Wondering about wild grapes

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Old Sayings, etc.

I watch a lot of TV westerns, most of them black and white.  I have noticed a few times the phrase "plug em" was used referring to shooting holes in someone.  Now that just doesn't make sense if you think about it.  I thought you plugged the holes after the holes where there???  Well, maybe shooting some one full of lead would be plugging there body full of lead.  Don't know, maybe you can explain that to me.

There are a lot of sayings that came from old days, like "bite the bullet".  During times of war and fighting, the field medics or your buddy didn't carry anesthetics to ease the pain and just dug out the bullet, stitched up a knife wound, or treated broken bones with out any thing for the pain except maybe some whisky and bullet to bite on so you wouldn't scream.

When I was boy, my neighbor accidentally peppered me with shot when trying to bag a cottontail for supper.  When the doc dug them out of my shoulder with only a rolled up cloth to bite on It was a burning pain but bearable.  Maybe since that area was fairly soft, but when he started digging into my heel, that was a different story.  Back in those days, they wouldn't waste any anesthetics on such a simple thing like that, especially on a kid my age.

Another saying is, "being caught red handed".  I guess if you really think about it, you could figure out that it means being caught with blood on your hands, which back then would have been from illegally butchering someone's livestock.  Now-a-days one meaning is causing the death or injury to someone.

Just one more.  How about "waking up on the wrong side of the bed"?  It now means waking up in a bad mood but way back when, the left side of the body (or anything to do with the left) was thought of as evil.  So sleeping on the left side (the wrong) side of the bed was considered sinister.  Innkeepers made sure the left side of all beds where pushed against a wall, therefore the guests had no choice but to get up on the right side of the bed.

Now tell me, which is the right and the left side of a bed?  If you are standing at the foot looking at a bed, the left would be a different side than if you were laying on your back in the same bed.  Dang, sometimes life is just so very confusing. . . . Now, I hope you all woke up on the right side of the bed and make sure you have a great day, you hear?

 



14 comments:

  1. I never gave it a thought, but all the years I was married to my 1st husband he wanted to sleep on the right side of the bed. It didn't matter to me, so I always took the left side, and always woke up in a perfectly good mood!

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    1. I am still trying to figure out which side of the bed is left side and which is the right side.

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  2. The entymology of words and sayings is always interesting. How about How about 'as easy as shooting fish in a barrel?' Did someone do this lol.
    I like to sleep on whichever side is closest to the door. Not sure why...quick escape?

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    1. Don't think I would want to shoot fish in a barrel, big splash and a new hole in the barrel. Good idea, sleeping closest to the door. In case of fire you can get out easier.

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  3. I guess the one I am most familiar with is "what goes around comes around". The older I get the more I realize the things I did when I was younger are coming back around and biting me on the butt.

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    1. I know what you mean. If I had known I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself (grin).

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  4. The one that always puzzled me is: Water finds its own level. Your post made me google that... guess it just means that folks find folks like themselves for companionship. But I still kinda shake my head over that one....

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    1. Maybe that is why there is tides. . . having trouble finding its own level.

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  5. Considering that a bed has a "head" and a "foot", I would think that the directions would be when you are laying on the bed on your back.

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  6. Those are some great old sayings. Sure hope I woke up this morning on the right side of the bed, since I was lying on my left side.

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    1. I am sure you always wake up on the right side, even if it is the left. . .

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  7. Often wondered about the left and right side of the bed myself, Dizzy. I figured most men slept on the right side (as you're lying down on your back) because it freed their right hand to do whatever it was needed (by wife, gun, etc.) to do. Silly, huh?

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    1. I always slept on the left side (as lying on your back). I guess I am different than most.

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