Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1894 — COMMON BUT BLIND SAYINGS. [ARTICLE]

COMMON BUT BLIND SAYINGS.

Treeing the Origin of Everyday Proverbs and Comparisons. “He was mad as a hatter," is a phrase often used to indicate that a person has been very angry, says the Indianapolis Journal. The original phrase was “Mad as" an atter,” the last word being the Saxon for “adder,” which gives it sense, as the adder is supposed to be always mad and ready to sting. "Mad as a March hare” is another much-used phrase. The hare is not reputed to be ferocious at any time. Those who have given information respecting the hare assert that in March the animal is particularly wild and shy. Consequently the phrase can have no meaning except as a sarcastic allusion to one’s lack of spirit and courage. One often hears, “He’s as dead as a doornail,” yet it is probable that most of those who use the phrase cannot tell \«hy a door nail should be any deader than any other nail that is made of metal. It is explained, however, that the door nail in earlier times was the plate on the door upon which the oldfashioned and now unused “knocker” struck to arouse the inmates of the house. As the plate or nail was struck many more times than any other nail it was assumed to be deader than nails struck only when driven Into wood. “I acknowledge the corn,” meaning to retract, to take back, has a number of explanations, the most plausible of which is that in 1828 one Stewart of Ohio made a speech in Congress in which he declared that “Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky sent their haystacks and cornfields to New York and Philadelphia for a market. Wickliffe, of Kentucky, questioned the statement. “What do they send?” asked Stewart. “Why, horses, mules, cattle and hogs.” “What makes your horses, mules, cattle and hogs?” continued the Ohio man; “ you feed SIOO worth of hay to a horse; you iust animate and get on top of your laystack and slide off to market. How is it with your cattle? You make one of them carry SSO worth of grass and hay to the eastern market. How much com does it take at 88 cents a bushel to fatten a hog? Why, thirty bushels. Then you put thirty bushels in the shape of a hog and make it walk off to the eastern market.” "I acknowledge the corn,” shouted the Kentucky member. “A little bird told me” is an almost universal adage based upon the adage that this übiquitous wanderer from the vantage of the upper air spies out all strange and secret things and tells them to those who can understand. Thus is Ecclesiastes x., 20: ‘ ‘Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; for the bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” “Let us return to our muttons,” meaning let us return to the subject matter from which we have wandered. The phrase comes from an old French play in which a draper who had been cheated by a lawyer of six ells of cloth appears In court to defend a shepherd who had stolen twenty-eight sheep of the draper. The pretense of the thievish lawyer causes the draper to wander from the sheep thief to his swindling lawyer, confusing the two misdemeanors, which caused the judge to frequently exclaim: “Let us return to our muttons” (sheep). “ Not worth a tinker’s damn” is really not profane in itself, as the last word should be spelled without an “n.” A tinker’s dam is a wall of dough or clay raised around a spot which the plumber is repairing, just as he desires it fixed with solder. The material can be used but once, consequently after being used is worthless. Hence the force of the adage for a comparison of worthless things. “ Everything is lovely and the goose hangs high ” is a much-used expression and turns on a misapprehension of the word “ h<?nks,” the cry of the wild goose as it flies. On clear days wild geese fly high, hence they “honk” high. Consequently the adage means everything is lovely and the weather is fair. “ I’ll put a spoke in his wheel,” had its origin many years ago when wheels were solid except three holes to receive a “spoke” or pin when going down hill, which acted as a brake. In 1689, in a memorial, two measures designed to interfere with the arbitrary government of James 11. are spoken of “as such spokes in their chariot wheels that made them drive much heavier.”