Did You Know..
Sep 25th 2013, 6:52 pm
#1
Im a 77 year old nutcase
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Location: Playa del ingles...Gran Canaria..
Posts: 4,774
Did You Know..
You's older people need to learn something new every day...
Just to keep the grey matter tuned up.
Where did "P. iss Poor" come from?
Interesting History.
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, So families all used to pee in a pot.
And then once it was full it was taken and sold to the tannery...
If you had to do this to survive you were "**bleep** Poor".
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to Buy a pot...
They "didn't have a pot to **bleep** in" and were the Lowest of the low.
The next time you are washing your hands and Complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things Used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500's
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May,
And they still smelled pretty good by June.
However, since they were starting to smell, Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide their body odour.
Hence the custom today of carrying A bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub Filled with hot water.
The man of the house had the privilege Of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men,
then the women and finally the children: last of all the babies.
By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"
Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.
When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof..
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.
That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.
Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing.
As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day.
Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme:
"Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold,
Peas porridge in the pot nine days old".
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.
It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."
They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".
Those with money had plates made of pewter.
Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom; "of holding a wake".
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave..
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realised they had been burying people alive.
So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground
and tie it to a bell.
Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell;
thus, someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was "considered a dead ringer".
And that's the truth.
Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
Just to keep the grey matter tuned up.
Where did "P. iss Poor" come from?
Interesting History.
They used to use urine to tan animal skins, So families all used to pee in a pot.
And then once it was full it was taken and sold to the tannery...
If you had to do this to survive you were "**bleep** Poor".
But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to Buy a pot...
They "didn't have a pot to **bleep** in" and were the Lowest of the low.
The next time you are washing your hands and Complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things Used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500's
Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May,
And they still smelled pretty good by June.
However, since they were starting to smell, Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide their body odour.
Hence the custom today of carrying A bouquet when getting married.
Baths consisted of a big tub Filled with hot water.
The man of the house had the privilege Of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men,
then the women and finally the children: last of all the babies.
By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it.
Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"
Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof.
When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof..
Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."
There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed.
Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection.
That's how canopy beds came into existence.
The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.
Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing.
As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way.
Hence: a thresh hold.
(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)
In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire.
Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day.
Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while.
Hence the rhyme:
"Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold,
Peas porridge in the pot nine days old".
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off.
It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon."
They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat".
Those with money had plates made of pewter.
Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "upper crust".
Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.
Hence the custom; "of holding a wake".
England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave..
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realised they had been burying people alive.
So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground
and tie it to a bell.
Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell;
thus, someone could be, "saved by the bell" or was "considered a dead ringer".
And that's the truth.
Now, whoever said History was boring!!!
Sep 25th 2013, 10:43 pm
#2
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: Did You Know..
Not only knew most of them but experienced some at first hand.
I recall one farmhouse in particular where a couple of old timers lived, which had a dirt floor where the hens used to be free to wander in and scratch about and occasionally lay their eggs in the corner of the kitchen.
I recall a local pub with a dirt floor as well.
Most of my pals were from big mining families and when I called in to go to school with them on a morning they'd often be lined up around an old tin bath tub in front of the fire.
First the father then the oldest son both covered in coal dust after nightshift down the pit, then the rest of the family in order. The water was literally jet black after the old man had been in and I think the younger ones were cleaner before they went in, than when they got out.
As for washing in cold water, I often stripped to the waist, went down to the beck and broke the ice to get cleaned up if I was in a mess and miles from the farmhouse.
A few other things ring a bell such as the pots.
One local village was known as Jam Jar City, as few folk there had cups and saucers and often used old jam jars as drinks containers.
The outside multi wooden seated toilets were known as netties and were cleaned out by guys with shovels together with the ashes from the coal fires which helped keep the stink down.
Good old days, eh,
but we were as happy as pigs in the proverbial.
I recall one farmhouse in particular where a couple of old timers lived, which had a dirt floor where the hens used to be free to wander in and scratch about and occasionally lay their eggs in the corner of the kitchen.
I recall a local pub with a dirt floor as well.
Most of my pals were from big mining families and when I called in to go to school with them on a morning they'd often be lined up around an old tin bath tub in front of the fire.
First the father then the oldest son both covered in coal dust after nightshift down the pit, then the rest of the family in order. The water was literally jet black after the old man had been in and I think the younger ones were cleaner before they went in, than when they got out.
As for washing in cold water, I often stripped to the waist, went down to the beck and broke the ice to get cleaned up if I was in a mess and miles from the farmhouse.
A few other things ring a bell such as the pots.
