Delores E. Topliff
Words
perfectly-suited to life situations are coins for the realms we travel and do
business in, just like we exchange currencies at international borders to exchange goods with the people there. Similarly, authors define
their writing audience to choose words that will achieve the best impact in hitting targets for successful communication.
Let's mint great expressions that survive like many fun general domain phrases passed down to
us, along with the interesting stories behind them.
Whether
we say Heaven’s to Betsy, or Heaven’s to Murgatroyd, depends on cultural background.
“Betsy” (as in Sweet Betsy from Pike) is very American while Murgatroyd comes from
the Middle English and Norse words, Mooor Gate Royde meaning “district leading
to the moors,” and became the surname of a Yorkshire, England constable.
To be
worth our salt means to be worth our
pay and the word salary originates
from it. If we’re not worth our salt, we’re in trouble.
Being below the salt
goes back to medieval times. As a valued
seasoning and preservative, salt was placed in the middle of dining tables. The lord and his
family were seated above it while
other guests and servants sat below the salt.
Sincere from Roman times literally means without wax, guaranteeing that the sculpture or stonework presented
is genuine—no wax was applied to
fill or hide imperfections, a subterfuge easily discovered when heat was
applied.
Authors
show sincerity in characters.
When heat is applied, are ours genuine? Or do cracks appear as their
beauty and/or stability is seen to be flawed and needing repair.
There
are a million more, and I still love place names, too. I’ve been to Moose Jaw
and Medicine Hat. My sons have visited Cold Foot, AK. And there are more places
I want to see to hear their stories—places like the Foggy Bottom part
of Washington D.C., Yellow Knife, NWT, Accident, MD, Cut and Shoot, TX, Hell,
AZ (that one’s easy to guess), and the Highway leading there.
What
about you? Tell us your favorite phrases or place names, and if you know their
stories, pass them on.
Oh, my goodness. It's been a lifetime since I've heard Heavens to Murgatroyd! In Mississippi we have a Bull Frogs Corner and many more, but my mind is dull this morning. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Delores: I enjoyed your Post! My mother used to say 'Heavens to Murgatroyd' all the time. I never knew its origin. Hearing this phrase brought back a nice memory of her. Thanks. The only name of a place I can think of at the moment that has always 'stuck' with me is a place in NY City that is referred to as 'Hell's Kitchen'. Depending on whom you talked to, this area either meant dangerous to walk around referring to a high crime area or it was an area in which the very poor and those suffering from Mental Illness stayed. I decided not to explore which of the two meanings was most accurate.
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