Wednesday – 19/11-2-14 – Just Say "No" to Have A Bad Day Day!

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  • #821979
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    #821981
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Morning KJ 🙂

    Early aircraft’s throttles had a ball on the end of it, in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the instrument panel. Hence “balls to the wall” for going very fast. And now you know, the rest of the story.

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    During WWII , U.S. airplanes were armed with belts of bullets which they would shoot during dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts were folded into the wing compartments that fed their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet and contained hundreds of rounds of bullets. Often times, the pilots would return from their missions having expended all of their bullets on various targets. They would say, I gave them the whole nine yards, meaning they used up all of their ammunition.

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    Did you know the saying “God willing and the creek don’t rise” was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water? It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the
    U.S. to return to Washington . In his response, he was said to write, “God willing and the Creek don’t rise.” Because he capitalized the word “Creek” it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water.

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    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.’ (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.)

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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.

    *********************************
    In the late 1700’s, 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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    Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in ‘straight laced’ wore a tightly tied lace.

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    Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the ‘Ace of Spades.’ To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb
    because they weren’t ‘playing with a full deck.’

    ********************************
    Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV’s or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to ‘go sip’ some Ale and listen to people’s conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. ‘You go sip here’ and ‘You go sip there.’ The two words ‘go sip’ were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term ‘gossip.’

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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 phrase ‘minding your ‘P’s and Q’s’.

    **********************************
    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.)

    If you don’t send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to any and all your unsuspecting friends, your hard drive will kill your mouse.

    #821982
    Moonshadow_NZ
    Moderator

    Deb, great tales on the history of common sayings.

    Hey grumpy cat!

    Why don’t you hop it. 😛

    #821983
    JerseyJoan
    Moderator

    Love the theme and the pics and the origin of sayings.
    George Carlin had a bit about nice dsys. At the store the clerk would say, “have a nice day!”. Oh great. Let’s say I’ve had 67 nice days, and today I wanted to have a crappy one. Now I have to go and have a nice day!

    #821984
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Morning Jan and Joan 🙂

    Love reading tidbits of info, those I got from a co-worker 🙂

    #821985
    ecbrown
    Participant

    Good morning! Interesting tidbits, Deb. Grumpy cat overload! I need photos of cute, happy kittens quick…lol.

    #821986
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant
    #821987
    AV
    Participant

    Good morning all! ….. brrrrrrrrrrrrr overnight temps in the 30’s is COLD here! ….. not going out today!!! luckily, don’t have to 🙂

    …. interesting fun/facts, Deb ….. LOL @ the ‘mind your own bees wax’ …..

    …. ya’ll know my children met THE Grumpy cat in NYC …. and I’ve got s purrsonally autographed book by her – she is very tiny in person …. big head in proportion to body …..

    …. my ‘Hazel’ comes today, getting the house in order and clean for the holidays (yay!) …. hope everyone has a great hump day!

    #821988
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Morning all!
    Hey ECB – plse don’t shoot the messenger! Help me Tux! It was not I who invented that calendar of Special Days! In any case must get some cuteness in Café – stat! “The word stat is an abbreviation of the Latin word statim, which has the meaning “instantly/immediately”.”
    Deb love that post on phrase origins! Actually have a ref. book looking down at me “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase & Fable”. Love to peruse it from time to time. 😀
    Joan, that GC joke is wonderful -love that cynicism!
    But I digress – cute kitty antidote to the rescue!

    http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p711/katzjpickz/Cute/Picture1_zps3323da58.png
    http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p711/katzjpickz/Cute/Picture4_zps4a1f8af1.png
    http://i1347.photobucket.com/albums/p711/katzjpickz/Cute/Picture7_zps075c9333.png

