22/11 Tue

That book was made just for you! I have a couple books kind of like that, but I usually get so bogged down with all the entries that they start running together and I have to take a few at a time.

For me, the most interesting is "alcohol"! Not sure why, but I think it is the linking of words I know and having an "ah ha!" moment.

And sorry to the Greeks, but amethysts are intoxicating for my eyes ;)


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[> Re: "Why do we say it?" .. -- BC, 08:43:57 02/23/11 Wed

Good morning Brittany! :)
I thoroughly enjoy investigating "behind the scenes" in regards to the meanings of words and the origins of phrases!
- also found a copy of Barnhardt's "Dictionary of Etymology" which is "kinda cool"! :)

re: gemstones ...
- the color of Amethysts are beautiful aren't they?!

I like Opals
- which was the type of stone in my high school graduation ring btw ...
- that ring now lies somewhere on the bottom of a riverbed in Lewis Co., TN
While hiking with friends, we stopped to skim rocks across the "Little Buffalo River" ...
- when I flung a rock, my ring was a little loose
- both the rock and my ring simultaneously went sailin' into the air ...
across the water ...
and, down into the river ...
never to be seen again :(

speaking of "stones" ...
- specifically, the "Stone of Blarney"
found in the "B" section of "Why Do We Say It?" ...
"blarney" ...
- why are soft words and sweet words sometimes sometimes referred to as "blarney"?! :)
- according to the book ...
"In the castle of the little village of Blarney near Cork there is an inscribed stone in a position that is dificult of access - and there is a popular saying that anyone who kisses the 'Blarney Stone' will ever after possess a 'cajolin tongue' ..."
"There is, too, a legend regarding the first to ply this art..."
"In the year 1602, Cormack MacCarthy found he could no longer hold the castle of Blarney against the British and was forced to conclude an armistice by which he agreed to surrender the fort to them."
"But, though the British emissary, Carew received from MacCarthy many soft words and sweet promises, he never got the castle."

here's a link re: "The Blarney Stone"
http://www.blarneycastle.ie/pages/stone

Last edited by author: Wed February 23, 2011 15:02:21   Edited 1 time.

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[> Re: "Why do we say it?" .. -- BC, 17:48:37 02/24/11 Thu

- found under "C" ...
- what is the reason a person who divulges a secret is sometimes said to have let the "cat out of the bag"? ...

"... because it was once the custom for farmers to bring a young 'piglet' to market in a bag..."
"Sometimes, however, a farmer would substitute a cat for the pig..."
"If the townsman was foolish enough to buy this 'pig in a poke' without looking inside, he was cheated out of his money..."
"But, if someone 'let the cat out of the bag'...
"the deceit was then discovered."

Last edited by author: Thu February 24, 2011 17:50:19   Edited 1 time.

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