a bit of trivia cos I dare not put it in general thread

Started by fatherted, March 22, 2016, 14:43:00 PM

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fatherted

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>> Did you know?
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>> *********************************
>> During WWII , U.S. air planes were armed with belts of bullets which
>> they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts
>> were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns.
>> These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of
>> bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions
>> having expended all of their bullets on various targets.
>> They would say, “ I gave them the whole nine yards, ”
>> meaning they used up all of their ammunition.
>>
>> *********************************
>> In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was
>> either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed
>> him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others
>> showed both legs and both arms.
>> Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to
>> be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs
>> are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost
>> the buyer more. Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm
>> and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)
>>
>> ******************************
>> As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year
>> (May and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved
>> their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men
>> could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so
>> to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the
>> shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and
>> fluffy, hence the term 'big wig'. Today we often use the term 'here
>> comes the Big Wig' because someone appears to be or is powerful and
>> wealthy.
>>
>> *********************************
>> In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only
>> one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and
>> was used for dining. The 'head of the household' always sat in the
>> chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a
>> guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair
>> during a meal.. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in
>> charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the 'chair man.'
>> Today in business, we use the expression or title 'Chairman' or
>> 'Chairman of the Board.'
>>
>> *********************************
>> Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and
>> dignified woman, as in 'straight laced' wore a tightly tied lace.
>>
>> *********************************
>> Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax
>> levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the 'Ace
>> of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards
>> instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were
>> thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't 'playing with a full
>> deck.'
>>
>> ********************************
>> Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what
>> the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's
>> or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns,
>> pubs, and bars. They were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to
>> people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were
>> dispatched at different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip
>> there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually combined when referring
>> to the local opinion and, thus we have the term 'gossip.'
>>
>> **********************************
>> At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and
>> quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the
>> customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention
>> and remember who was drinking in 'pints' and who was drinking in
>> 'quarts,' hence the phrase' minding your 'P's and Q's'.
>>
>> **********************************
>> One more: bet you didn't know this! In the heyday of sailing ships,
>> all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons
>> fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply
>> near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from
>> rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a
>> square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on
>> nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could
>> be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only
>> one problem....how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling
>> from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a
>> 'Monkey' with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made
>> of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the
>> rusting problem was to make 'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers
>> realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when
>> chilled.. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the
>> brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs
>> would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, 'Cold
>> enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.' (All this time, you
>> thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)