Your mission, should you choose to accept...

beefche · Profuse Pontificator

Your mission, should you choose to accept...

Dyany · Senior Member

ooo I have a whole BOOK of 'where did this word or phrase come from' explanations!!!! Too bad I'm not at home. :( I'll have to look it up when I get back Saturday.

Janey · Senior Member

And how come we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?

nitasmile · Senior Member

OK- I found these two links, for poppycock. And until now, I had just thought it was that yummy popcorn w/nuts,etc. Now I think I need to write a letter to that company and suggest they rename that delicious product. Anyway, hope this helps:

http://www.lehigh.edu/~amsp/2005/09/in-praise-of-balderdash-and-other.html

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-pop1.htm

nitasmile · Senior Member

Here is some info on the origin of the skin of my teeth question:

http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question18459.html

My questions:

~ Where did the expression of "minding my p's and q's come from?"

~ And the greater question on my mind, why is it that the guys I like never like me and the guys that like me I don't like? (just kidding, no answer expected!! :) )

nitasmile · Senior Member

Where did the expression "I'll be there with a herd of thundering turtles" come from??

-- Edited by nitasmile at 21:19, 2007-09-20

nitasmile · Senior Member

Why lbs- pounds?

http://mollymosack.wordpress.com/2007/03/30/why-is-lbs-the-abbreviation-for-pounds/

Well the person who posed that question at that site wanted people to guess the reason for the abbreviation. That sounds fun. So I have a question to guess the derivation of a name:

So, why do we call a donut a donut?? My guess is maybe when donuts were first made, someone used a big nut (ie a walnut) as the "tool" to create the original donut hole.

Am i right or wrong??

nitasmile · Senior Member

info on donut holes-

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/article.asp?articleid=8

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

If you've visited the printing press at historic Nauvoo, you'd know the p's and q's answer.

As for the guys who like you and you not liking them? Maybe you should take a little longer look... Just some free advice from someone who admits she'd have looked right past MrCoco in her stupid younger days.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

Coco's mention of the printing press reminded me of this: When type was set manually on presses, typesetters traditionally kept the small letters in the bottom cabinet and the big letters in the top cabinet, hence, uppercase and lowercase letters.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

Why do we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway?

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Dyany wrote:

ooo I have a whole BOOK of 'where did this word or phrase come from' explanations!!!! Too bad I'm not at home. :( I'll have to look it up when I get back Saturday.

Where are you? Or were you?

Dyany · Senior Member

I was camping/fishing in Hagerman with in-laws. Last minute thing.

As to these questions, I have a few more to ask where they came from:

1. 'buckaroo'

2. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

3. the term 'hat trick' in hockey or soccer.

arbilad · Head Chef

Dyany wrote:

I was camping/fishing in Hagerman with in-laws. Last minute thing.

As to these questions, I have a few more to ask where they came from:

1. 'buckaroo'

2. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

3. the term 'hat trick' in hockey or soccer.

I can explain number 2 to you (although I'll probably get it partly wrong and Coco will laugh at me). You look a horse in the mouth to determine its health. Looking a gift horse in the mouth is like saying that you're checking to see if the gift is good enough for you.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Yes, and more specifically it's *age*. You can age a horse pretty closely by the shape, angle and markings on it's teeth. In other words, if it's free, don't expect much. Hmm... kinda' like advice?