Interesting History

[Luvin1stdegree 0]

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:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May

and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to

smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence

the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

* * * * * *

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house

had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men,

then the women and finally the children-last of all the babies.

By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.

Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

* * * * * *

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.

It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and

other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it

became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.

Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

* * * * * *

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed

real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really

mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung

over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into

existence.

* * * * * *

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.

Hence the saying "dirt poor."

* * * * * *

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when

wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their

footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when

you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A piece of

wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh hold."

* * * * * *

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always

hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the

pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat

the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight

and then start over the next day.

Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.

Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in

the pot nine days old."

* * * * * *

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.

When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.

It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon."

They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around

and chew the fat."

* * * * * *

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content

caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning and

death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years

or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

* * * * * *

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the

loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

* * * * * *

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would

sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the

road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid

out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather

around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.

Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

* * * * * *

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places

to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a

"bone-house" and reuse the grave.

When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have

scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people

alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse,

lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell.

Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard

shift") to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell"

or was considered a "dead ringer."

* * * * * *

And that's the truth... Now, whoever said that History was boring?

 

Educate someone...Share these facts with a friend...

[Lollypop 0]

Very interesting. :biggrin:

[Lollypop 0]

I'm surprised this was moved to the funny stuff. It's not very funny is it ?

The last bit is scary. :biggrin:

[Yillara Skye 1]

hmmm, I read this one before, but I always thopught the references were really good(on where we get the sayings from)

[A l t e r E g o 9]

The part about being buried alive was scary but those days are over, I hope. It was all very interesting though.

[mrskirk 0]

Very informative L1D! I never knew any of that stuff. Guess it just goes to show that you CAN teach an old broad new tricks!

[TrekkieMage 0]

Wow! That's really interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[dsbs 0]

Interesting, but is this really true? It's just, it's in the funny section, so is it a joke or did it actually happen?

[Lubak10 0]

Some of this stuff is really interesting! The bit about being buried alive is a bit freaky though.

[Riaan 0]

Very interesting! I'd often wondered about the origin for certain expressions, but never took the time to investigate. Thanks! :P

[Lessa_Soong 0]

Those are true. I ahve heard some of them before like the bell for the dead, but the thresh hold, that i ahd not heard! But i love the first stuff about the weddings and baths. I ahve heard that people used to think that batheing was unheathly, i guess they thought that itching and stinking was a good thing. ICK! :P

[Goose 0]

Stardate:213586.6

 

 

Oh wow that is so cool.I didnt know any of that.Thanks for sharing!

[jdigs 0]

very cool..the reasoning behind the expressions seem to make sense..but its not like we can actually believe it..but..It'll do for me, Rock on Luvin!!

[emojams 0]

dammit jim,im a doctor not a historian....great stuff people. :blink: