HERE ARE FEW INTERESTING DERIVATIONS OF COMMON EXPRESSIONS, WORDS AND THINGS...............
"I'LL BE A MONKEY'S UNCLE"
(EXPRESSING SHOCK, INCREDULITY OR JUST PLAIN SURPRISE)
ORIGINATED IN THE 1920'S. REFERRING TO CHARLES DARWIN'S CONTROVERSIAL THEORIES IN HIS BOOK THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, WHERE DARWIN POINTED OUT HOW CLOSE HUMAN BEINGS ARE TO MONKEYS IN PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. THE IDEA THAT WE DESCENDED FROM OUR FURRY FRIENDS WAS SCOFFED AT BY MANY, AND THE PHRASE CAME AS A SARCASTIC RESPONSE TO REFER TO ANYTHING UNBELIEVABLE.
"DON'T BUY A PIG IN A POKE"
(REFERRING TO MAKING VERY SURE OF WHAT YOU BUY, BELIEVE OR ACCEPT BEFORE BUYING IT OR AGREEING TO IT)
THOUGHT TO DATE FROM THE 1500'S AND BEGAN AS ADVICE TO LONDON TRADERS. A POKE WAS A SMALL SACK OR BAG THAT WAS USED TO CARRY GOODS TO MARKET. IT'S SIZE MADE IT PERFECT TO CARRY PIGS OR PIGLETS HOME. THE PHRASE ADVISES BUYERS TO FIRST OPEN THE SACK AND INSPECT THE GOODS WITHIN BEFORE PURCHASING BECAUSE TRADERS COULD GIVE YOU A SACK CONTAINING SOMETHING ELSE THAT WAS WRIGGLING THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY A PIG, A STRAY PUPPY OR A CAT, FOR EXAMPLE.
"PIPE DREAMS"
(DESCRIBING A PLAN OR SCHEME THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN)
HAS IT'S ROOTS IN THE 18TH CENTURY. THE PIPE IN THIS CASE IS AN OPIUM PIPE, AND THE DREAMS ARE THE THOUGHTS AND THEORIES THAT ONE HAS AFTER SMOKING THE PIPE. THESE THOUGHTS ARE, OF COURSE, NARCOTICALLY INSPIRED AND SO ARE ABLE TO SIDESTEP RATIONAL AND PRACTICAL CONFINES.
"HOCUS POCUS"
(MEANING BABBLE DESIGNED TO CONCEAL THE TRUTH)
INTERESTINGLY, THERE WAS ACTUALLY ONCE A MAGICIAN CALLED HOCUS POCUS, WHO PERFORMED FOR KING JAMES I. HE DERIVED HIS NAME FROM AN INCANTATION HE USED. IN FULL, IT WAS "HOCUS POCUS, TONTUS TALONUS, VADE CELERITER JUBEG!" THIS IS PRETTY MUCH LATIN-SOUNDING NONSENSE, BUT AS HIS FAME GREW, IT MUST HAVE DONE THE TRICK.
"BIKINI"
(A TWO-PIECE SWIMSUIT WORN BY WOMEN)
THE ISLAND OF BIKINI WAS DEVASTATED IN 1946 BY U.S. MILITARY NUCLEAR TESTING. THAT SUMMER, JAQUES HEIM AND LOUIS REARD BOTH PREMIERED A DARING NEW TWO-PIECE WOMEN'S SWIMSUIT IN CANNES. BOTH CLAIMED TO HAVE INVENTED IT, AND IT LEFT LESS TO THE MALE IMAGINATION THAN THE GENERAL POPULACE WAS USED TO. WITH THE NUCLEAR TEST STILL VERY MUCH IN THE NEWS, THE UNFORTUNATE ISLAND LENT IT'S NAME TO THE NEW APPAREL. THE EFFECT THE SWIMSUIT HAD ON THE MALE PSYCHE WAS THOUGHT TO BE SIMILAR TO THE EFFECT THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES HAD ON THE ISLAND OF BIKINI.
"GEEK"
(A NERD, A SPAZ OR SOMEONE WHO HAS ALOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND/OR UNDERSTANDING ABOUT A CERTAIN THING)
THE ORIGINAL GEEK WAS IN NO WAY LAUDABLE, AND WAS VASTLY MORE UNATTRACTIVE AND UNHEALTHY THAN IT'S MODERN VERSION. HE WAS A PERFORMER IN A CIRCUS OR CARNIVAL SIDESHOW, WHOSE FUNCTION WAS TO BE DEPRAVED & DISGUSTING. HE WOULD DO THINGS LIKE BITE OFF THE HEADS OF CHICKENS AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS, AND THE CROWD WOULD BE APPALLED, REVOLTED AND THRILLED. THE WORD POSSIBLY COMES FROM THE SCOTTISH "GECK", WHICH MEANS "FOOL". THIS CONTEMPTIBLE ODDBALL WAS ON THE MARGINS OF FAIRGROUND SOCIETY, WHICH WAS ITSELF ON THE MARGINS OF ACTUAL SOCIETY. IN MORE RECENT YEARS, BULLIES DUBBED THE WORD ON CLASS MISFITS AS AN INSULT. IT CAN REFER NOT ONLY TO A NERD-TYPE, BUT ALSO TO AN OVERLY INTELLECTUAL TYPE, WHO HAS AN OVERLY EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF A SUBECT OR WHO IS GOOD AT FIXING THINGS.
(IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT GEEKS, I REFUSE TO ANSWER ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT MAY INCRIMINATE ME!)
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