DAILY BRIEFING

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?               


In George Washigton'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."

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

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."
    

[urleft]

Very good rufus, tell 'em about Brass Monkeys... 

Yesterday I was going to reply with the brass monkey story, but as I checked the internet, sources said it wasn't true. 

But it makes a good story. 

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?
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.

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

Early  politicians required feedback from the public to determine  what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars.  They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns.  Many assistants  were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here"  and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was
to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and  who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's."

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

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."

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front.  A  proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced". Wore a  tightly tied lace. 

[rufusredtail]

DID YOU KNOW ?

Ginger up.  Invigorate

During the 17th and 18th centuries, cavalrymen had a special way of getting the most out of their horse in a charge ;they would shove a pinch of ginger up the animal,s  backside to give the surprised horse a great incentive to move forward fast.

"Ginger up" thus came metaphorically to mean "invigorate".

[urleft]

old joke


You know what is old, wrinkled and smells like ginger? 



Fred Astaire's face. 

[rufusredtail]


DID YOU KNOW ?

HEAD HONCHO    
Ultimate boss or commander.    
This is one of many Japanese expressions picked up by American    
troops during their World War I1contactwith the Japanese. "Honcho"    
was the American version of han-cho, "squad leader"; in the Japanese    
Army a han-cho was a corporal or sergeant. The term enjoyed    
increased American usage during the Korean War (1950-53), along    
with other Japanese-derived terms such as "hooch," from uchi,    
"a dwelling," which to the troops meant any hut, bar, or brothel.    

[urleft]

Logic,

Guy:   How much are these?
Clerk:  20 baht each.
Guy: so If I buy 10 that will be 40 baht?
Clerk:  Yes
Guy:  I'll take 1000. 
Clerck:  That will be 80 baht. 

What is they guy buying? 

[mxyzptlk]

Logic,

Guy:   How much are these?
Clerk:  20 baht each.
Guy: so If I buy 10 that will be 40 baht?
Clerk:  Yes
Guy:  I'll take 1000. 
Clerck:  That will be 80 baht. 

What is they guy buying?

First of all I thought the quantities of the item being bought were being expressed in binary by the guy asking the price. But "1000" in binary is 8 which would make the total 160 (8 x 20) baht, so I'm obviously wrong...

[urleft]

Logic,

Guy:   How much are these?
Clerk:  20 baht each.
Guy: so If I buy 10 that will be 40 baht?
Clerk:  Yes
Guy:  I'll take 1000. 
Clerck:  That will be 80 baht. 

What is they guy buying?

First of all I thought the quantities of the item being bought were being expressed in binary by the guy asking the price. But "1000" in binary is 8 which would make the total 160 (8 x 20) baht, so I'm obviously wrong...

Oh but so close.  He was buying numbers.  10 is "1" and "0"  for 2 items, and "1000" is 4 items. 

[mxyzptlk]

Keith,
I'm more confused after your reply than I was before.
I'm sure there is a direct connection between my confusion and the number of beers I swallowed this afternoon @ Nookies.
Probably best to leave it at that......LOL