ORIGIN OF HOMELY PHRASES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18287, 22 January 1925, Page 5

ORIGIN OF HOMELY PHRASES.

The T-squaro is ,an instrumont used by mechanics when accuracy is required (says a writer in "T.P.'s and Casscll's Weekly"). When anything is exactly right "it suits to a 'V " and so wo use the expression whon wo mean to imply correctness in cvoTy way, as a piece of work would bo if tested with tho T-square. "A tinker's dam" has nothing to do with swearing. Tho dam is moroly a pellet mado of flour and wator, with which the tinker stops' the gup ho is mending until tho tin has coolod. A somewhat similar expression, to care a brass farthing," has an interesting historical origin. James 11. issued a series of worthless coins—pennies, halfpennies, and farthings—and very soon the king's brass farthings becamo synonymous with anything that was absolutely valueless. "Pidgin" English, the language used in tho Tar East as a means of communication between natives and foreigners, owes its name.to the poor attempt of tho Chinese to pronounce the word '' business,'' which on lips becomes bidgiucss, bidgin, and pidgin.