[Richard230]

Here is a historical explanation of common English language phrases that a friend sent to me. I can't guarantee that they are correct, but they sound right to me:

 1 .. WHY?
Do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
BECAUSE
When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left.  Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right!   And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

2 .. WHY?
Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
BECAUSE
This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is pronounced, approximately, 'mayday.'

3 .. WHY?
Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
BECAUSE
In France , where tennis became popular, the round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'the egg.'  When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans (naturally), mispronounced it 'love.'

4 .. WHY?
Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
BECAUSE
In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
 
5 .. WHY?
Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called passing the buck'?
BECAUSE
In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal.  If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

6 .. WHY?
Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
BECAUSE
In earlier times it used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink.  To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

7.. WHY?
Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?
BECAUSE
Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the Centre of attention.

8 .. WHY?
Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
BECAUSE
Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

9 .. WHY?
In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
BECAUSE
When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' He had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment.  To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her.  In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into caddie.

10 ... WHY?
Why are many coin collection jar banks shaped like pigs?
BECAUSE
Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.'  When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig.  And it caught on.

[zimmemr]

Very entertaining thanks for posting that. 

[Boxerman]

1 .. WHY?
Do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
BECAUSE
When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left.  Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right!   And that's where women's buttons have remained since.

The explanation I heard for this was that as most men are right handed, they wear their sword on the left.
If the coat was buttoned right over left, the sword would catch in the 'flap' when it was drawn, this doesn't happen if the coat is buttoned left over right.

Frank

[Bilgemaster]

What's kind of interesting about buttons on clothing is that while they'd been around for more than 4,000 years, it wasn't until about the 13th Century in Germany that anyone thought of a buttonhole.

It's kind of a similar situation with canned or tinned food. The first canned food appeared in the second decade of the 19th Century, but the first can openers  didn't show up until about 50 years later.

It ain't the wheel that's clever. It's the axle.

[Richard230]

During my early years my Buster Brown shoes were fastened with buttons and I had a button hook on my Boy Scout knife to use when putting on and taking off my shoes. What I can't recall is exactly what that button hook did. 

[Boxerman]

During my early years my Buster Brown shoes were fastened with buttons and I had a button hook on my Boy Scout knife to use when putting on and taking off my shoes. What I can't recall is exactly what that button hook did. 

Both my Mum and Dad had button hooks which were issued with their army and airforce WW2 uniforms [Dad army Mum airforce].

They're probably still knocking about the house somewhere.

Frank

[tooseevee]

During my early years my Buster Brown shoes were fastened with buttons and I had a button hook on my Boy Scout knife to use when putting on and taking off my shoes. What I can't recall is exactly what that button hook did. 

        You stuck the button hook through the button hole. You then slid the button hook under the button, grasping it by its thread. You then did a little twist and pulled the button out through the button hole.

[Richard230]

        You stuck the button hook through the button hole. You then slid the button hook under the button, grasping it by its thread. You then did a little twist and pulled the button out through the button hole.

If they still made shoes closed by buttons (instead of Velcro) which were sold on Amazon and made in China, I bet that button hook would saw right through the button thread.   

[GlennF]

One of the interesting anachronisms in most modern Movies and TV series is that shirts up probably until after the 1st World War tended to only button half way down.  The classic old west movie scene of the outlaw galloping along, shirt unbuttoned, with shirt tails flying in the wind would simply never have happened.

[Boxerman]

One of the interesting anachronisms in most modern Movies and TV series is that shirts up probably until after the 1st World War tended to only button half way down.  The classic old west movie scene of the outlaw galloping along, shirt unbuttoned, with shirt tails flying in the wind would simply never have happened.

As far as I can remember, all my Dad's shirts were only buttoned so far down, and most had separate collars. I was born in '47 so it's well after WW2. This is in the UK mind, don't know about USA.

Frank

[Richard230]

As far as I can remember, all my Dad's shirts were only buttoned so far down, and most had separate collars. I was born in '47 so it's well after WW2. This is in the UK mind, don't know about USA.

Frank

I was born in San Francisco during the War. What I can recall about my early years are: My pants were held up with suspenders; my shoes were repaired with metal tabs; I could ride on the public bus to school by myself to first grade without fear of being kidnapped; my schoolyard was just a big slab of asphalt, where we would toss bubblegum cards against a wall and boy who had the closest card to the wall got to keep the other cards; we "smoked" candy cigarettes; the DeYoung Museum was filled with shiny pre-war military equipment instead of paintings; for fun I used to go down to the bowling alley on the corner, go to the back of the building and watch the workmen grab the pins and bowling balls, re-rack the pins and put the balls on the return slide; and of course, playing at the Golden Gate Park (located across the street) playground with itd steel slides, spinning tops, three-wheel kiddie cars that sent you on a 100-foot long ride down a track and a beautiful merry-go-round where you could ride on a horse without needing a seat belt. Those were the days. 

[REpozer]

Richard, you da man.
I’m concerned for your sanity. Might be time to Escape from LA.

[Richard230]

Richard, you da man.
I’m concerned for your sanity. Might be time to Escape from LA.

I now live in Pacifica, a Democratic left-wing town if there every was one. The funny thing is that when the city proposes laws that would welcome the homeless, or wants a $40 million homeowner-paid bond to build a new library, or to raise a tax to pay for new social services, they all get voted down.  Everyone in California loves expensive new social programs as long as someone else pays for them. 

One other interesting thing from my childhood is that when the Academy of Sciences was building its first planetarium in Golden Gate Park during the late 1940's, the construction work was walled off by a very tall wooden wall. At the time everyone who saw the wall thought it was some sort of secret military building that was being built. But once the planetarium was finally complete it was a really amazing facility.  One other thing everyone liked to to at the Academy of Sciences was to toss coins in the crocodile pool at the entry to the building (sort of a wishing well) and see if you could bounce the coins off of their heads.  They don't let you do that anymore. More lost income for the Academy. I always wondered about the poor guy that had to wade into the pool to retrieve the coins. I wonder if he is still around?

[REpozer]

Interesting that you bring up “ homeless “ and “ library “. That seems to be the place they hang out but not read books.

[gizzo]

  I like libraries....

[Bilgemaster]

[...Snip!]

One other thing everyone liked to to at the Academy of Sciences was to toss coins in the crocodile pool at the entry to the building (sort of a wishing well) and see if you could bounce the coins off of their heads.  They don't let you do that anymore. More lost income for the Academy. I always wondered about the poor guy that had to wade into the pool to retrieve the coins. I wonder if he is still around?

Who? Stumpy? Yeah, he's fine. They've got him over by the gate now tearing tickets. Sure, it takes him awhile, but you gotta admire his dedication!

[Richard230]

Who? Stumpy? Yeah, he's fine. They've got him over by the gate now tearing tickets. Sure, it takes him awhile, but you gotta admire his dedication!