THOUGHTS

Curious Word Origins, Sayings & Expressions

March 6 & 7, 2019

My Blog sent me an email to nicely tell me I did not make an entry yesterday. Little does it know we had a major power failure and, I unfortunately lost my text. Dummy me thought, okay lights our out but I have my computer with battery backup so I will continue typing forgetting about the fact that the Internet was going down any minute!

So, here we go, I will try to recreate what I wanted to do. I thought I would take a break from Meter and Foot and share a book I picked up several years ago. It is called, 2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions from White Elephants to Song & Dance by Charles Earle and Tom Funk. Now that is a mouth full don't you think? If you are my age (73) you might recognize the title but most like not. Original publishing date is 1948 with reissues in '50, '55, '58 and my copy being 1993. So, I am going to share a couple of jewels.

To Be Hand In Glove:
One very simple saying, "To be hand in glove". This referenced being on such terms of intimacy referring to a relationship of being almost of that of the glove to the hand. The use of the term dates back to 1678, but from those days and until late in the following century the phrase was "hand and glove", this form rarely being heard today.

Bakelite:
This one even shocked me as I remember Bakelite as a kid (1950's). Bakelite was used to make radios (case), various thinks as today we would call hard plastic. Also, those gals whole may be into costume jewelry will probably know about Bakelite, as pins, bracelets or brooches were made with Bakelite. However, the man, Lee Hendrik Baekeland was a chemist and an inventor who in 1899 emigrated to the United States. Engaging in industrial research, his earliest invention was Velox, a type photographic paper. However, he is most remembered for his invention of a plastic, Bakelite (from his name), was used as a nonconductor of electricity and as a heat resistant. Given 'the registered name Bakelite, became the special plastic or resin type with so many other items made were widely used during the forty's and fiftys.

No Skin Off One's Nose:
A very interesting phrase that indicates, "nothing of concern to one or not one's affair". According to the book, in today's slang, one might replace it with using the ear, elbow or back with implications still be evident. Example, if one doesn't butt into or stick one;s nose into an affair that is not none of one's business, he is not likely to suffer consequences upon any prominent portion of one's anatomy by being thrown out upon his nose, elbow, back, shoulder or the like. This allusion is reference as American and going back at least fifty years ago (reminder of first published book was 1948).

Thanks for stopping by...hope you enjoyed reading about the above referenced book.

Seabreeze