Origins of some of our strange customs ~~~ Scroll on down, please! > > > >1. WHY: >Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have >buttons on the left? >BECAUSE: >When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the >rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the >right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, >dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's >buttons have remained since. > >2. WHY: >Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help? >BECAUSE: >This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is >pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.' > >3. WHY >Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'? >BECAUSE: >In France , where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard >looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.' >When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (naturally), mispronounced it >'love.' > >4. WHY: >Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses? >BECAUSE: >In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents >were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill >obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became >synonymous. > >5. WHY: >Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'? >BECAUSE: >In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from >player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not >wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the >next player. > >6. WHY: >Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast? >BECAUSE: >In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by >offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it >became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the >glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest >trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own. > >7. WHY: >Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'? >BECAUSE: >Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a >cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer >'in the limelight' was the centre of attention. > >8. WHY: >Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'? >BECAUSE: >Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine >being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person >is floating well above worldly cares. > >9. WHY: >In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from? >BECAUSE: >When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of >France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course >outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly >chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military >school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to >Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with >her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ‘ca-day' and the Scots changed >it into caddie. > >10. WHY: >Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs? >BECAUSE: >Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called >'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became >known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made >a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on. > >And now you know the origins of some of our strange customs! ..... > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Fw: Fwd: Origins of some of our strange customs
'Saibaba SV' via Thatha_Patty Fri, 25 Jul 2014 02:44:28 -0700
