Fact or fiction

[Guest sslatter]

Never heard this one...you mean, as in "shake a leg" ?

[chesters1]

The origin of shake a leg as I have been lead to understand was derived from an old navy saying to "show a leg". When ships would put in port they would restrict the crew to the ship to avoid desertions, and they would allow the married sailors to have their wives join them aboard ship. When it came time for the ship to set sail, the call would be made in the bunk area to show a leg from underneath the covers and allow the females to dress and leave the ship. This was during the 1700 and 1800's. The phrase has apparently been twisted from "show a leg" into "shake a leg".

[Guest Ferret1959]

Shake a leg.

Meaning

Rouse yourself and get out of bed.

Origin

Naval origin. An alternative to 'show a leg'. This was the injunction given by naval officers to ratings who they were rousing from sleep. Showing a leg out of the sailor's hammock was required to prove they were awake.

[corydoras]

quote:

---

originally posted by Chesters1

 

The origin of shake a leg as I have been lead to understand was derived from an old navy saying to "show a leg". When ships would put in port they would restrict the crew to the ship to avoid desertions, and they would allow the married sailors to have their wives join them aboard ship. When it came time for the ship to set sail, the call would be made in the bunk area to show a leg from underneath the covers and allow the females to dress and leave the ship. This was during the 1700 and 1800's. The phrase has apparently been twisted from "show a leg" into "shake a leg".

---

Chesters you are getting too good at this, you are just about spot on again. When the bo'sun was rousing the crew for work in the mornings he would cry 'show a leg'. If a female leg was proffered the owner would of course be allowed to stay in the hammock and sleep on, whereas is the owner of a 'orrible 'airy appendage would be required to muster on the poop forthwith.

[nursejudy]

What about "The Whole Nine Yards"

nursejudy

Ps apologies if we have had this one already.

glad to see Graham is better.

 

[ 05. March 2003, 04:48 PM: Message edited by: nursejudy ]

[wotawoppa]

Take your pick...

 

It comes from the nine cubic yards capacity

of US concrete trucks and dates from around 1970s.

 

The explanation refers to World War II aircraft, which if proved correct would clearly pre-date the concrete truck version. There are several aircraft related sources, 1. the length of US bombers bomb racks, 2. the length of RAF Spitfire's machine gun bullet belts, 3. the length of ammunition belts in ground based anti-aircraft turrets, etc. No evidence to show that any of these measured nine yards has been forthcoming.

 

Tailors use nine yards of material for top quality suits. Related to 'dressed to the nines'?

 

The derivation has even been suggested as being naval and that the yards are shipyards rather than measures of area or volume.

 

Another naval version is that the yards are yardarms. Large sailing ships had three masts, each with three yardarms. The theory goes that ships in battle can continue changing direction as new sails are unfurled. Only when the last sail, on the ninth yardarm, is used do the enemy know which direction the ship is finally headed.

[Chris Plumb]

Yup definitely 'take your pick' on this one...

Whole nine yards

 

 

Chris

[nursejudy]

have we had

Rule of thumb and Eating humble pie

 

just who was Little Jack Horner

who sat in a corner?

nursejudy

[corydoras]

quote:

---

Originally posted by nursejudy

 

just who was Little Jack Horner

who sat in a corner?

 

---

Et voila!

 

Legend has it that one Richard Whiting, the Abbot of Glastonbury at the time of the dissolution was hoping to appease Henry VIII and so sent his servant Jack Horner to London with a Christmas present of a pie.

 

Under the crust of the pie were the deeds of twelve manors. Jack opened the pie and removed the deeds of Mells Manor near Glastonbury in Somerset. Whether or not is true, Thomas Horner took up residence at the manor shortly after the dissolution and one of his descendants was still there in 1975.

 

The Horner family claims that Mells Manor was bought along with various other Manors and nearby farms for the sum of £1,831,9s,3d 3 farthings and that the rhyme has nothing to do with their ancestor, also their ancestors name was Thomas not Jack.

 

This story of Jack Horner was printed in book form in 1764, and sold in Aldermary Churchyard, Bow Lane, London, where it was describes as 'being pleafant for winter evenings'. The book is now kept in the British Museum. It also describes the witty pranks he played all his life. The story that deeds were hidden under a pie crust is not so preposterous as it may first seem. Highway men were common and travelers would hide their gold, jewels and other valubles, ie. sewn in the folds of Ladies underware, in cakes and under pie crusts.

 

Mon tour maintenant! Who was Humpty Dumpty?

 

Corydoras

 

[ 07. March 2003, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: corydoras ]

[wotawoppa]

Humpty Dumpty was a powerful cannon during the English Civil War (1642-49).

It was mounted on top of the St Mary's at the Wall Church in Colchester defending the city against siege in the summer of 1648. (Although Colchester was a Parliamentarian stronghold, it had been captured by the Royalists and they held it for 11 weeks.) The church tower was hit by the enemy and the top of the tower was blown off, sending "Humpty" tumbling to the ground. Naturally the King's men* tried to mend him but in vain."

* NB: The "men" would have been infantry, and "horses" the cavalry troops.

 

 

My go now...sorry my french is limited to . garcon! deux grande bier tres vite