So often I’ve tried to figure out where a product was made, so I look for a “made in” notation on the label. It’s not always there. Now I know a way to tell–by the first three numbers of the bar code. For example, 690, 691, and 692 mean it was made in China, 471 means Taiwan, 750 Mexico, and anything starting with 0 means United States.
For a full list of numbers and their corresponding countries, go to Barcode Prefixes and Product Country of Origin.
You long-time readers of this blog know that I’m a word person. I love puns (which I’ll spare you of today) and oddball origins of expressions (which I will offer you today). Have you ever wondered how “no dice” came to mean “nothing doing,” something a person says when they refuse to accept a course of action? Here it is.
This phrase originated in the U.S. in the early 20th century. In most states, gambling with dice was against the law, so players hid the dice when police showed up—some even swallowed them! When police had no dice to submit into evidence, courts often simply dismissed the case. Here’s what was said in a 1921 court case of six men charged with gambling with dice: The city attorney asked the arresting officer if he actually saw the men shooting dice. When the officer said he saw no dice, the men were acquitted. Thus, the birth of the expression “no dice,” growing from the idea of no dice = no conviction.
OK, so it’s Friday 13th. You’re not superstitious, of course. But your security camera DID show a black cat cross your driveway this morning. And that cracked mirror is in danger of shattering if you use it today….
Have some fun with the day. And learn a little about its origin (well, at least some theories) and see some interesting artwork by going to 13 Facts About Friday the 13th. And add two words to your vocabulary: araskavedekatriaphobia , which is also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia.
Over the years, the Christmas carol became famous throughout Europe where it was assumed to be the work of Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven. The controversy was put to rest in 1994 when a lost arrangement of “Stille Nacht” was found and written in Joseph Mohr’s handwriting. On the music sheet, Mohr had given credit to his friend by writing “Melody by Franz Xav. Gruber” in the upper right-hand corner.
From Monthly Wisdom Newsletter, http://aikiway.com/
After Christmas, it’s thought of as great fun to have a “White Elephant Party,” where you exchange gifts you received but have no earthly use for–except to take up space and gather dust. In case you’ve wondered, here’s the origin of the term “White Elephant” – something useless that nobody wants and is a burden to own.
Actually, in Thailand, white elephants were once thought of as sacred. At the same time, the Siamese king would foist one onto someone who fell out of his favor in order to punish him. That is, someone who made the king mad would find himself burdened with a white elephant, which was very expensive to care for and maintain, often driving the new owner into poverty. The “gift,” then looked like generosity on the king’s part but was really a sneaky way to get even.
Here’s one for the gamblers. I haven’t inflicted one of my interesting (to me) word/phrase origins on you for some time. So, here goes.
“No dice” — what a person says when he refuses to accept a proposition or course of action.
In the early 1900s in many states, dice-gambling was popular but illegal. How to get around the law? Hide the dice when the cops came, of course. That way, the main evidence against you—the dice—couldn’t be produced in court, leading to your case being dismissed. So that’s what gamblers did: hid the dice, and sometimes even swallowed them!
A reporter for The Port Arthur Daily News (Texas) wrote a story in 1921 about when an officer testified at trial and admitted that he could not find any dice when he arrested the defendants. The judge ruled that the defendants could not be convicted because there were “no dice.”
It is considered highly probable that the “no dice = no conviction” decision is the origin of today’s use of “no dice” to mean “nothing doing.”
If you’re anticipating a series of hot days coming soon, don’t, as some are doing, call it an “Indian Summer.” Not because it’s “anti-Indian.” In fact, one theory about the origin of the term is the early Algonquian tribes, who believed such heat was due to one of their gods, Cautantowwit, sending a warm wind. (A bit of trivia you can work into any conversation…or not!) More likely, especially here in America, the term began with our early New England settlers, who were constantly battling the local Native Americans. In late October, though, the weather was so cold and blustery that the settlers could even venture forth from their stockades and leave their weapons at home. Until or unless the weather suddenly turned warm, in which case the weather-forced “truce” was off and the settlers again had to defend themselves. Thus the term “Indian Summer.”
The real reason we won’t be seeing an “Indian Summer” next week is that the conditions and timing are off. To be a true Indian Summer, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, “the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.” The Almanac also declares that the warm days happen after a hard frost or period of cold weather, and occur during a specific time, November 11 – 20. So it’s too early.
Who cares what such beach-and-picnic weather is called or when it happens? Just enjoy it!
A bit of language trivia for you today: the origin of the phrase to “Turn a blind eye.” It means, of course, to ignore something, to refuse to acknowledge that something exists or is happening.
This goes back to the early 1800s, to Horatio Nelson, a British naval hero, as he fought the Battle of Copenhagen. His ships, facing a much larger Danish/Norwegian fleet, had little hope of victory. His superior officer sent a signal for him to retreat, but Nelson didn’t want to. He put his telescope up to his blind eye, stated that he didn’t see the signal, carried on the battle—and won! Okay. Some historians say this is just a myth; yet “turn a blind eye” is still with us today.