Trivia

[Guest Elton]

Don't know how true any of this is:

 

1. 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. That's where the phrase, "goodnight, sleep tight" came from.

 

2. 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" or what we know today as the honeymoon."

 

3. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."

 

4. 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.

[Guest gray-catchpole]

hi elton

2 3 and 4 are ones ive heard of, as for shakespear`s ropes, perhaps you better try another forum

 

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gray-catchpole

 

 

 

http://catchpole.cjb.net

mailto:catchpole@go-fishing.co.ukcatchpole@go-fishing.co.uk

[Guest John S]

Originally posted by Elton:

Mead is a honey beer

 

Engaging pedantic mode....pedantic mode engaged.... Mead is a honey based wine, not beer. No hops involved, you see. BTW, I've made gallons of the stuff, and if we ever get to meet at one of those fish-ins, I'll let you taste some of it

 

[now there's a threat!]

 

BTW, I've heard of number 4 before. Can't vouch for the rest though.

 

 

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John Suffill

 

john@go-fishing.co.uk

 

[This message has been edited by John S (edited 16 November 2000).]

 

[This message has been edited by John S (edited 16 November 2000).]

[Guest uk_lurcher]

I thought the p's and q's one came from the print industry, because the two were so easily transposed on the old printing presses.

 

As did the guy on telly yesterday on the program about the origins of certain common phrases!

 

UKL

[Guest Wordbender]

How about the term 'trivia'?

 

We got that from the ancients' habit of posting information at the points where three roads met. Three roads, 'tri-via', and thus was born a term.

 

C'mon, let's have a few more, then.

 

Terry.

[Guest Elton]

Perhaps some clever people can answer these:

 

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

 

Why is a boxing ring square?

 

Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?

 

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

 

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

[Guest Bretty]

And why is blue cheese called blue cheese when it is green?

[Guest Bretty]

And red leicester, it's orange. Is every one in the cheese industry colour blind or is it me?

 

Bretty

[Guest Gaffer]

Originally posted by Elton:

3. In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's."

 

I thought that P's and Q's meant Please and ThanQ as in watch your manners, to young children.

 

Atb,

Gaffer.

[Guest Gaffer]

Oh, hears one for you.

 

Where did the 'Willys' jeep get the name jeep from?

 

Gaffer.

(Elton, I can't get the answer to be written upside down!!)