All my life I have heard people say that it is time to "get down to brass tacks" meaning that it was time to get down to business. I haven't heard it as much lately and more from the older generation. Maybe some of the old saying are dying out. But it makes me wonder how the heck that saying got started. Well, a quick look into my book "IMPONDERABLES", gave me the answer. I had no idea how it got started and I wonder how many of you knew.
Back "in the day" of years gone by, when people purchased fabric, the vendor had placed brass tacks into the counter at intervals of exactly one yard. So, when selling material by the yard, it was measured out between those brass tacks and the buyer made sure it "got down to those brass tacks". Now, I thought that was interesting and probably couln't go on another day without knowing this (grin). But, you know, usuless knowledge makes you stand out in a crowd. . . Now, you all have a great and blessed Sunday, you hear?
I love all that useless knowledge,,,keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought the saying would have its origins in measuring fabric. People in those days were pretty clever.
ReplyDeleteTrouble, I love it, too.
ReplyDeleteGypsy, Me neither. It is amazing what I have learned just trying to write a blog (grin)
I see in a lot of hardware stores now days where they have magic marker marks every foot on the floor to measure wire and other stuff by. Probably a lot cheaper than brass tacks.
ReplyDeleteYou know me...I always like the "useless" stuff! Makes the day so much more interesting!
ReplyDeleteDavid, I have seen that in a lot of stores that sell wire. An inexpensive and good way to measure.
ReplyDeleteH.J. Useless is my middle name (grin). If it were not for the useless stuff I would not have much to blog about.
I often buy fabric for crafting and projects, and now I will be thinking of that when I do.
ReplyDeleteI just love some of those old sayings and where they originated from. Now I've learned something else today. Enjoy your Sunday.
ReplyDeleteJill, In your area of PA there should be some old fabric shops. Ask them if their grangparents ever told them about the brass tacks.
ReplyDeleteRum-Punch Drunk, I love them, too and will prbably make more posts of them. Glad you learned something.