Phrase Origins
Parabeagle
3,085 Posts
Interesting tidbit about the origins of a couple of phrases commonly used in the English language - whether or not they're accurate, I have no idea.
In England, probably sometime after a plague ravaged the country, the powers that be decided that graveyards were taking up too much land that could be used for agriculture and population. Their solution was to exhume the bodies from some graveyards and consolidate remains to save space and reclaim the land for the living. As they dug up coffins and removed the bones, they discovered many had scratch marks on the underside of the coffin lids, indicating many may have been buried alive. To prevent future occurrences of this, bodies were buried in coffins that had a cable inserted through the lid. The cable was run to the surface and attached to a bell above ground. That way, anyone who regained consciousness after being buried could ring the bell to alert someone to dig them up. Workers were detailed to patrol the churchyard and listen for bells during the nighttime hours. This was known as the "graveyard shift." A buried-alive victim was referred to as a "dead ringer."
In England, probably sometime after a plague ravaged the country, the powers that be decided that graveyards were taking up too much land that could be used for agriculture and population. Their solution was to exhume the bodies from some graveyards and consolidate remains to save space and reclaim the land for the living. As they dug up coffins and removed the bones, they discovered many had scratch marks on the underside of the coffin lids, indicating many may have been buried alive. To prevent future occurrences of this, bodies were buried in coffins that had a cable inserted through the lid. The cable was run to the surface and attached to a bell above ground. That way, anyone who regained consciousness after being buried could ring the bell to alert someone to dig them up. Workers were detailed to patrol the churchyard and listen for bells during the nighttime hours. This was known as the "graveyard shift." A buried-alive victim was referred to as a "dead ringer."
Comments
Another saying with old English origins. "Rule of thumb" was a medieval English law that allowed a man to beat his wife with a stick no larger in diameter than his thumb.
In the Middle Ages in England there were severe penalties for anyone who gave short weight. Bakers were often uneducated and unable to count. To guard against miscounting twelve as eleven they habitually gave thirteen loaves when selling a dozen.
Also, ever wondered why on some beer glasses there's a little mark etched onto the glass near the top? Back in the Middle Ages, a bar keep that didn't fill the glass to the line was thrown into the river or jailed.
Mwild you should post your picture anyway. Don't be shy.