Posted on 03/02/2020 5:45:46 AM PST by sodpoodle
A SHOT OF WHISKEY' - In the old west a .45 cartridge for a six-gun cost 12 cents, so did a glass of whiskey. If a cowhand was low on cash he would often give the bartender a cartridge in exchange for a drink. This became known as a "shot" of whiskey.
BUYING THE FARM - This is synonymous with dying. During WW1 soldiers were given life insurance policies worth $5,000. This was about the price of an average farm so if you died you "bought the farm" for your survivors.
IRON CLAD CONTRACT - This came about from the ironclad ships of the Civil War. It meant something so strong it could not be broken.
RIFF RAFF - The Mississippi River was the main way of travelling from north to south. Riverboats carried passengers and freight but they were expensive so most people used rafts. Everything had the right of way over rafts which were considered cheap. The steering oar on the rafts was called a "riff" and this transposed into riff-raff, meaning low class.
COBWEB - The Old English word for “spider" was "cob".
SHIP STATE ROOMS - Travelling by steamboat was considered the height of comfort. Passenger cabins on the boats were not numbered. Instead they were named after states. To this day cabins on ships are called staterooms.
SLEEP TIGHT- Early beds were made with a wooden frame. Ropes were tied across the frame in a crisscross pattern. A straw mattress was then put on top of the ropes. Over time the ropes stretched, causing the bed to sag. The owner would then tighten the ropes to get a better night’s sleep.
SHOWBOAT - These were floating theatres built on a barge that was pushed by a steamboat. These played small towns along the Mississippi River . Unlike the boat shown in the movie "Showboat" these did not have an engine. They were gaudy and attention grabbing which is why we say someone who is being the life of the party is “showboating".
OVER A BARREL - In the days before CPR a drowning victim would be placed face down over a barrel and the barrel would be rolled back and forth in an effort to empty the lungs of water. It was rarely effective. If you are over a barrel you are in deep trouble.
BARGE IN - Heavy freight was moved along the Mississippi in large barges pushed by steamboats. These were hard to control and would sometimes swing into piers or other boats People would say they "barged in".
HOGWASH - Steamboats carried both people and animals. Since pigs smelled so bad they would be washed before being put on board The mud and other filth that was washed off was considered useless “hog wash".
CURFEW - The word "curfew" comes from the French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover the fire". It was used to describe the time of blowing out all lamps and candles. It was later adopted into Middle English as “curfeu" which later became the modern "curfew". In the early American colonies homes had no real fireplaces so a fire was built in the centre of the room. In order to make sure a fire did not get out of control during the night it was required that, by an agreed upon time, all fires would be covered with a clay pot called-a “curfew".
BARRELS OF OIL - When the first oil wells were drilled they had made no provision for storing the liquid so they used water barrels. That is why, to this day, we speak of barrels of oil rather than gallons.
HOT OFF THE PRESS - As the paper goes through the rotary printing press friction causes it to heat up. Therefore, if you grab the paper right off the press it’s hot. The expression means to get immediate information.
There, don't you feel smarter now?
Betcha Didn’t Know ...
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for Blood plasma.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times.
Oh go ahead .. I'll wait...
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes or shark attacks. (So, watch your Ass)
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age, or older.
The first product to have a bar code w as Wrigley's gum.
The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
(Since Venus is normally associated with women, what does this tell you?)
(That women are going in the 'right' direction...?)
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN!
The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. So did the first 'Marlboro Man'.
Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE!
PEARLS DISSOLVE IN VINEGAR!
The ten most valuable brand names on earth: Apple, Coca Cola, Google, IBM, Microsoft, GE, McDonalds, Samsung, Intel, and Toyota, in that order.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...But, not downstairs.
(Why in the hell would you want to take a cow upstairs?)
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
(I keep my toothbrush in the living room now!)
Turtles can breathe through their butts.
(I know some people like that, don't YOU?)
Remember, knowledge is everything, so pass it on......
Now go move your toothbrush!
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs...But, not downstairs.
Escher figured it out.
Arrghhh Me mateys Pizza of Eight!
In ‘89 it was $10,000.
OK;)
https://www.gardenguides.com/115030-acorns-oak-trees.html
Acorn production begins when the oak tree reaches 20 to 50 years of age. Production of acorns increases each year in proportion to the size of the oak tree’s canopy.
Nice. Thanks for sharing.
Well, of the phrase origins I’ve heard of, they’re all correct. Learned a few interesting ones, though.
We always put the lids down on the toilets in our house. No complaining about who left the seat up, and our toothbrushes are protected!
Nope. The mist of the flush is what causes the fecal bacteria to disperse. Even flushing with the lid closed will no prevent the dispersal of the bacteria. Myth Busters did a fine job of looking in to this myth.
confirmed
Fecal coliform were indeed found on all the test brushes, including the control ones. However, none were of a level high enough to be dangerous, and experts confirm that such bacteria are impossible to completely avoid.
Well, this is demonstrably false. As a result, I have a harder time believing the rest of them.
see my post #25
Correct about closing the toilet lid not helpful. My toothbrush is in the kitchen in a “germ terminator,” which sterilizes the brush. (Timer sets it to clean automatically twice a day.) My mouth feels much cleaner since I started this, but a cheaper solution for many is simply to keep the brush covered in the bathroom. Still I like to clean my brush for better health all around.
The correct statement is , an oak tree can take up to fifty years to produce acorns.
harder time believing...? so what?
You are still breathing in the fecal bacteria and it's on all the surfaces of the bathroom (at least). It cannot be avoided, and probably should not be totally avoided. You are not designed to live in a bacteria/virus free bubble.
3,3,5,4,4,3
What number comes next and why?
Cute, but probably not 100% right.
You might want to double check that “over a barrel” phrase.
Or maybe not.
Venus has the slowest rotational period (day) of 243 days
Okay, so where did “Fin” and “Sawbuck” come from?
Whenever we travel and while in Sierra Leone, we whisked our toothbrushes in Listerine or denatured alcohol before use.
Sometimes it tasted pretty terrible, but we were fairly confident the germs were gone.
Now I will probably start doing it again since all of this has freaked me out.
Good stuff!
Thanks for the knowledge
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