Actual Facts

[poison]

Sorry but it's B.S. check out

http://www.takeourword.com/TOW190/page1.html

Quite interesting

Gazza
"PO1SON"

[geoff cotton]

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."
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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.
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In the late 1700s, 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."
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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women
and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's
wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were
speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she
was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would
crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition, when they sat too close
to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore, the expression "losing face."
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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 term "minding your "P's
and Q's."
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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.)
You must send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to unsuspecting
friends. If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive and
kill your mouse.
"If you can read this, thank a teacher"
"If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier."


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