Not Divine until Smeared with Red Paint.
The inhabitants of the village of Balonda, in Africa, manufacture their idols by rudely carving a head upon a crooked stick. There is nothing divine about the idol, however, until it is dotted over with a mixture of medicine and red ochre.—Livingstone.
Gipsy Reticence.
A gipsy will never give a history of himself nor of his race. "My father is a crow, and my mother a magpie," is frequently the only answer obtained.
Carrying Coals to Newcastle.
The old North of England phrase, "To carry coals to Newcastle," finds its parallel in the Persian taunt of "carrying pepper to Hindostan," and in the Hebrew, "To carry oil to the City of Olives."
Mammoth Pawnbroker's Shop.
The Monte de piété, in Paris, established by royal command in 1717, often has in its possession forty casks filled with gold watches that have been pledged.
Half-Penny and Farthing.
In 1060, when William the Conqueror began to reign, the penny was cast with a deep cross, so that it might be broken in half, as a half-penny, or in quarters, for four-things or farthings, as we now call them.