Four more interesting facts, and why we say the things we say.....
Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs? A: Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a 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.
Q:
Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast? A:
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.
Q:
Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'? A:
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.
Q:
In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from? A.
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.’
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