Introduction
In compiling this book, I was reminded of a story my grandpa once told me about a young bride preparing her first Thanksgiving meal under the watchful eye of her new husband. When she got to the holiday ham, she systematically cut off the ends and placed them in a pan. Her new husband, not certain of the proper cooking procedure for hams, asked his bride, "Why did you cut off the ends?" Her reply: "Because my mother always did."
Later that day, the mother of the bride showed up early to help, and the newlywed husband thought it an opportune time to learn more about this strange family custom. So he pulled his new mother-in-law aside and asked, "It all makes sense; but why did she cut off the ends of the ham before cooking?" With as much consideration as the daughter had given the question earlier, the mother-in-law answered, "Because my mother always did."
Finally the meal was prepared, the guests were seated, and in the mix of the conversation, the grandmother of the bride was posed the same question by a now most curious grandson-in-law. "Grandma, just one thing . . . why the endtrimming before you cook a ham?"
With aging hands, the grandmother held hers up, gesturing before him, and replied, "Well, in my day, the pans were only this big!"
The story makes a point, which is that our reasons for many of the things we do today make little sense logically, though at one time, perhaps they did.
Every expression we use today has a story. Each word comes to us from something that had meaning at the time. We need only listen to our colorful language for a few minutes to know that ours is a culture steeped in tradition.
And tradition is good! But tradition without meaning is like wasting the ends of a perfectly good ham.
If we choose to hold to traditions, then surely we owe them the respect of knowing their origins.
Here's hoping this book brings you as much laughter and enlightenment in the reading as it did for me in its preparation.
Copyright © 2007 by Karlen Evins
A-1
More than a steak sauce, the phrase itself connotes the very best, because, by definition, it was the highest rating that could be given a ship insured by Lloyd's of London. Lloyd's registry of ships and shipping was categorized by letter and number (with ships graded by letter, and cargo by number). "A" meant the ship itself was perfect, and "1" meant the cargo was in perfect condition.
Aftermath
While we all know that the aftermath of a situation pertains to the consequences, it is perhaps helpful to know what a math is, which those consequences follow! A math, in the olden days, was a mowing, or more specifically, a mowed crop of hay. The aftermath referred to a second crop of hay that came along after the mowing or the harvest, which gives us today's meaning of "a by-product that came about after the original action."
All Gussied Up
What is a gussy, anyway? Well, we're not sure, but we do know what a gusset is! A gusset is a piece of material, triangular in shape, inserted into a garment to enhance its fit and form. A person said to have gusseted her dress was simply improving her appearance; thus to be all gussied up meant to go all out (dresswise) for the occasion.
Amateur
From the Latin word amator, our word amateur translates "a lover." Today the word connotes one lacking the experience to be called a professional. But the original meaning dealt more with motive rather than ranking. The first amateur engaged in a pastime for the love of that pastime, as opposed to taking on the task for money. For the artist or the athlete today who truly loves the profession he's chosen, perhaps a "professional" amateur label would best apply.
Copyright © 2007 by Karlen Evins