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.
BIG
CHEEKS
Bet you don't know "Big cheeks"
Big cheeks. A grandson of slaves, a boy
was born in a
poor
neighbourhood
of New Orleans
known as the
"Back of
Town."
His father
abandoned the
family when
the child was
an infant His
mother became
a prostitute
and the boy
and his sister
had to live
with their
grandmother.
Early in life he proved to be gifted for
music and with
three other
kids he sang
in the streets
of New
Orleans. His
first gains
were coins
that were
thrown to
them.
A Jewish family, Karnofsky, who had
emigrated from
Lithuania to
the USA, had
pity for the
7-year-old boy
and brought
him into their
home.
Initially
giving 'work'
in the house,
to feed this
hungry child.
There he
remained and
slept in this
Jewish
family's home
where, for the
first time in
his life, he
was treated
with kindness
and
tenderness.
When he went to bed, Mrs. Karnovsky sang
him a Russian
lullaby that
he would sing
with her.
Later, he
learned to
sing and play
several
Russian and
Jewish songs.
Over time, this boy became the adopted son
of this
family. The
Karnofskys
gave him money
to buy his
first musical
instrument; as
was the custom
in the Jewish
families.
They sincerely admired his musical talent.
Later, when he
became a
professional
musician and
composer, he
used these
Jewish
melodies in
compositions,
such as St.
James
Infirmary and
Go Down Moses.
The little black boy grew up and wrote a
book about
this Jewish
family who had
adopted him in
1907. In
memory of this
family and
until the end
of his life,
he wore a Star
of David and
said that in
this family,
he had learned
"how to live
real life and
determination."
You might recognize his name. This
little boy was
called: Louis
"Satchmo"
Armstrong.
Louis Armstrong proudly spoke fluent
Yiddish!
And "Satchmo"
is Yiddish for
"Big
Cheeks"!!!
And I'll bet you did not know any of this.