Neo Deist
Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
Here are some interesting/odd facts from history:
1. "**** Poor" came from a time when urine was used to tan animal skins. Struggling families would pee in a pot, and then the urine was taken to the tannery where they would be paid.
2. "Not A Pot To **** In" came from the families that could not afford a pot to **** in and take to the tannery.
3. June is traditionally the month when most weddings are scheduled. The tradition started because people used to take their YEARLY bath in May, and they were "clean" for the wedding. Brides carried flowers to mask the smell of body odor that was developing.
4. Bath tubs used to be filled with hot water boiled over a fire, and then family members would take turns getting a bath. The husband would go first, then the older sons, then the mother, then the daughters, then the small children. The baby would go last. By that time the water was so dirty, someone could be "lost" in it. That is where the saying "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water" came from.
5. Houses used to have thatch (straw) roofs. Animals would often climb into the roof in order to sleep, especially if it was cold. If it rained, the thatch would become slippery and the animals would fall into the house. That is where the saying "It is raining cats and dogs" came from.
6. Canopy beds were designed to prevent the animals from landing on humans while they slept (see above).
7. Peasants' houses usually had dirt floors. Hence the term "dirt poor."
8. Wealthier families would have wooden floors, but in the winter the floors would get wet from leaks in the roof. Thresh (straw) was put down to help with the slippery surface. As it piled up, the thresh would start spilling out of the door. A board was put down to stop that, and thus the "thresh hold" was born.
9. People used to eat mostly fruits and vegetables because they could not afford meat from a butcher. If a man was able to hunt and scored a pig/hog, he was able to "bring home the bacon."
10. When guests came over they would be served cooked pig fat as appetizers. They sat around talking and "chewing the fat."
11. Cooking pots were rarely cleaned out. A meal would be prepared, the leftovers cooled over night, and then the process would be started again the next day...including using whatever was left in the pot, because people were poor and did not waste food.
Life expectancy used to be less than 40 years, and in many places less than 30 years.
12. Many utensils/plates were made out of pewter because it was cheaper. Pewter contains lead. Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, would leech lead from the plates and contaminate the food. People would consume that food, and over time develop lead poisoning, which was fatal.
13. Tomatoes (acidic) were considered poisonous for 400 years, because of the above point.
14. Lead cups were used to drink ale/whiskey. The combination of lead and alcohol could cause a coma. The "dead" were laid out on a bed or table for several days to see if they would wake up. Hence the phrase "holding a wake."
15. England is small compared to other European countries. Burial space was in short supply, so coffins would be dug up and the bones put into a "bone house." Then the coffins/graves would be re-used.
1 out of 25 coffins had scratch marks on the inside where the "dead" woke up and tried to claw their way out. A string would be attached to the "deceased" person's wrist so that if they woke up, they could ring a bell. Thus the phrases "a dead ringer" and "saved by the bell."
The person that sat out in the graveyard overnight listening for bells, was said to work the "graveyard shift."
1. "**** Poor" came from a time when urine was used to tan animal skins. Struggling families would pee in a pot, and then the urine was taken to the tannery where they would be paid.
2. "Not A Pot To **** In" came from the families that could not afford a pot to **** in and take to the tannery.
3. June is traditionally the month when most weddings are scheduled. The tradition started because people used to take their YEARLY bath in May, and they were "clean" for the wedding. Brides carried flowers to mask the smell of body odor that was developing.
4. Bath tubs used to be filled with hot water boiled over a fire, and then family members would take turns getting a bath. The husband would go first, then the older sons, then the mother, then the daughters, then the small children. The baby would go last. By that time the water was so dirty, someone could be "lost" in it. That is where the saying "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water" came from.
5. Houses used to have thatch (straw) roofs. Animals would often climb into the roof in order to sleep, especially if it was cold. If it rained, the thatch would become slippery and the animals would fall into the house. That is where the saying "It is raining cats and dogs" came from.
6. Canopy beds were designed to prevent the animals from landing on humans while they slept (see above).
7. Peasants' houses usually had dirt floors. Hence the term "dirt poor."
8. Wealthier families would have wooden floors, but in the winter the floors would get wet from leaks in the roof. Thresh (straw) was put down to help with the slippery surface. As it piled up, the thresh would start spilling out of the door. A board was put down to stop that, and thus the "thresh hold" was born.
9. People used to eat mostly fruits and vegetables because they could not afford meat from a butcher. If a man was able to hunt and scored a pig/hog, he was able to "bring home the bacon."
10. When guests came over they would be served cooked pig fat as appetizers. They sat around talking and "chewing the fat."
11. Cooking pots were rarely cleaned out. A meal would be prepared, the leftovers cooled over night, and then the process would be started again the next day...including using whatever was left in the pot, because people were poor and did not waste food.
Life expectancy used to be less than 40 years, and in many places less than 30 years.
12. Many utensils/plates were made out of pewter because it was cheaper. Pewter contains lead. Acidic foods, such as tomatoes, would leech lead from the plates and contaminate the food. People would consume that food, and over time develop lead poisoning, which was fatal.
13. Tomatoes (acidic) were considered poisonous for 400 years, because of the above point.
14. Lead cups were used to drink ale/whiskey. The combination of lead and alcohol could cause a coma. The "dead" were laid out on a bed or table for several days to see if they would wake up. Hence the phrase "holding a wake."
15. England is small compared to other European countries. Burial space was in short supply, so coffins would be dug up and the bones put into a "bone house." Then the coffins/graves would be re-used.
1 out of 25 coffins had scratch marks on the inside where the "dead" woke up and tried to claw their way out. A string would be attached to the "deceased" person's wrist so that if they woke up, they could ring a bell. Thus the phrases "a dead ringer" and "saved by the bell."
The person that sat out in the graveyard overnight listening for bells, was said to work the "graveyard shift."
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