Which is a good thing, because most of it, if not all of it, is false.
Threshold etymology dates further back than the English word we use today. And the "thresh" they were talking about meant "to trod upon". Basically a threshold was a boundary, not something to hold something in/out.
Throwing out the baby with the bath water originated in Germany as a way of saying don't throw out the good with the bad.
Dirt Poor originated in the US in the early 1900s, and simply meant really poor. Not that they had dirt floors.
Piss-poor originated during WWII in the US, as well. It meant really bad.
Tomatoes were brought to Europe from Mexico by early Spanish explorers. They were known to be edible, and were consumed by the French and Spanish, but some thought them poisonous because they were related to nightshade, and contained minor amounts of poisonous Tomatine (mostly in the leaves and green tomatoes), not because they reacted with pewter. Most folks probably ate from wooden plates/bowls anyway. Usually not enough to kill you.
Saved by the bell originated with boxing in the late 1800s.
Dead Ringer is defined as a look-alike or exact duplicate, and nowhere except here is defined as someone who rang a bell on a safety coffin.
Agreed-the threshold and tomato references gave it away, if nothing else did-and while thatch usually did not have a solid sub-roof to rest on, houses did have wooden roof trusses spaced as closely as one could afford-they were needed to bridge/tie the walls in the top corners, and keep the thatch from falling in, never mind the cats.
Thatch was/is at least partially bundled and/or tied before it goes on a roof-otherwise it would just fall in or blow away-it certainly wouldn’t keep out any rain or snow. But it was an entertaining and imaginative article...
As usual, there are many differing opinions—and I find all interesting.......
Thanks for adding this to the discussion.