Language

Between the devil and the deep blue sea – Ship caulkers used the word devil for the deck planking next to the ships waterways. The area below that planking was very hard to get at when caulking was required.

Called on the Carpet – The Captain’s quarters was the only place that was carpeted. To be called on the carpet would be to be called to the Captain’s quarters.

Figurehead – Originally the carved wooden figure placed at the bow of the ship to “see the way”. It had no real function.

Know the Ropes – Refers to the complex system of lines that a recruit had to learn before becoming a seaman.

Let the Cat out of the Bag – On a ship, when a shipmate needed punishment, the captain would take the cat o’nine tails from its canvas bag.

Shanghaied – most likely arouse because many “crimped” sailors ended up in Shanghai, China before their “hangover” wore off.

Slush Fund – Slush, a watery mixture of fats made from scraping empty meat storage barrels was often sold ashore. The money so earned was known as a slush fund

Son of a gun – A child born on board was usually birthed under the guns, as that was the coolest place on the ship.

Three sheets to the wind – A sheet was the rope that was used to control the sails. If three of the sheets came loose the ship was allowed to run free to the whims of nature.

Under the weather – The bow of a ship that comes under the constant beating of the sea was where sailors below deck were most likely to become sea sick.

Wallop – Admiral Wallop gained notoriety after he and his ships badly defeated the French in retaliation for the burning of the town of Brighton, England

Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water – Families shared the bath water. First the man of the house, then the sons, followed by the women, the daughters, and lastly the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could almost lose someone in it.

Lick Into Shape – Dates back 1,000 years when people believed that bear cubs where born formless and Mom and Dad licked them into a shape that matched their own.

Mother’s helper – A foot scrapper that was bolted to the step outside the kitchen door and used to scrap off mud and manure from the boots/shoes.

No kill crow – No big deal

Put a sock in it – Early phonographs had no form of volume control so people put a sock in the horn to mute the sound.

Set the Table – Children would take down a board that was hung from a rafter at the end of the kitchen and set it on the trestle legs.

Sit Deep – Be comfortable

Sleep tight – Once mattresses were held on bed frames with ropes. When tightened, the bed was firmer hence “goodnight and sleep tight

Thresh hold – Thresh was laid on the floor to dry off water and mud from the shoes of people entering a house. When people left the house they kicked the thresh out so a board was laid across the doorframe. The board was called a thresh hold.

Upper Crust – Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the Family the middle, and guests got the top or the upper crust.

Knuckle down – In a serious game of marbles a player had to shoot from the exact spot where the marble landed.

Sour Grapes – comes from an Aesop fable about a fox that can’t reach the best grapes on a tall vine, so he convinces himself that he never wanted those grapes anyway, claiming they were sour.

No great shakes – Has its origins in the shaking of dice before they are thrown. To shake the dice and throw a low point is no great shakes or nothing extraordinary.

A Women’s place is in the home – Dates back to 500 years before Christ. However most of us know it because in 1970 Bella Abzug – The Lady of many hats – said “This lady’s place is in the house – the House of Representatives.

Dead Ringer – describes the practice of tying a rope to the wrist of a buried person. On the other end of the rope was attached a bell.

Dog Tags – Soldiers so named their identification tags because they resembled a license tag on a dog’s collar

Go to the devil – The sign of a London pub had a picture of Saint Dunstan pulling the devil’s nose. The pub was nicknamed “The Devil” and was a hang out for lawyers. When a client went to the lawyer’s office they were told to “go to the devil”.

Gold Bricker – In the late 1800’s con men sold lead or iron bricks coated with gold paint, representing them as the real thing.

Gone to Pot – A tailor who lived near a cemetery in a small European town dropped a stone into a pot for each funeral that past by his shop. When he himself died, it was said that he to had gone to pot.

Hot off the presses – A well-used method of printing called “hot metal printing.

It’ll cost you and arm and a leg – In the years before the camera, a person’s image was either painted or sculpted. More than likely only the upper body was included because the artist charged extra for including any of the person’s limbs.

Payola – A 1960’s word that is a contraction of pay and victrola. It signified money paid by record companies to radio announcers to play their songs on the radio.

Petered Out – The expression originates with underground miners who used a substance of potassium and nitrate mixed with other common chemicals nicknamed “Peter” by the miners. This explosive mixture is used to loosen rocks and sediments in order to help expose veins of ore. The expression was used when the yield was not worth the effort.

Pen Knife – Any small knife used for making and sharpening quill pens.

