? ? ? WHY ? ? ?
WHY was the sandwich so called?
BECAUSE the Earl of Sandwich (1718—1792) on one occasion, not wishing to leave his place at the gaming-table, called a waiter and ordered some slices of bread with ham between them to be brought to him, so that he could go on playing without interruption. To this combination his friends gave his name.
WHY is a certain kind of paper called “foolscap”?
BECAUSE Oliver Cromwell substituted a fool’s cap and bells in water-mark for the royal arms granted by Charles I with certain privileges in manufacturing paper. When the “Rump” Parliament was prorogued this water-mark was removed, but the paper of the size of the Parliamentary Journal, seventeen by fourteen inches, still bears the name.
WHY are elephants afraid of mice?
BECAUSE mice strongly resemble a little animal known as the chacana, which feeds on a small berry especially liked by the elephant. Chacanas live in the ground after the manner of prairie-dogs, under the bushes, and are often trampled upon by elephants. In their fright the little animals run up the tubes of the elephants’ trunks, their long, sharp claws catch in the flesh, and they cannot be ejected. An agonizing death is almost invariably the consequence to the elephant.
WHY is noon the traditional and fashionable hour for wedding ceremonies?
BECAUSE the hour became the customary one in England many years since, for the reason that the bridegroom could not be relied upon to be sober any later in the day than twelve o’clock. It was naturally desirable that he should be responsible for his promises, and unless he was in a state of perfect sobriety this could not be. Hence the precaution of a noonday wedding.
WHY is the first period of married life known as “the honeymoon”?
BECAUSE of an ancient custom in the northern nations of Europe. The bride and bridegroom, for a month after the wedding, drank a wine made from honey as their principal form of nourishment. It was called the honey-month or moon.
WHY is the fee given to a servant called a “tip”?
BECAUSE the letters which compose the word are the initials of “to insure promptness,” an inscription on the money boxes which used to be in every tavern. Into these the traveler dropped his coin, and the staff, as a whole, shared the benefit. This custom still prevails in some places, but in the United States we give the fee to the particular individual who serves us.
WHY do we say “Uncle Sam” when referring to the United States?
BECAUSE the initials “U. S.” were once believed by a few workmen to refer to “Uncle Sam” Wilson who was government inspector, at Troy, in 1812. When the war began, Elbert Anderson, a New York contractor, bought a large quantity of beef, pork, and pickles for the army. These were inspected by Wilson and marked E. A., U. S., meaning Elbert Anderson, for the United States. After discovering that the letters did not apply to Wilson, the men still kept up the “Uncle Sam” as a joke. These same men carried it into the army and from there it got into print. From that time the term has been used for the United States.
WHY do we speak of the “near” and “off” horse?
BECAUSE in the days when the driver walked beside the horses his position was always at the left, with his right arm next the team. Therefore, in driving a pair, the horse on the left was nearer than the one on the right. The “near” horse is always the one on the left.
WHY do the stars twinkle?
BECAUSE their light passes through variously heated and moving currents of air which act as a refractor. Much twinkling foretells bad weather, because it denotes that these aerial currents are more disturbed than usual.