Who Said History Was Boring?

[up148]

I didn't know this.................

And, I haven't fact checked any of it.


"They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. Once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive, you were ‘piss poor.’ But worse than that were the really poor folks who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot. They ‘didn’t have a pot to piss in’ and were considered the lowest of the low."



"Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married."



"Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!’"



"Houses had thatched roofs with thick straw-piled high and no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs.’ There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence."


"The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the term, ‘dirt poor. ’ The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence, ‘ a thresh hold.’"



"In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, ‘Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.’ Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could ‘bring home the bacon. ’ They would cut off a little to share with guests, and would all sit around and ‘chew the fat.’ "



"Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the ‘upper crust.’"



"Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ‘ holding a ‘wake.’"



"In old, small villages, local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (‘the graveyard shift’) to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be ‘ saved by the bell,’ or was considered a 'dead ringer'."

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Your report was very interesting.

There is a graveyard in Hamburg, PA, near the hall where they have train shows sometimes. Having arrived in the area too early for the opening of the show, I took a walk around the graveyard and saw several stone mausoleums that had bells mounted on their outsides, with chains leading into the burial chambers. I concluded they were evidence of folks in years past being concerned about burying people alive.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

And, I haven't fact checked any of it.

That might be useful to do.

[up148]

And, I haven't fact checked any of it.

That might be useful to do.

It is, but still working, so not much time. Only reposting what is being emailed to me at the office by some other seenagers, if they appear worthwhile.

BH

[rex desilets]

I didn't know this.................

And, I haven't fact checked any of it.


"They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. Once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive, you were ‘piss poor.’ But worse than that were the really poor folks who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot. They ‘didn’t have a pot to piss in’ and were considered the lowest of the low."



"Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married."



"Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!’"



"Houses had thatched roofs with thick straw-piled high and no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs.’ There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence."


"The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the term, ‘dirt poor. ’ The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence, ‘ a thresh hold.’"



"In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, ‘Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.’ Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could ‘bring home the bacon. ’ They would cut off a little to share with guests, and would all sit around and ‘chew the fat.’ "



"Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the ‘upper crust.’"



"Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ‘ holding a ‘wake.’"



"In old, small villages, local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (‘the graveyard shift’) to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be ‘ saved by the bell,’ or was considered a 'dead ringer'."

The last is true and it was a common fear back then. For example (Chernow's biography), George Washington required that his burial be delayed for four days just in case.

[J. S. Bach]

Another one: Posh = Port Out, Starboard Home referring to being on the south or warm side of the ocean liner for the crossing on the Atlantic ferry from Southampton to New York and return. For more information about the Atlantic ferry, read a book titled "The Only Way to Cross".

[Roy]

Another one: Posh = Port Out, Starboard Home referring to being on the south or warm side of the ocean liner for the crossing on the Atlantic ferry from Southampton to New York and return. For more information about the Atlantic ferry, read a book titled "The Only Way to Cross".

My mom told me that one. It's crap: https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&source=hp&ei=0FNRXIzKMuqL0wL6v77gCw&q=posh+etymology&btnK=Google+Search&oq=posh+etymology&gs_l=psy-ab.3.7.0l2j0i22i30l7.3148.11162..12322...0.0..0.464.3286.0j9j3j1j2......0....1..gws-wiz.....0..35i39j0i131j0i10j0i22i10i30.1SamUSJnyKY

[NJPiney]

I'm surprised nobody has brought up one of the biggest falsehoods of them all, the famous explanation of where Standard Gauge came from. So silly I'm not going to even repeat it. I find most of these things more-often circulated by folks knowing little of the actual subject, which is why they so easily believe them. They hear "one" explanation, so it must be "the" explanation.

[Roy]

I'm surprised nobody has brought up one of the biggest falsehoods of them all, the famous explanation of where Standard Gauge came from.

Please elaborate. I know the word "standard" has taken abuse in the development of railroad gauges. Many gauges have been tried, and many of those are now extinct.

I presume you're referring to the wheel spacing of Roman chariots. Someone on this here board posted photos of Roman streets built with special recesses in the pavement to facilitate wheeled traffic.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I'm surprised nobody has brought up one of the biggest falsehoods of them all, the famous explanation of where Standard Gauge came from.

Please elaborate. I know the word "standard" has taken abuse in the development of railroad gauges. Many gauges have been tried, and many of those are now extinct.

I presume you're referring to the wheel spacing of Roman chariots. Someone on this here board posted photos of Roman streets built with special recesses in the pavement to facilitate wheeled traffic.

Yes, Roy, I did. Here they are again, for your convenience.
Murph

[Roy]

Thanks, Murph. The first photo is of a narrow street or alleyway, and illustrates the recesses in the paving I spoke of. I would guess many vehicles besides chariots made use of them.

[John Webster]

An archeologist analyzed the way the corners of the walkway blocks were clipped by wagon wheels at the intersections in Pompeii and determined that many of the streets were limited to one way traffic.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

An archeologist analyzed the way the corners of the walkway blocks were clipped by wagon wheels at the intersections in Pompeii and determined that many of the streets were limited to one way traffic.

I'm wondering if those stones were the origin of the expression, "Stepping-stones."

[HONDO74]

Piss-poor
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pis1.htm

From the article.

However, as with other tongue-in-cheek suggestions about origins, a grain of truth exists in it. Urine has been widely used in many parts of the world in the preparatory stages of tanning, in particular to help remove the hair from hides before applying tanning agents.

The Romans, for example, collected urine for this purpose systematically and even put a tax on it. The most famous taxer was the emperor Vespasian in the first century AD.

Just wait until the democrats figure out they can tax our PISS. Then we will be Piss-poor.
They tax everything we drink.

[E7]

MONEY

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/sear ... ction=view