Pig in the Poke – A stall keeper in a market handing over a bag that supposedly contained a valuable piglet but which instead had in it only a useless cat.

Pulp Fiction or Pulps – They reigned in the 1930s and 1940s as the most popular form of entertainment in the country (adventurous stories printed on cheap pulp paper. They featured authors such as: Ray Bradbury, Raymond Chandler, Zane Gray, Dashiell Hammett, and Louis L’Amour.

Roadside Verse – Companies once put up signage along side of the road, each consecutive sign being a line of a verse that gave the passing motorists a reason to buy their product.

The end of the line – A name given to an amusement park because railroads used to end their lines at an amusement park that they themselves created.

Tom Foolery – Tom Fool was a generic name for jesters who were noted for silly behavior of no great wit.

Wet your Whistle – Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get service.

Back when Hector was a pup – Back in the 20’s when so many students studied Greek they learned about Hector, a most famous warrior. Many named the dogs Hector.

Be true to your teeth and they won’t be false to you – Brush your teeth

Blue Million Questions – A million questions seemingly asked from out of the blue

Bring Home the Bacon – Pork was once a very rare and extensive treat. It was a sign of wealth to serve the pork (Bacon).

Cheapskate – A skate is a common fish that was believed to inflate itself like a blow fish.

Chew the Bacon – One would slice off pieces of pork and serve them to guests and everybody would sit around and “chew the fat”.

Dig your grave with a spoon – Eating yourself to death

Dodgers – A name Manhattanites gave to the people from Brooklyn because it seemed that they were always dodging trolleys.

Don’t bust a cake – A sweet (cake) child might have something terribly funny to share (cut the cake) with you. The child is ready to bust

Don’t dance in a thunderstorm – A warning to a child who might put their character or reputation in danger by hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Every man wants to be part of the picture – Inserting yourself in the action without considering the potential ramifications.

He’s chasing rabbits again – A person who starts on one subject and runs the conversation to 15 others

He is the kind of guy that disagrees with himself between meals – A grump

High on the hog – After World War II many Americans could afford better, and generally the ones on the higher parts of the animals

He’s like a dog with a bone – Someone who won’t let a subject die.

Honeymoon - In Babylon 4,000 years ago, the brides Father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink for a month. Since their calendar was lunar based, the term became known as Honeymoon.

Just as quick as a puppy dog’s tail – A child’s movement

Lickety split – Once an elegant phrase used by the Puritans to mean very fast, headlong.

Lord willing and the creek don’t rise – I will be there.

Mutton dressed as lamb – An expression describing middle aged people trying to look or dress as if they were younger or richer.

Never go visiting with two hands, one as long as the other – Always bring something (An Irish saying)

Not going to tell on herself or himself – A coy child.

Pipsqueak – Hobo talk for a little worthless insignificant person. (Usually a young punk hobo). Pip referring to size, squeak from undeveloped voices.

Roadhog – In the late 1800’s this term referred to bicycle riders who took up more of the road than their share.

Short arms and deep pockets – From a 17th century Scottish song about a cheapskate.

That child knows no strangers – A very outgoing child.

The last shirt has no pockets – The shirt that one is buried in has no need for pockets (A German saying).

Those who wish to sing will always find a song – A Swedish expression

Three Dog Night – Originated when people needed to sleep with their dogs to keep them warm. One dog for a cool evening. Two dogs for a cold evening. Three dogs for a very, very cold night.

You keep me in suspenders – You feed me too well

Wallflower – In the 1600’s the word wallflower was used to compare a women with a sweet-scented pale yellow spring flower that grew wild on walls and cliffs in Europe

And away we go! – Jackie Gleason’s exit line (Meaning he is leaving the stage and you are leaving for a commercial.

Don’t make two bites out of a cherry – A warning not to divide things in too small increments

Don’t stick your neck out – Don’t take chances (Chickens usually stretched out their necks when on the chopping block).

Don’t dance in a thunderstorm – A warning to a child who might put their character or reputation in danger by hanging out with the wrong crowd.

Happy as a clam at high tide – Since a clam is dug at low tide, a clam might very well be happy at high tide

Holy Mackerel Andy! – Wow! (From Amos and Andy)

Knock on Wood – Comes from the pagan practice of rapping on trees to ask protection from friendly spirits who resided in the trees.

Life of Riley – Riley, the hero of a 1880’s comic song, tells what his life would be like if he “struck it rich”

That ain’t a question I can take good aim at – Don’t know the answer

That one came out of left field – Wasn’t expecting it.

Who knows? Who cares? – Highly indifferent.