Where Everyday Phrases Come From Quiz

Answer: Public execution by hanging

Back in the good old days of public hangings, the executioner had the right to keep the rope on which he had dispatched the condemned person. Executions, particularly those of the most notorious criminals, drew huge crowds of all ages, and vendors would set up stalls selling food and drink, as well as items said to be related to the crime - invariably fakes.

A much sought-after souvenir was a portion of THE rope, offered by the hangman or his assistants. However; it is reckoned that, if all the pieces of rope sold as the genuine article were joined together, the length of drop given to the hanged man or woman would have been huge!

Answer: Gambling

The phrase goes back to the rise in popularity of the game of poker in the USA during the 19th century. To avoid bias in favour of a particular player or players (such accusations often ended in shootouts), the deal changed hands regularly. The dealer was identified by a marker, most often a knife with a buckskin handle.

This knife was handed on from player to player as it became their turn to deal. Later, silver dollars were used instead of knives, and this may be why the term "buck" is used to refer to this unit of currency. President Truman (1884-1972) had a sign on his desk saying "The Buck Stops Here", indicating to himself and the electorate that he would not seek to shirk responsibility.

Answer: Yes

King Henry III (1216-1272) introduced the Assize of Bread and Ale during the 13th century. Were your local baker to give you short measure, he or she could, if found guilty, find his or her kneading ability severely curtailed by the loss of one hand to the axe.

It was therefore considered prudent to bake an extra item for an order of twelve, to avoid allegations of cheating and thus the fear of a reduction in manual dexterity. It also ensured that, should one item be dropped, eaten, stolen, damaged in the baking process etc. you got the quantity you had asked for.

Answer: Horse racing

Prior to the start of a race, jockeys must be weighed together with their weight-cloth. The reading on the scales is noted by the Clerk of the Scales, and once this is done, the jockeys are said to be "weighed out" and may compete in the race. Once the race is over, jockeys return to the scales to be "weighed in", in order to verify no infringement of the rules was carried out. Only after this process is completed, and assuming all is well, is the result of the race official.

At this point, bookmakers pay out winnings to those who successfully placed bets.

Answer: Actors giving impromptu performances

The expression first appeared in print within the venerable pages of a 1885 edition of "The Stage", the trade magazine of the theatre. Performers who were ill-prepared for the role they were to play had their lines held up on large boards in the wings, out of sight of the audience.

They were also assigned a dedicated prompter, just in case. To "wing it" gradually crept out of the theatre, and is now used to describe any venture undertaken without due preparation, or one completed under difficult circumstances, more in hope than in expectation.

Answer: A chip of wood placed on your shoulder

We must once again return to 19th century America for this one. Anyone in search of physical conflict would carry a chip of wood (presumably not too cumbersome to allow ease of movement) on one shoulder, and defy others to knock it off. The actual phrase "chip on his shoulder" appeared in an 1855 edition of the Weekly Oregonian: "Leland, in his last issue, struts out with a chip on his shoulder, and dares Bush to knock it off." Bush, eh? Ummm...

Answer: The blacksmithīs shop and the working of metal

Not much to say on this one. Iron can only be shaped when it is red hot and pliable. Thus; the blacksmith has a limited period in which to work the material into horseshoes, wheels, weapons, or whatever. The expression is said to have originated in France during the 13th century.

Answer: True

Grouse hunters, as well as those out to bag big game, for instance, take a party of beaters with them. They go on ahead to flush out the quarry by attacking the bushes and other undergrowth prior to the capture. It sort of makes things easier, and reduces the chances of His Lordship accidentally blasting the head off one of his shooting party. So itīs the preamble to the deed itself that is referred to here. And His Lordship need have no worries about coming straight to the point and telling Cook that there will be one less for dinner.

Answer: A boxing match

The most common contemporary use of the phrase in a literal manner is in the sport of boxing, where a player who is being badly defeated may be saved from being knocked out by the bell that rings to end the round, giving him a chance to recover. Its figurative usage is similar.

An alternative that has also been suggested as the origin was the practice, adopted in some places during the Black Death, of trying to ensure people hadn't been prematurely buried by placing a bell next to their grave, with a string attached that ran down into the casket. If someone were to wake up (and it apparently happened more than a few times, since the rush to bury diseased folk led to a certain carelessness in the matter of making sure they were actually dead!), they could ring the bell and be saved. While such devices existed, there is no actual example of this phrase being used in reference to them.

And there are more suggestions, as is commonly the case for these sayings. Windsor Castle, southwest of London, has been the home of English rulers since William the Conquerer (circa 1028-1087). In the 17th century, a sentry guarding it found himself in hot water, having been accused of falling asleep on duty. Facing certain execution, he denied the charge, offering as his defense the fact that he had heard the local church bell chime 13 times at midnight. The good folk of Windsor rallied to his support, backing up his claim, and the lucky sentry retained somewhere to wear his helmet.

Answer: A childīs toy - a spinning top

Long before the days of high-tech toys and the Internet, a favourite childīs toy was a spinning top. To set the top spinning, you wound the string round the shaft, balanced the top carefully upright, and pulled the string with all your might. At maximum spin, the top can appear to be perfectly still, or "sleeping". Young children are still enchanted by spinning tops, but the string on mine always managed to get tangled up! Incidentally; to "sleep like a log" has nothing to do with waking up in the fireplace, rather the sound of heavy snoring being likened to that of sawing.