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In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was
either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed
him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others
showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not
based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were
to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would
cost the buyer more. Hence the _expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an
arm and a leg."
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year
(May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their
heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford
good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them
they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake
it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the
term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig"
because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women
and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread
bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When
they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another
woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman
smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition,
when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore,
the _expression "losing face."
One more: bet you didn't know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters
carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It
was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method
devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four
resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon
balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There
was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or
rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a
"Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly
rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass
Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and
much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature
dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the
iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite
literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All
this time, you thought that was an improper _expression, didn't you.)
either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed
him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others
showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not
based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were
to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would
cost the buyer more. Hence the _expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an
arm and a leg."
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year
(May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their
heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford
good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them
they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake
it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the
term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig"
because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women
and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread
bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When
they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another
woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman
smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition,
when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore,
the _expression "losing face."
One more: bet you didn't know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters
carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It
was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to
prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method
devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four
resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon
balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There
was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or
rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a
"Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly
rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass
Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and
much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature
dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the
iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite
literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All
this time, you thought that was an improper _expression, didn't you.)
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