O/T Old Expressions

[TundraWolf]

A friend emailed me the following which focuses on the origin of old expressions, many from the 1500s:

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 the body odor. 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

[Evewolf65]

[quote="TundraWolf"]A friend emailed me the following which focuses on the origin of old expressions, many from the 1500s:

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 the body odor. 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 anim

[Robus]

Snopes, below. - view external link

[TundraWolf]

Interesting, I am not surprised if there are large holes in the article, everything ties together almost too neatly. Still, there must be some aspects that contain a grain of truth, the challenge (a time consuming one) is sorting out which is which.

Trust your high standards of academic surety and professionalism for sousing out the chinks in the armour, Robus!

[Robus]

Dogs living in the thatch roof...? Let's just say that my skeptical instinct was aroused.