The origin of some common phrases & gestures

[Retirednsmilin308]

What was Midcan's agenda in immediately attempting to belittle the OP. It was meant to be a light hearted post of common sayings. Who cares if Snopes or anyone else discredits what was posted. Many of our sayings are lost in the mist of time and any explanation is mostly conjecture. Take them for what they were and f anyone who wants to turn this into something nefarious.

Etymology is a fun study and certainly a better way to spend an evening then constantly attacking everyone else.

Thank you for your....." two cents worth".

[Retirednsmilin308]

Two bits equaling one quarter...In the early days a Spanish " piece of eight " was used as common currency all over the world. It was segmented into eight sections that could be cut if needed. There for...TWO BITS of a Spanish piece of eight = one quarter of the whole.

Remember the old diddy...two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar.

Arrgghhh!!!, me mateys. A lover of the Spanish money we were as a young country with no money of our own.

If yee be lucky, you scurvy dogs might still find a few of them washed up on the Florida coast after a storm. Yee will not see a coin, but a small rock looking-like thing black in color. The coin is inside. A heathen knave I knew found four of them and would not tell me where.

[Retirednsmilin308]

Making money hand over fist....The Visigoths were actually know throughout the world as makers of fine jewelry and coins made from silver or gold. They had a special stamp and hammer for hammering out each coin. The FIST held the stamp in place over the sheet to be stamped into a coin, and the HAND brought the hammer down over the FIST which cut it and formed it.

Therefore they made money, " hand over fist".

[nathanbforrest45]

You might be right, jigglepete.

Last night I was watching a cute British sitcom called " The IT Crowd " and when they made a "screw you" gesture it was with two fingers and the "up yours" up and down of the arm.

This is what is fun about word of mouth.

We may have it narrowed down to BOTH fingers being cut off.

I have also seen this gesture you spoke of in lots of other British shows too.


I wonder how it evolved into just one finger on this side of the pond and the arm being held steady?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger

[Retirednsmilin308]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_finger

That looks like a link to me. This thread is not about links.
Just tell me. Tell me about " the finger".
That is what this thread is all about.
Us members just plainly talking to one another.

Say it and I will take your word for it.

No, I am not going to click on any links.
That is not what this thread is all about.
It is about talking, not pointing to websites full of pop-ups and adware.

It is about what YOU KNOW, not what some web site says.

[jigglepete]

Cat got your tongue ~ Commonly referring to the Cat O' Nine Tails used by the British navy basically shutting someone up from the pain, but I looked it up (no link ), and also it might reference ancient Egypt where liars had their tongues cut out and fed to cats...fun times...


This is a good thread...

[Standing Wolf]

RNS, I'm sure when you were in the Navy you heard someone express disbelief by saying, "Ah, your ass hurts". It's actually in the Urban Dictionary, but I've never met a civilian who said they'd ever heard it. Don't know whether or not it's a common expression in the other Services. I have no idea where it might have come from.

[Tahuyaman]

4. Fornication Under the Consent of the King.....he said it was OK. Over the ages it has been shortened to its present form....and you still gotta have consent, just not from the king.

OK, your turn...

I once read that this one came from the period when adultry or unwedded sex was a crime and punished by putting them in a pillory. Their crime would be posted. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

[Tahuyaman]

RNS, I'm sure when you were in the Navy you heard someone express disbelief by saying, "Ah, your ass hurts". It's actually in the Urban Dictionary, but I've never met a civilian who said they'd ever heard it. Don't know whether or not it's a common expression in the other Services. I have no idea where it might have come from.

I never heard it used in the Army. There's probably a valid reason it's exclusive to the Navy.

[Tahuyaman]

The phrase "above board" comes from gambling card games. One was to keep their cards above the board or game table to avoid cheating.