Popular Sayings and Expressions

 

Back in the 90s, I suggested an idea to the producer of the Walt Bodine Show, a daily radio show on KCUR, PBS's affiliate in Kansas City, Mo. The producer loved the idea of discussing the origins of everyday sayings, and agreed to go ahead. Evidently during the first show, the telephone lines lit up “like the 4^th of July” and so it turned into a monthly slot. I appeared with a professor of law, and a professor of English. Since the show was live, I did extensive research because so many callers wanted an answer from “that English woman.” Even so, I was stumped many times, and looked to the professors for help. We were known as the Word Mavens. I heard some of following expressions over the last few weeks and thought readers might enjoy reading their origins.

Paying Through the Nose - To pay exorbitantly

During the 9th century, when the Vikings imposed a poll tax on the Irish known as a ‘nose tax’ because people who failed to pay had their noses slit as punishment.

Back to Square One - Starting at the beginning

This expression was often used during board games and hopscotch, but nowadays it’s used in common language to describe anything that needs a ‘do over.’ The saying appears to have originated in England during the early days of radio (before television.) Obviously, it's very difficult to describe what's going on during football (soccer) matches if a person can't actually see the pitch (field), so a diagram of the pitch was published in the Radio Times each week wherein the pitch was divided into numbered squares. Then, as the match progressed, the commentator would continually refer to the square that each player was in, and to whom the ball was passed. Should a defender pass the ball back to his goalkeeper, the commentator would say the ball was passed back to 'square one.' Even today, most goalies wear the jersey #1. 

 

Dead as a Doornail - No sign of life

This goes back to ancient times when a doors had a heavy metal knocker which was swung and struck a heavy knob or doornail. Since the doornail was regularly rapped, after some time there was no life in it, hence "dead as a doornail".  Dickens used the expression - Old Marley “was as dead as a doornail.”

Down in the Dumps - Unhappy, miserable

Dump is thought to be derived from a Dutch work domp (meaning haze or dullness). During the Elizabethan period a domp was also any kind of a slow, mournful song or dance.

Face the Music - Accept Punishment

In most Western armies, any officer being cashiered from his regiment is required to stand on the parade ground and face the drum squad who tap slowly while the reasons for the man's dismissal are read out and his uniform defaced and stripped of insignia.

Bubble and Squeak

Many of my American friends have asked, "What exactly is bubble and squeak..." Well, it's a vegetable dish mostly prepared from leftovers, often served the day after Christmas, with slices of cold turkey. I have no idea where the recipe came from...only know that it's always been part of Christmas in most families throughout England. I include my recipe.

Ingredients

Mashed potatoes
Chopped cabbage or Brussel sprouts (cooked)
Salt and Pepper
Oil for frying

Method
 
Combine mashed potatoes with the cooked cabbage or Brussel sprouts, and season to taste. Fry in the oil until crispy. Serve immediately.

Medieval Superstitions and Folklore

Photo of re-enactment -- The Tower of London

During medieval times, gemstones were believed to hold magical and even medicinal powers. The men and women who could afford such luxuries adorned themselves with brooches, rings, clasps and badges as a kind of talisman to ward off bad omens and spirits. At the top of the list are rubies which were believed to protect the wearer from poison, emeralds helped ward off madness and illness, and diamonds helped to make a person wise and protect against nightmares.

Guy Fawkes - Remember, Remember - the Fifth of November

 

 

An excerpt from Extraordinary Places...Close to London
Photo: The Leather Bottle Inn, Cobham, Kent.

“Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.” This ancient rhyme is one that was sung by English children as they prepared an effigy of Guy Fawkes and place him atop a bonfire before setting the fire ablaze. An heir of the de Cobham family was tried for treason because of his supposed involvement in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 - an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament and destroy the monarchy.

The village and much of the surrounding countryside were home to the de Cobham family who dominated the village for nearly 400 years. The name of Cobham is considered to be of Anglo-Saxon origin and possibly derived from a personal name such as Cobba. During the period from 1360-70, the village grew in size under the direction of Sir John de Cobham, who rebuilt the parish church of St. Mary and built the College that stands in the rear of the church in the village.

The Gunpowder Plot of November 5, 1605 to blow up the Houses of Parliament and destroy King James I was thought by some to be a wicked scheme organized by Jesuit priests in retaliation for the government’s anti-Catholic ruling. To this day, there are suspicions about Robert Cecil’s part in the plan. Some believe it was a plot instigated by Cecil himself to gain appreciation from the king and further secure his political ambitions. In all, thirteen men were accused of treason after torture and a written confession by Guy Fawkes, who was caught red-handed in the cellars of Westminster trying to ignite barrels of gunpowder. The close relationship with William Parker, Lord Monteagle, who was later identified as a prime conspirator in the plot, did not help the clouds of suspicion hanging over Cecil. Cecil’s brother-in-law, Lord Cobham, as well as Cobham’s younger brother George Brooke was implicated in the conspiracy. Cecil and Lord Cobham escaped execution but George did not.