    #821989
    ecbrown
    Participant

    Soo cute! Balance restored, KJ. 🙂

    #821990
    Jeankit
    Participant

    Hee hee…Grumpy sure has it made in the shade today/Lol on theme/pics. Thanks for the shares KJ, MS & post Deb! Joan luv the Carlin quote!
    BTW ECB like pic of kit w/PB Sammie on yest café thread too!
    Waving to Av – send Hazle to Brewtown when she’s done! Hey anyone lurking today – stop by to say HI!
    The cute overload addys were a welcome plus.
    Here is my 2 cents. Was just on yahoo today & checked it out as apropos:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamara-star/7-habit-of-chronically-unhappy-people_b_6174000.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592
    With COA:
    COA blame dog
    LOL

    Hey it’s snowing – light/fluffy – sure seems like December these days…does that mean Spring will be a month earlier – hope!

    Well since it’s always purrfect in TDK land happy to be here!
    Wishing all a wonderful Wootsday!
    I need my java & back to my desk.
    Now a smooch for Tux, later kits!

    #821995
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Ahhhh just about to finish work.. Bee so sick with a sinus infection all day 🙁 hoping tomorrow will be a better day. But did call in to see little Miss Sunday this morning.. She came around to me very quickly and fell asleep in my arms but when anyone approached she’d hiss and spit at them 🙂 I think she likes me .. Here’s a slightly better pic fr this morning 🙂

    #821996
    ecbrown
    Participant

    That’s great that you’re winning her over already, buttons! What a sweet face and sweet name.

    Hi, JK. Love the innocent gray kitten!

    #822000
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Petlog Lost & Found
    MISSING CAT FOUND AFTER A DECADE…. DONT GIVE UP HOPE
    A fifteen year old cat, missing for over ten years, has been found thanks to his microchip and the help of Petlog, the UK’s largest lost and found database for microchipped pets.
    Percy, a domestic shorthaired cat, disappeared in June 2003 and as the months turned into years, his owner, David Allinson from Henlow, Bedfordshire began to lose hope of ever finding him again.
    After distributing thousands of leaflets within a 20 mile radius, and taking an advert out in the local paper, as a result of which he received hoax calls goading him about the death of Percy, David feared the worst.
    Over ten years later in a strange turn of events, David’s work colleague Ruth Hart told him about an elderly neighbour who had passed away in February 2014, and mentioned that she had started looking after the neighbour’s cat, but little did Ruth or David know the cat was actually Percy.
    Ruth, who lives 15 miles away from David in Cockayne Hatley, grew fond of the cat and took it to a vet where his microchip was scanned and, as a result, the microchip database, Petlog contacted David to tell him that Percy had been found after all those years. He had been living with Ruth’s neighbour for over ten years and nobody knew.
    Speaking about Percy, David said: “I was devastated when Percy went missing and did all I could to try and find him, but as the years went by I truly believed I would never see him again. I wondered when the weather was particularly bad if he was safe and warm and often feared the worst. I am eternally grateful that I had him microchipped and that I kept my contact details up to date with Petlog. It just goes to show that microchipping works and I don’t like to think what would have happened if I never had found him.”
    As Percy had lived in Cockayne Hatley for the ten years he was missing, and was used to the surrounding fields and felt at home there, David felt that he didn’t want to unsettle him any further after the death of his long-time owner.

    David continues: “After I called Ruth, we arranged a meeting so I could reunite with Percy. He was afraid and was hiding behind the sofa and when I called his name he came running into my arms. I burst into tears – I couldn’t believe it, it was my Percy. He was very settled with Ruth and I decided it would be selfish of me to take him to a home he no longer remembered. I see him at least once a month and Ruth shows me pictures of Percy from time to time. To know he is safe and happy is enough for me after all the years of worry.”
    Ruth said of Percy: “It is lovely having kept Percy in the village and we always look forward to David visiting. He recently came to see Percy for his fifteenth birthday and brought around gifts for Percy. It’s such a perfect end to his story that he was found by David after all those years.”
    Celia Walsom, Petlog Executive said: “We couldn’t be more delighted that Petlog was able to help, so that David could be reunited with his beloved pet after over a decade. This is just one of the many stories we hear daily about pets being reunited with the owners thanks to their microchip.”