One local village was known as Jam Jar City, as few folk there had cups and saucers and often used old jam jars as drinks containers.
The outside multi wooden seated toilets were known as netties and were cleaned out by guys with shovels together with the ashes from the coal fires which helped keep the stink down.
Good old days, eh,
but we were as happy as pigs in the proverbial.
Sep 27th 2013, 3:32 am
#3
BE Positive
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,980
Re: Did You Know..
Not only knew most of them but experienced some at first hand.
I recall one farmhouse in particular where a couple of old timers lived, which had a dirt floor where the hens used to be free to wander in and scratch about and occasionally lay their eggs in the corner of the kitchen.
I recall a local pub with a dirt floor as well.
Most of my pals were from big mining families and when I called in to go to school with them on a morning they'd often be lined up around an old tin bath tub in front of the fire.
First the father then the oldest son both covered in coal dust after nightshift down the pit, then the rest of the family in order. The water was literally jet black after the old man had been in and I think the younger ones were cleaner before they went in, than when they got out.
As for washing in cold water, I often stripped to the waist, went down to the beck and broke the ice to get cleaned up if I was in a mess and miles from the farmhouse.
A few other things ring a bell such as the pots.
One local village was known as Jam Jar City, as few folk there had cups and saucers and often used old jam jars as drinks containers.
The outside multi wooden seated toilets were known as netties and were cleaned out by guys with shovels together with the ashes from the coal fires which helped keep the stink down.
Good old days, eh, but we were as happy as pigs in the proverbial.
I recall one farmhouse in particular where a couple of old timers lived, which had a dirt floor where the hens used to be free to wander in and scratch about and occasionally lay their eggs in the corner of the kitchen.
I recall a local pub with a dirt floor as well.
Most of my pals were from big mining families and when I called in to go to school with them on a morning they'd often be lined up around an old tin bath tub in front of the fire.
First the father then the oldest son both covered in coal dust after nightshift down the pit, then the rest of the family in order. The water was literally jet black after the old man had been in and I think the younger ones were cleaner before they went in, than when they got out.
As for washing in cold water, I often stripped to the waist, went down to the beck and broke the ice to get cleaned up if I was in a mess and miles from the farmhouse.
A few other things ring a bell such as the pots.
One local village was known as Jam Jar City, as few folk there had cups and saucers and often used old jam jars as drinks containers.
The outside multi wooden seated toilets were known as netties and were cleaned out by guys with shovels together with the ashes from the coal fires which helped keep the stink down.
Good old days, eh,
but we were as happy as pigs in the proverbial.
)can remember this, is a testament to how much standards have improved, and must make the 'older generation' incredulous about the younger ones complaining about their 'lot'.We are so much more comfortable now, but still there are things in the 'old days' that we are rightly nostalgic about.
Today I go to Blighty for an annual Lads weekend' 4 of us lived on the same street and the 5th just a bit away, and played together nearly 50 years ago !! Great that we are still in touch, living in 3 countries too....
Lots of wonderful nostalgia over the next 4 days coming up
Jon
Sep 27th 2013, 7:24 am
#4
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: Did You Know..
Well not so long ago as some might think.
I think the area where I was brought up must have been light years behind the rest of the country as I was always surprised how well the other half lived by comparison, on the rare occasions when I travelled outside my own area.
I think the area where I was brought up must have been light years behind the rest of the country as I was always surprised how well the other half lived by comparison, on the rare occasions when I travelled outside my own area.
Sep 27th 2013, 7:55 pm
#5
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: In the middle of 10million Olive Trees
Posts: 12,053
Re: Did You Know..
I come from one of the first New Towns, not an area you would expect to find deprived children in.
at about 12/13 we had a girl in our class who had a body odour problem. A number of the girls complained to the class teacher. Turned out she was the eldest of 5 kids and her mother insisted that the youngest bathe first so she never had any warm water and soap wasn't always available.
also her mother couldn't afford to wash clothes more than once a fortnight and again it was the youngest who came first.
Surprisingly the teacher got involved and the school did what they could to help, but not the situation you expect in a New Town in the 60's.
at about 12/13 we had a girl in our class who had a body odour problem. A number of the girls complained to the class teacher. Turned out she was the eldest of 5 kids and her mother insisted that the youngest bathe first so she never had any warm water and soap wasn't always available.
also her mother couldn't afford to wash clothes more than once a fortnight and again it was the youngest who came first.
Surprisingly the teacher got involved and the school did what they could to help, but not the situation you expect in a New Town in the 60's.
