Word For Word : The History Of Famous Quotes & Sayings - Part 1

By Sean Lynch

Talk, talk, talk - it's all we ever do (unless, of course, you're someone's husband... am I right lads!), but where do the words and phrases we say every day come from? Why do those familiar sayings exist?

Well, your worries are over - because we have all the answers you'll ever need. Are they 100% historically accurate? Perhaps not - but we can guarantee it will make you the life of the party at your next friends and family dinner. Small talk be damned, you're about to find out the secrets of the universe!

Phrase : "Piss Poor"

The Story Behind It :

Urine was often used to tan animal skins. Families would all urinate in a pot which then, once a day, was taken and sold to the tannery. If your family had to do this to survive, you were "Piss Poor". However, that wasn't the worse case scenario, the families who couldn't even afford to buy a pot "didn't have a pot to piss in" were considered the lowest of the low.

The next time you are washing your hands and complain
because the water temperature isn't just how you like it,
think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about
the 1500s:

Tradition : Wedding Bouquet

The Story Behind It :

In the 1500s, most couples married in June due to the fact that they would take their yearly bath in May - therefore still smelled relatively good by June. 

However, due to the fact that they were starting to smell, Brides began to carry a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Which is why, today, the custom of carrying a bouquet when getting Married still survives.

Phrase : "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

The Story Behind It :

A baths, as we know, is a big tub filled with hot water. Traditionally, the "Man of the House" had the privilege of the nice clean water first, followed all the other sons and men in the house, then the women and finally the children. Last of all were the babies.

By the time the little ones got to scrub-a-dub-dub in the tub-a-tub-tub the water was so dirty it was possible to not actually be able to see the person in it. You could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!"

Phrase : "It's raining cats and dogs."

The Story Behind It :

Houses with thatched roofs - thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath - was often the only place for animals to get warm during the rainy season. 

All the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained the thatched roofs often became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

Traditon : The Thresh Hold

The Story Behind It :

Back in the days when floors were simply made of dirt, when only the wealthy could afford better (hence the saying "Dirt poor"), the wealthy would often have slate floors that would often get slippery when wet. To avoid injury, they would spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing.

As the winter wore on, they added more thresh. However, when the door was opened, it would all start floating outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way to keep it all in place. Hence, a thresh hold.

Stay tuned for some more trivial and pointless facts about language... you'll be amazed by the results.