Math Puzzle Submissions
from those who have solved the Math Puzzle

1. Tommy Rose, Broadway, North Carolina, U.S.A.
2. Steve Doppler, Evergreen, Colorado, U.S.A.
3. Michael Doppler, Evergreen, Colorado, U.S.A.
4. John Blair, Kentucky, U.S.A.
5. Kirk Lowry, Hurst, Texas, U.S.A.
6. Daan Beijer, Ottawa, Canada
7. Irvin Kauffman, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
8. Beverley Jenkinson, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
9. James W. West, Manchester, Tennessee, U.S.A.
10. Michael Nass, Thun, Switzerland
11. Phil 'Bruiser' Bullock, U.S.A.
12. Jim Spurlock, Frisco, Texas, U.S.A.
13. Erika Schlebusch, Thun, Switzerland
14. Stephanie Bowen, Scituate, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
15. Andrew Pirie, Black Point, Nova Scotia, Canada
16. Jim Serritella, Laytonsville, Maryland, U.S.A.
17. Marion Waggener, Hermiston, Oregon, U.S.A.
18. Leonard Genova, Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.
19. Gilberto Charpentier, Prague, Czech Republic
20. Paulette Roth, Alberta, Canada
21. Ivannia Charpentier, Cartago, Costa Rica
22. Alan King, Gravesend, United Kingdom
23. Katie Hodges, Akron, Ohio, U.S.A.
24. Mike Kings, Monticello, Florida, U.S.A.
25. Cory Huber, Alliance, Nebraska, U.S.A.
26. Branko Petreski, Skopje, Macedonia
27. Andrew Banner, Telford, United Kingdom
28. Jeff Brown, Indiana, U.S.A.
29. David W. Gray, Norwalk, Iowa, U.S.A.
30. Ginger Velazquez, Fate, Texas, U.S.A.
31. Wynne Phillips, Kidwelly, Wales, United Kingdom
32. Steve Radford, Billericay, Essex, England
33. Tim Johnson, Rushden, United Kingdom
34. Gareth Adams, Glasgow, United Kingdom
35. Wyatt Earp, Kent, England
36. JC Norton, Nelson, B.C., Canada
37. Mike Sageloff, Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S.A.
38. Ernie Gera, Virginia, U.S.A.
39. Ingi Björnsson, Stockholm, Sweden
40. Mike Thompson, Trenton, Tennessee, U.S.A.
41. Vern Wall, Yuma, Arizona, U.S.A.
42. Donnie Hazle, Arlington, Texas, U.S.A.
43. Jake Plugers, Welland, Ontario, Canada
44. Robert Moore, Canton, North Carolina, U.S.A.
45. William Malcolm Thomas, Summerland, B.C., Canada
46. Roger Myers, Larned, Kansas, U.S.A.
47. Mary Broughton, Yonkers, New York, U.S.A.
48. Jean Moore, Canton, North Carolina, U.S.A.
49. Jess Sullivan, New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S.A.
50. Robert J. Zahradnik, Wharton, Texas, U.S.A.
51. Jerry Davis, Peachland, B.C., Canada
52. Joe Felix, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
53. Dan Guenter, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
54. Andre Fabri, Richmond, B.C., Canada
55. Mike Swihart, Westland, Michigan, U.S.A.
56. Judy Fruth, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.A.
57. Nathan Hall, Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.A.
58. Rachel Stockton, Nether Langwith, England
59. Alex Barbu, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.
60. Sajjan Sureka, Bhubaneswar, India
61. Earl A. Lemings, Haysville, Kansas, U.S.A.
62. Viktor Kostic, Srbija
63. Paul Wilson, New Zealand
64. Rose Hall, Texas, U.S.A.
65. Thomas Boucher, Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A.
66. Mohamed Ayman Mohamed, Cairo, Egypt
67. Val Vasilev, Woburn, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
68. Joel Finnell, Etowah, Tennessee, U.S.A.
69. Amr Idrees, Khartoum, Sudan
70. Huzefa Reshamwala, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
71. John Mathews, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
72. Bob Bash, Lesotho
73. Guyot Jean-Maxime, Paris, France
74. Gunnar M. Kennedy, Terrigal, NSW Australia
75. Victor Ubando, Marikina City, Philippines
76. James Smith, New York, U.S.A.
77. Dan Nagle, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
78. Nic Mertes, Rochester, New York, U.S.A.
79. Maria Holt, Belleville, Illinois, U.S.A.
80. Peter Kirchgessner, Mainz, Germany
81. Lava Raj Timsina, Biratnagar, Nepal
82. Jim McNamara, Hatfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
83. Ashley Phillips, Cape St. George, Newfoundland, Canada
84. Jason “Phaux” Ness, Escanaba, Michigan, U.S.A.
85. Stephen Ness, Bozeman, Montana, U.S.A.
86. Freeman Wattam, Deseronto, Ontario, Canada
87. Tina Braeuer, Berlin, Germany
88. Ricardo Flores, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
89. Thomas Aho, Dubendorf, Switzerland
90. Vesela Popova, Sofia, Bulgaria
91. Donald C. Doute, Lima, Ohio, U.S.A.
92. Benny Jonsson, Sweden
93. Michael Emmerik, Holland
94. Paschal Mutegaya, Bukoba, Tanzania
95. Ding Pangan, Manila, Philippines
96. Anmol Sharma, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
97. Abhinav Sood, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
98. Chandni Verma, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
99. Milanjot Singh, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
100. Al Hunt, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
101. John Smith, Leavenworth, Washington, U.S.A.
102. Mark Hurwit, Santa Cruz, California, U.S.A.
103. Tammera Gunning, Irving, Texas, U.S.A.
104. Jumal Khan, San Jose, California, U.S.A.
105. Tobey Maningat, Manila, Philippines
106. Truong Khang Phuc, Vietnam
107. Carsten Eiberg, Horsholm, Denmark
108. Noemi Colonia, Manila, Philippines
109. Vladimir Pinjuh, Vienna, Austria
110. Sam McClellan, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.A.
111. John Curry, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A.
112. Scott Kim, Paramus, New Jersey, U.S.A.
113. Wayne Tulli, Grantville, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
114. Sergio Emir Wiguna, Jakarta, Indonesia
115. Pablo Quintana, Buenos Aires, Argentina
116. Liwei Chen, Tampa, Florida, U.S.A.
117. Izmir Tolga, Istanbul, Turkey
118. Melek Sirin Tolga, Istanbul, Turkey
119. Devin Murphy, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
120. Arif H. Khan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
121. Indrajit Ganguly, Kolkata, India
122. Ajith Kumar, Kerala, India
123. Dave Hoyland, Nottingham, United Kingdom
124. Elsa Carpenter-Frank, South Africa
125. Jack (John) Mozena, Kentucky, United States
126. Sendthilvel Balakrishnan, Pune, India
127. Andrew Harman, Saanichton, B.C., Canada
128. Ari Rylief, Semarang, Indonesia
129. John Whiting, Rindge, New Hampshire, U.S.A.
130. Mohammad Khasawneh, Jordan
131. Marg Jones, River John, Nova Scotia, Canada
132. Ian Ward, Adelaide, Australia
133. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Auckland, New Zealand
134. Michelle M. Bennett, Indiana, U.S.A.
135. Janet Henderson, Seagoville, Texas, U.S.A.
136. Benjamin Henderson, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Phrase, Cliché & Expression Additions/Corrections

