Comments for Historically Speaking

Comment on Devil’s Bedpost by The deville’s gold-ring , hackleless ricks, and hing & ting | A dabbler's Abecedarium

Fri, 03 May 2013 20:09:12 +0000

[...] Devil’s Bed-Post: The Four of Clubs. [Though according to some, the Four of [...]

Comment on Up In Arms by Elyse Bruce

Elyse Bruce — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:22:07 +0000

Language is intriguing and watching how words may mean something in one era and then take on another meaning as years go by is a reflection of the people and the politics of the time. If you have idioms you’d like to know about that aren’t in the “A-Z Of Entries” let me know and I’ll see what I can find out for you. You’ll even get credit for making the suggestion when it’s published here …. under the heading “Friends Of Idiomation.”

Comment on Up In Arms by Elyse Bruce

Elyse Bruce — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:19:19 +0000

I get the sense that it was akin to wearing gang colors to let people know not to overstep and cause trouble on their turf. I was pleasantly surprised at the history behind this expression. I dare say, I intend to do additional research on this to see what else I can learn about the customs of this era.

Comment on Up In Arms by Heather

Heather — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:57:48 +0000

Thanks for the information. I had a feeling “up in arms’ meant something along the lines of “taking up arms” as in armed rebellion.

I find the history of phrases and idioms quite fascinating and it’s nice to see a blog devoted to something I thought only I was ever really interested in (from a hobbyist point of view)

Comment on Up In Arms by debbiewritesstuff

debbiewritesstuff — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:51:25 +0000

…”those involved in the rebellion were, indeed, so upset that they were wearing articles of clothing with heraldic arms embroidered on certain articles of clothing by the mid-1550s.”

You’ve taught me something; I always thought “up in arms” might be more about weaponry. My question is what exactly did it mean that the upset parties were wearing items of clothing with heraldic arms on them? I’m assuming that they wanted to put the name of their family behind their opinion. If that is so, did it result in action from whomever was in charge? I’m wondering is putting on the heraldic arms in times of unrest was some kind of known practice or signal.

Comment on If My Grandmother Had Wheels … by If My Grandmother Had Wheels (for NaPoWriMo, Day 27) | Marilyn Cavicchia, Editor and Poet

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 22:27:48 +0000

[...] my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a wagon,” which apparently, many people know from a Star Trek movie. The second result was, of all things, a poem by Mohja Kahf, some lines of which I’ve [...]

Comment on Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by Jake

Jake — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 03:52:27 +0000

Schopenhauer as well, used the phrase.

Comment on Seven Ways To Sunday by Elyse Bruce

Elyse Bruce — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:59:52 +0000

That’s one of the many reasons I love researching idioms. I never know where the research will take me, and sometimes there’s no way I could have imagined in a million years that a saying would take me where it does. Thanks for commenting, Debbie.

Comment on Seven Ways To Sunday by debbiewritesstuff

debbiewritesstuff — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:51:05 +0000

Who would have thought such a benign sounding saying actually comes from a scale of punishments. It reminds me of the phrase “rule of thumb,” which is really about how thick a stick a husband should use to beat his wife: the rule is it should be no thicker than the man’s thumb.

Comment on Brick And Mortar Store by Brick And Click « Historically Speaking

Brick And Click « Historically Speaking — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:53 +0000

[...] « Brick And Mortar Store [...]