Thanks to my Dad for the first four:
Push Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday
There was no volume control on the early gramaphones, just a big hole shaped like a horn, where the sound came out. So to lower the volume they would put a sock in it!
When radio was in its' infancy and they broadcast a football game, the listener could refer to the "Radio Times" to see a drawing of a football field which was marked out in numbered squares. The commentator would tell you which square the player with the football was in. "Back to square one" was one of these squares!
The King of Siam used to love all white elephants and he decreed that they all belonged to him. If he didn't like someone, then he gave them a white elephant which they then had to keep. They were not allowed to do anything with it, except feed and water it Hence it was a useless gift.... A White Elepahnt!
Thanks to "Eagle B" for this one:
This is a Chinook Indian word from the Pacific Northwest
Skookum, the word can have meanings from "'good,' to 'strong,' 'best,' 'powerful,' 'ultimate' and 'first rate.' Something can be skookum meaning 'cool' or skookum can be 'tough.' A skookum burger is a big (or really tasty) hamburger, but when your Mom's food is skookum, it's delicious but also hearty . When you're skookum, you've got a purpose and you're on solid ground."
This orginates, I was told, from the fact that the Navy used to have square wooden plates on their ships. Anyone in the Navy used to get a good meal once a day and ate off the square plates. Hence if you had a Square Meal then you had eaten and were not hungry.
Thanks to "Rainbaby"for these next eleven:
- the bitt was a post on a ship where cable was attached, when all the cable was paid out it was at the bitter end.
- the 'cat' was the cat'o'nine tails (a whip), room to swing a cat meant enough room to swing the 'cat' around the head.
- the brass monkey was the brass container that iron cannon balls were kept in to keep them cool enough to fit down the barrel of a cannon. If it got too cold the brass would contract and the balls would jump off - hence freezing the balls off a brass monkey.
- the cat 'o' nine tails was usually kept in a bag. Letting the cat out of the bag meant someone was about to be punished.
- you need to know your ropes in the navy.
- the sheet being the ropes holding the sails. If the sheets weren't firmly attached then the sail would wobble all over the place.
- Port Out Starboard Home. Those who could afford it would travel on the shaded side of the ship. The cabins on that side were the premium cabins, affordable to only a few.
- there are two versions of this - the anti-feminist one and an engineering one.
1) Rule of Thumb supposedly refers to the thickness of a stick with which one is allowed to beat a wife or slave. (never heard this until I came to North American and feminazis)
2)Rule of thumb, is the measurement from the joint to the base which usually measures one inch. This may used to roughly measure out wood, string, etc.
- the width of the outspread hand from tip of thumb, to tip of little finger. Roughly 7 or 8 inches.
- the 'average' foot 12 inches.
The expression 'FIRST RATE' is another naval one. A 'first rate' ship was one which carried the maximum complement of 100 guns. A second rate ship carried 85+ I think. So something which is first rate is maximum, or 10/10 etc
And Some from our youth!!:
Sealed With A Loving Kiss
(K ) Nickers Off Ready When I Come Home
Be Undressed Ready My Angel
Just over broke
Just Useful Need to Keep
Together Everyone Achieves More
False Evidence Appearing Real
The next four were received in e-mails:
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England,when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's.
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
Although not strickly a saying or an abreviation, I felt that this would be the place to put this!
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
Today, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.