Posted on 05/10/2013 8:09:14 AM PDT by Lucky9teen
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_KeMzCUsxtYo/TF-r72rcohI/AAAAAAAAE0k/KF1hwxdROmI/s400/Sometimes_I_Dream_Of_Reindeer_Production+Still_5.jpg")
No mention of what the nickname was? ;-P
Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats, dogs (and other small animals, mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings Could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery In the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing.. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, It would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a "Thresh hold."
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers In the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all "sit around and chew the fat." Those with money had plates made of pewter.
Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status.. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, And guests got the top, or the "Upper crust."
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom; "Holding a wake."
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had ben burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was "considered a dead ringer."
Where did "Piss Poor" come from? Interesting history. They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. And then once it was full it was taken and sold to the tannery... If you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor". But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot... They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low. The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature Isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
And that's the truth. [MAYBE -- TheOldLady]
Now, whoever said history was boring!!! So get out there and educate someone! Share these facts with a friend.
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the heck happened?"
We'll be friends until we are old and senile. Then we'll be new friends.
Smile, it gives your face something to do!
Yellow Chair? I swear that I’m not Native American!
Purple Mousepad
Blue Electric Stapler!
Grey half eaten corn dog
Blue Corkboard
Grey Post-It Note checking in!
Blue Screen (of Death?)
LOL! Did you make that up? [giggles]
Mom wants a grandchild.
2000 B.C. — Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. — That root is heathen. Say this prayer.
1850 A.D. — That prayer is superstition. Drink this potion.
1940 A.D. — That potion is snake oil. Swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. — That pill is ineffective. Take this antibiotic.
2008 A.D. — That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.
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