Things You May Not Know

The Good Times

Home
Obsessions
Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise
Classic Cars
Television's Early Days
Power of 50
Vintage TV Guides
Favorite TV Commercials
Vintage Cigarette Posters
Vintage Toys
Vinyl Record History
Music, Movies & Videos
Marilyn Monroe
The Music Room
Doo Wop
Classic Guitars
Cowboys
NBA & NHL
Baseball/Football
50's Food Prices
Eatin' Out
Images
Montgomery Wards 1934 Catalog
Funnies
Jokes and Stories
Blonde Page
Signs of the Times
Route 66 Revisted
Cute Animal Pix
Did You Know?
Things You May Not Know
The Day You Were Born
Do You Remember?
1907
Baby Boomer Test
Not Heard Anymore
The Good Times
Only In America
Heavenly Matrimony
How old is Grandpa?
Retirement
The Perks of 60's and Beyond
Old Kids Quiz
Fender Skirts
Questions
True or False.
Gallery of Old Photos
Links

Things one may not know!

 

1.  Q: Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?

A: 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 bank that resembled a pig. And it

caught on.

 

2.  Q: Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have

notches, while pennies and nickels do not?

A: The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing

gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small

quantities of the precious metals.  Dimes, quarters and half dollars

are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels

aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough

to shave.

 

3.  Q: Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's

clothes have buttons on the left?

A: When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn

primarily by the rich. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids,

dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! Since most people are

right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes

on the left.  And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

 

4.  Q. Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?

A: 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.  Q: Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing

the buck'?

A: 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, he would 'pass the

buck' to the next player.

 

6.  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 then just

touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

 

7.  Q: Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

A: Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage

lighting by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant

light. In the theatre, performers on stage 'in the limelight' were

seen by the audience to be the center of attention.

 

8.  Q: Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use 'mayday' as their call

for help?

A: This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' – and

is pronounced 'mayday.'

 

9.  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.

 

10.  Q: Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?

A: In  France, where tennis first became popular, a big, round zero on

the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called  'l'oeuf,'  which is

French for 'egg.'  When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans

pronounced it 'love.'

 

11.  Q: In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?

A. When Mary, later Queen of Scots, went to France as a young girl

(for education & survival), Louis, King of France, learned that she

loved the Scot game 'golf.' So he had the first golf 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.'

 

Many Thanks to my good friend  Steve Newell for providing these gems of wisdom!