Words & Phrases
The Quick Quirk Quiz
The Surprising Stories, Hidden History,
and Unusual Origins Behind Familiar Things
By Janet Spencer, Trivia Queen of the Universe
Royal Ruler of Useless Information
Master of Arcane Knowledge & Extraneous Lore
Keeper of Forgotten Facts & Startling Statistics
Published by Janet Spencer at Smashwords.com
Copyright 2009 Janet Spencer
Discover other works by Janet Spencer at
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Pair of Shoes
A Feud Among Poets
The Value of a Shadow
A Bad Day
Mercury Poisoning
Goose Bumps
A Wild One
Turkey Talk
Balderdash from Buncombe County
The Hour of Prayer
Hot Soup & Cold Hands
Lessons from Hercules
A British Blockade
Wicked Whirlpools
A Hatch and a Keg
Without Wind
Stuck at Sea
A Troublesome Tailor
A Thief
A Street Punk
A Violent Tribe
Coining a New Word
Transcendental Trances
A Pious Person
Greek Gobbledygook
A Large Lizard
A Big Wheel
A Big Elephant
A Pair of Shoes
In 1765 the John Newbery Publishing Company of London produced a popular children’s book that had the ponderous sub-title of, ‘Margery and the means by which she acquired her learning and wisdom, and in consequence thereof her estate. Set forth at large for the benefit of those, who from a state of rags and care, and having shoes but half a pair, their fortune and their fame would fix, and gallop in a coach and six’. In the story, Margery Meanwell is an orphan who is so poor that she has only one shoe. But because of her virtuousness, a rich man rewards her with new shoes, which causes her to go throughout the town proclaiming to all she meets that she now is the proud owner of a matching pair of shoes. Her unassailable virtue continues, whereupon she is eventually further rewarded by marrying a rich widower. Now, instead of walking with only one shoe, she travels in a coach pulled by six horses (‘a coach and six’). The very virtuous Margery Meanwell became known by her nickname, not only in the book but also throughout society as the book was reprinted time after time, becoming one of the most popular children’s books of the day. Today Margery Meanwell’s nickname has come to mean someone who is excessively or annoyingly virtuous. The Oxford English Dictionary describes the phrase as meaning, ‘characterized by inept manifestations of good or pious sentiment’. What was Margery’s nickname?
Answer: Goody Two-Shoes. ‘Goody’ was a common greeting, short for ‘goodwife’.
A Feud Among Poets
Ambrose Philips and Alexander Pope were both English poets in the 1700s. In 1709, when a publisher called for entries to a collection of poems he was producing, both Philips and Pope submitted poems, and both poems were accepted. Philips’ poem received high praise in a local paper, while Pope’s poem was not mentioned. This snub made Pope angry, and a war of words ensued between the two poets. Pope looked for every opportunity to make a mockery of Ambrose Philips. Years later, Philips wrote a series of silly rhyming poems for the young children of some aristocratic friends of his, and the poems were widely circulated. A third poet, Henry Carey, ridiculed Philips’ poetic style by writing an over-the-top parody of the children’s poetry. The title of this parody was a rhyming nonsensical play on Ambrose Philips’ first name. Pope, maintaining his feud with Philips, seized upon this disparaging nickname and used it in a book he wrote in 1733 in which he hurled satirical invective at Philips. Because Pope was so widely read, the nickname entered everyday language meaning weak, ineffective writing. From there it gradually came to describe weak, ineffective people. Today the rhyming play on the name ‘Ambrose’ denotes someone or something that is insipid, spineless, or overly sentimental. What’s the phrase?
Answer: Namby-pamby.
A Value of a Shadow
Although Adelbert von Chamisso was born in France in 1781, his family was driven out of their ancestral home during the French Revolution, and they settled in Berlin while he was still young. When he grew up, be became a botanist but he also enjoyed writing poems and stories. In 1813 he wrote a short story to entertain the children of some friends. In the tale, a man named Peter makes a deal with the devil and sells his shadow to a mysterious magician in exchange for a bottomless wallet. Peter thinks he got the best of the bargain but soon finds that a man without a shadow is rejected by society. The woman he loves leaves him. Although he has unlimited wealth, he has given up the possibility of ever living a normal life, or finding true love. He can buy anything he wants, with the exception of the acceptance of his fellow human beings. When the magician offers him his shadow back in return for his soul, Peter knows better. He spends his life wandering the world, trying to do good in order to atone for his foolish decision. The story was published in 1814 and became enormously popular because it offered a comic yet tragic look at the true meaning of happiness. In the story, Peter’s last name is a Yiddish word that means, ‘God’s fool’. Now that common Yiddish word has come to mean a bungler, dolt, or a hopelessly incompetent person. Name it.
Answer: Schlemiel.
A Bad Day
The U.S. Air Force wanted to know how sudden deceleration would affect pilots. They designed a series of experiments that consisted of volunteers being strapped into rocket-propelled sleds which were quickly accelerated before the brakes were abruptly applied. The volunteers wore a vest wired with sensors that measured the force. According to the legend, an engineer named Edward designed this harness, but Edward did not install the sixteen individual sensors. A technician did that. On the day of the first test, volunteer John Paul Stapp was strapped into his harness, belted into the seat, and sent for the ride of his life. The deceleration was so forceful that when Stapp staggered out of the seat, his nose was bleeding and his eyes were bloodshot. When Edward went to collect the data collected by the sensors, he discovered to his dismay that not a single bit of information had been collected, because the technician wired the sensors backwards and not one of them functioned. Stapp had risked his life for nothing. Edward muttered something about, “if there’s a way to do something wrong, he’ll find it.” At a press conference a few days later, Stapp paraphrased Edward’s comment, saying words to the effect that, “if there are two or more ways to do something, and if one of those results in catastrophe, then someone will do it that way.” Eventually this pessimistic saying was distilled, becoming a well-known expression that was named after Edward’s last name. What was Ed’s last name, and what is this pithy pessimistic platitude?