| Show take eniy word for forlie it by frank colby WHAT S THE ORIGIN Q to settle a dispute please tell us the origin of bonfire Is I 1 it from barn yard fire or bon toe fire the french bon meaning good 7 W W A sorry neither Is the correct origin the word bonfire has a de grisly origin in the middle ages ravaging plagues occurred frequently in europe bodies of the victims were burned in huge funeral pyres called bone fires since no trace of thea theaodies the bodies remained save a few bits of charred bones it s hard to believe that your sun sim pie and fragrant backyard bonfire of autumn leaves is a funeral pyre of human bones but it s true Q how did the jack the face card get ga its name U T C A by false association with the king and queen many persons as sume that the jack represents a prince but the jack is really a ant or soldier for the word jack ack was once a slang term for a man or boy of humble position and still survives in such expressions as backof jack i of all trades jack in the box lumberjack steeple jack further evidence of the modest status of the jack is found in his other name the knave a word that originally meant a young male servant a menial Q what is the origin of the ex of the first water 7 A E 0 A among diamond merchants water designates the limpidity and luster of a stone A diamond of the first water or of finest wa ter is one that Is pure trans parent and flawless in much the same way the term river is used extra river denotes a diamond of the finest quality bell syndicate feature features |
