Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Wondering about mimosa and bucks.

Last evening as the sun was setting, I took two pictures of a couple different mimosa shrubs that grow around my place.  The light wasn't very good but I still think they are a bright and joyful view to look upon.  This first one was just behind the dog's back yard:

This one was in the shade behind where the motor-home is parked:
 Sorry about the lighting.

I got wondering how the dollar bill became known as a buck.  Anyone care to guess?  This is what my book, IMPONDERABLES, has to say about it and it also explains the expression, "pas the buck".

"Buck has meant "male deeer" since the year 1000 in England and has meant "a dollar" in Ameria since 1856.  Despite the time gap, the two meanings are closely linked.  In the early eighteenth century, traders and hunters used buckskin as a basic unit of trade.  Any frontiersman who possessed many buckskins was considered a wealthy man.
 
   How did buck come to mean specifically one dollar?  In the early West, poker was the diversion of choice.  A marker or counter was placed to the left of the dealer to indicate who was the next to deal.  This marker was traditionally called the buck, because the first markers were buckhorn knives.  But in the Old West, silver dollars (i.e., one dollar) instead of knives were used as bucks.
 
   The buck as poker counter yeilds the expression pass the buck, a favorite of politicians and bureaucrats everywhere, who usually are more than happy to evade responsibility for governing, dealing poker, or just about anything else, which was why it was surprising to hear Harry Truman, an admitted poker player, announce, "The buck stops here.""

 The above came from my book, but I watched a show on the History channel that had a segment on this subject and said just about the same thing.  When the buck or buck-knive stopped at you, you had the responsibility for the deal.  So, now you know what happens when the buck stops at you and what you are suppose to do. . . No, heck, don't take responsibility, pass the buck (grin).  Now have a great day, you hear?

12 comments:

  1. I love those trees. So unique and beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How about bucking a trend?

    Have a good one Dizzy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Have one in my yard. Hummers and butterflys love em. They are short lived trees like fruit trees.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Diz, you are worth a million bucks! I really enjoy learning some of the obscure facts you come up with.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jill, they sure are. They were here when I moved here many years ago. I am sure they are not native to this area but they are growing wild.

    Sixbears, "Bucking a trend" means "Sixbears". Right? I don't think you follow any trends.

    Trouble, Yes they do attract a lot butterflies, for sure.

    Gypsy, If you think I am worth a million bucks, just don't tell the tax man (grin) Thanks for the compliment. I love digging up obscure facts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. They also come up all over the yard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yep, they do spread. But I like them, so it is ok if they spread on my place.

      Delete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The house my parents bought in 1955 had a mimosa tree out front. It bloomed beautifully and was my Dad's pride and joy. When I'm back in Ohio I drive past that house, but the tree is gone. Before we started full-timing in 2002 Bill planted a mimosa tree for me on our farm. It's now over 10 years old and finally is taller than me. I don't know if it's ever bloomed... we're never in Ohio at the right time. But I can never see a mimosa without thinking of my Dad... good memories.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as
    long as I provide credit and sources back to your website?
    My blog site is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would genuinely benefit from some of the information you present here.
    Please let me know if this okay with you. Thank
    you!

    My homepage ... vakantiehuizen

    ReplyDelete
  10. butterbean carpenterMay 29, 2013 at 6:11 PM

    Howdy DD,
    Down here in Texas we don't begin our stories 'Once upon a time..", we start out "Now you ain't agonna believe this but,..." so I'll tell y'all somethin' about JapaneseMimosa trees...
    We went to an auntie's house oncst to dig up one of them, about 4-5" in diameter.. It was by her garage door not far from the wall and growing thru the gravel driveway... When I began to dig it was like concrete, but I 'bowed-up' and busted thru it and got to the dirt around the roots.. Now daddy wanted ALL OF THE ROOTS, so, I dug out as far as the root-ball grew..and dug..and dug.. I'm 14 years old and nobody told me not to dig UNDER THE GARAGE WALL, so, I keep on diggin' ... Soon the corner of the garage starts to lean down into the hole, a little bit, but I'm almost to the end of the root, so, I keep diggin'.... All of a sudden the corner of the garage
    S L I D E S DOWN into the hole WITH ME makin' me awfully uncomfortable,
    but I'm agonna get that root out !!!! I get the root loose and start to pull the tree outa the hole, but the garage won't let me, so, I take a crow-bar and lift the corner up, just a little bit and the whole front of the garage FALLS DOWN into the hole !!!!
    We finally got the tree out, the garage fixed up and planted the tree in the yard on our farm; every year it had lots of pretty flowers and LOTS OF BEANS and was a mess to clean up after !!!!

    ReplyDelete