    If you would like to find out more about microchipping your pet, visit the Petlog website: http://www.petlog.org.uk.

    #822001
    AZDEBRA 5/27 & crew
    Participant

    Waves at everyone!

    Buttons, Ms. Sunday is cuter than a bug 🙂

    Well off to birthday lunch with my sister-from-another-mother, she loves dumplings so we are going to Cracker Barrel 🙂

    #822002
    Jeankit
    Participant

    Wow – thanks for Miss Sunday’s pic/update Buttons! Giver her a smooch – Mwaah from me too! 😀 PS – feel better soon ((Buttons)).
    Hey Deb, great share! Here’s the link to FB page from story:
    Here is a great link if your pet is MIA:
    https://www.facebook.com/Petloglostfound?fref=photo
    Mmm…dumpling for mom – great idea Deb.
    OK, missed my patio time today so back to desk as part 2 day 3’s fun on a budget!

    #822003
    JerseyJoan
    Moderator

    Hi everyone – great pics of Miss Grumpy Kitty (don’t tell her I think she’s cute, she has a reputation to uphold) and cute overload kitties. Miss Sunshine is very pretty, I’m so glad she is warming up to you, Buttons.
    Sure hope that snow stays away, it’s absolutely horrid in Buffalo.
    Deb, happy b-day to your BFF, and have a great time!
    So I took all 3 cats to the vet for distemper and leukemia vaccinations. Comet was an angel – when will I learn to have him looked at last?? Next up was Leela. A bit of growling, but thanks probably to calming treats, she was ok…till her pedicure. I’ll spare you the details, but she was wild and it was not pretty. Mac did ok; he had a nail that grew not completely into the pad, but grazed it enough to be a bit infected. Guessing that the way it was growing, it didn’t bother him, but he’s fixed up now after a soak and antibiotic. They all go back for leukemia boosters in 2 weeks.
    Oh, and Mac is not litterbox trained. 🙁

    #822004
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Uh-oh Joan – guess that you found out about Mac and lack of litterbox training the hard way. 🙁 Sounds like Miss Leela did not provide any “samples” this time. But the pedicure – hopefully tech/groomer/yourself escaped with hands more or less intact!
    Hope that snow re-directs itself away from your n’hood. Here it’s just darn cold, but if you dress for it, which I do, not impossible, and there is no other option except to put up with it and enjoy opp to wear extensive collection of handkint sweaters and coats of every colour.
    Buttons , Miss Sunday (is this her official name?) is soo cute – esp when caught in the act as sitting on her “throne” LOL. Unless my counting is totally off (very possible) sounds like you have a furry for every day of the week, starting off with newbie as Miss Sunday! Hope that you feel better and soon!

    #822005
    JerseyJoan
    Moderator

    Actually Leela did indeed provide samples. The nuggets were harmless, but everything after that was very messy. And she had a lot to say, even with the “happy mask” on, and was very loud about it. That’s my girl, doesn’t hold back! Now she’s being extra cuddly!
    Yep, thought it might be good to keep Mac in so I could watch for reactions. He seemed anxious, then saw him pawing at papers on the floor, then saw him pee in a donut bed. I have a litterbox for him, but Comet likes to use it. Anyway, I put it where he peed and will get my hands on some more. He is outside now – want to keep a level of trust with him. It’s very cold, but at least the sun is out.

    #822006
    Jeankit
    Participant

    Aw…vet/doc visit is NOT fun for anyone furry or hoomin’!
    Mac reminds me of Lucky couple years ago. In/Out Cat. Hope he eventually stays in. (Took Luck about 1-1/2yrs of routine to decide indoors was the best!) Paws crossed for special kit. Smooch for Diva Miss Leela & pats for Comet!

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