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I can't believe it is a month since I started this and how time flies. I have learnt quite a bit of interesting, but no doubt useless information which may come in handy at some point. So Friday is my fill your brain up day to try and make you smarter and wiser. No one likes a smart ass, but then again if you can get a few over someone that thinks they are then why not.
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Just maybe they would have chosen a different name if they knew the origins and what it really was.
Nitty gritty.
First up today is nitty gritty which is used to describe getting down to the basics I would say. The nitty gritty of something and the fine detail.
Believe it or not it was a saying used to describe the left overs of when slaves were transported on ships. When the ships arrived in port to off load their live cargo they were left with the aftermath of what would have been horrendous conditions. The clean up was the nitty gritty which I would imagine wouldn't have been pleasant. Not only loads of excrement and waste but I am sure there were bodies as well.
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Correct modern day "field day" but it would go down as something else like tactical maneuvers or something making it sound more important.
Field day.
I would say enjoyment or exploiting an opportunity. By no means am i a master of the English language by the way,but try and simplify things for our Hive members who have English as a secondary language.
Used fairly regularly but nowhere near the context what it was used for originally.
Field day was used by the military in the 18th century to describe a day of practicing tactics and maneuvers in the field. Telling the troops that tomorrow was a field day let them know they would be practicing whatever they were supposed to be practicing.
These days a sporting team could have a field day when everything just goes right. I doubt if the soldiers in the 18th century enjoyed field days quite as much as it meant serious work and most likely it was very physical. Weird how something gets distorted away from what it was originally meant for.
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Anything to make a noise used for promoting an event.
Bells And Whistles.
Today we use this to describe something that has all the added extras. Something like a car where you get a standard model and then you get the top of the range model.
Thought to have originated back in the 18th century when certain events like a circus or a charity like the Salvation Army used noise to attract attention. That kind of makes perfect sense as people weirdly are attracted by noise and their curiosity would get the better of them.
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Nothing to do with breasts for any of you wondering otherwise why isn't there a dick prize.
Booby Prize.
Something that is handed out to a loser. Maybe a prize for coming dead last.
Today we know Boobies as another word for breasts and it has nothing to do with those things. If someone offered you a decent set of knockers it could be seen as first prize if you think about it unless they come in a wheel barrow.
Back in the 16th century booby meant dunce,simpleton or fool. Think of a booby trap as it is there to trick you. Thought to have come from the Spanish word "bobo" which means fool or dunce.
Another good compilation this week which being honest didn't know one origin. The nitty gritty was the one I found most interesting as I would never have guessed that in a million years. Amazing how life has changed and these phrases and sayings have stayed behind yet we have no clue where they came from.