Countess Katrina Murat Before and After

Photo courtesy:  Lucretia Vail Museum, Palmer Lake.

Following is an excerpt from Hidden History of Denver.
ISNB: 978-1-60949-350-9.
 The pioneers came from every walk of life. Count Henri Murat and his wife Countess Katrina arrived in Denver in 1858 from Baden-Baden, Germany. Why the couple would leave the relative comfort of their homeland to live in the harsh environment of a fledgling town can most likely be attributed to the lure of gold. Count Murat often boasted of his close relationship to Napoleon Bonaparte, but there is little evidence to support his claim. However, the Murat’s name is synonymous with nobility and royalty to this day, and is mentioned often in the The History of Germany; From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, by Frederick Kohlrauscy.

Count Murat was determined to be a success, and joined forces with another pioneer, David Smoke. The two men built a cabin calling it the El Dorado Hotel. It was an impressive name for the twenty by seventeen feet building that was made of cottonwood planks and dirt floor. However, what the hotel lacked in homely comforts was more than compensated for by Katrina’s cooking and hospitality. Every day, she served wonderful home cooked meals to weary travelers, and prepared magnificent apple strudels for dessert.

 

It appears Countess Murat; fair haired, blue eyed beauty was well liked in the community. She had set down roots, unlike some people who gave up easily and returned home. These people were nicknamed, “Go backs” a somewhat derisive term meant to embarrass those people considering leaving. Katrina further endeared herself to the people of Denver by sewing the first stars and stripes flag to fly over the town, giving her the title of “Mother of Colorado.”  

Photo courtesy:  Lucretia Vail Museum, Palmer Lake.

Countess Murat was 63 years old in the spring of 1887 when she decided to leave Denver and her husband to travel the fifty miles south to Palmer Lake. She immediately fell in love with the area and built a little cottage just below Sundance Mountain. Using her past experience in Denver, she worked hard and used her home as a guest house, cooking and cleaning for her visitors. She also had a well dug close to her house to provide cool, sweet water for her guests, but allowed other residents to use it at will. Lucretia Vaile and her sister, residents of Palmer Lake often called on Mrs. Murat (as she preferred to be called) for permission to use her well. Lucretia recalls that Mrs. Murat was always most gracious and accommodating, but doubted she was worthy of the title Countess Katrina Murat. "...she was always very nice about letting me get it, and finally won my reluctant conviction that she was really a countess - though I was pretty sure then that countesses were about as rare as fairies in Colorado.”

During the following 23 years, the people of Palmer Lake watched over their countess. They had water piped directly to her house, and watched over her health. As she grew older she suffered from rheumatism and her eyesight was poor. She had many visitors who travelled by train from Denver to see the Mother of Colorado. She supposedly always greeted her visitors with grace and bearing.

 

There are interesting stories surrounding the countess and count. Some say the count married beneath his station in life, and therefore escaped family criticism by leaving his ancestral home. However, Katrina appeared to be the practical wife who cooked and cleaned while he the more flamboyant of the two, dressed impeccably, and had a high opinion of himself. Several years later, Countess Murat left her husband in Denver and moved south, but perhaps she did so with a little financial help. In those early years, expenses were often paid in gold dust. It is rumored that Katrina sewed some of that dust into her clothing for safe keeping. This of course adding much weight to her person, and on one particular occasion, it supposedly took several men to hoist her into a wagon. Countess Katrina died while living in Palmer Lake on March 13, 1910. Henri died penniless in Denver, and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.

 

Bakewell Tart

The Bakewell pudding and tart derives its name from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England.

Bakewell pudding is a jam pastry with an egg and ground almond enriched filling. It is not to be confused with Bakewell Tart which is has a short crust pastry base, and an almond topping and a sponge and jam filling. As with most dishes, I’ve adapted the recipe to suite my family’s needs. It follows:

Base - Short crust pastry
4 oz. all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 oz. Crisco

Method:
Place all ingredients in a bowl; mix with a fork and add enough cold water to make pliable dough

Filling
2 oz. butter
2 oz. sugar
2 oz. ground rice
1 oz. ground almonds
1 egg
2 tablespoons Jam
Few drops of Almond Essence
Slivered Almonds for decoration

Method:
Roll out pastry and line a pie plate. Spread the jam over the bottom of the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together. Mix the rice and ground almonds and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the beaten egg. Spread the mixture over the jam base, and decorate with a latticework of pastry strips. Top with slivered almonds and bake in a hot oven 350 – 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

Or – Do not put a latticework of pastry/slivered almonds on the top, but after cooking and cooling, drizzle with confectioner’s sugar mixed with a little milk. Decorate with cherries.

The Leper Priest

Father Damien was known as The Apostle of the Lepers. In 1873, he administered to those who had succumbed to the dreadful disease of leprosy on the island of Molokai, a government-sanctioned medical facility off the coast of Maui. While serving the needy, he too contracted the disease and died at 49 years.  He was dearly loved by his people and later canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. Some descendants of those families still live on the island of Molokai to this day.