1. "Jig Is Up, the":  Thanks to Wilbur R. Johnson, Redwood City, California, for an alternative origin.

2. "Cock and Bull Story":  Thanks to Dave Evans, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China for a much better "Cock and Bull" alternative origin - goes well with all the bull around this site!

3. "On cloud 9":  Thanks to Phil Sawyer for his detailed background for someone who is 'On cloud 9', without a care in the world - sounds like the Joe-kster going on another 'Too Weak' Promo Tour!

4. "In the doghouse":  Jim Younger sends us a brakeman's explanation for this familiar expression!

5A. "Sleep tight":  Brian Morrill questions the origin of "Sleep tight" as referring to beds in children's stories - a misleading metaphor - in excellent detail!

5B. "Sleep tight":  Thanks to Patrick Thrush's alternative, derived from the Settlement Era of the Westward Expansion - also in excellent detail!

6. "Wrong end of the stick":  Robert Day sends the Roman origin for this phrase, dating from the days of communal toilets... visions of someone deep in conversation not looking at the stick being passed to them - a real bum deal!

7. "Pot calling the kettle black":  Elli Coates brings to our attention this phrase - used to to criticize someone even though you do it, like being a hypocrite!

8. "Zigged when he should have zagged":  Sarit Segal sends us his idea of the origin of this phrase: "Origin: 'catch 22' - military airplane accident: they flew in a structure and he crashed because he zigged when he should have zagged."

9. "A little bird told me":  "'I am a grade 9 music teacher and one of my students suggested the following: The phrase "a little bird told me" could have come from Pope Gregory's alleged dictation of the chant melodies from a dove that landed on his shoulder." - from Ed Adams (teacher) & Nicholas Patterson, Newfield High School, Selden, New York.

10. "By hook or by crook":  "Origin: Relating to old forest laws of England, the sole right of common people to enter the forests without permission was for the removal of dead
wood from the ground or dead branches of the trees, in other words, as could be brought down by the use of the reaper's hook or a shepherd's crook." - from Katie Cutie.
Other phrases from Katie: "Achilles' heel", "In the bag", "Kangaroo court", "To feather one's nest", & "To knock (or beat) the tar out of".

11. "To know beans":  "Meaning: Usually used in the negative: one who doesn't know beans is appallingly ignorant or is wholly unacquainted with the subject under discussion.

Origin: Perhaps arose from some dispute over the cowpea, which, despite the name, is more nearly related to the bean than to the pea and which is often called either the black-eyed bean or the black-eyed pea. Perhaps came from Boston, where it would be a mark of the sheerest ignorance not to know that Boston baked beans, to be fit to eat, must be made of that variety of small white bean known as "pea bean." Perhaps arose from the British phrase, "to know how many beans make five" - a silly saying that probably got started several centuries ago by having children learn to count using beans. When a child got far enough advanced to know how many beans made five, he was very intelligent and well informed." - from Katie Cutie.

12. "Full as a tick":  "Full of food, stuffed, ready to pop." - from Barry Barnes.

13. "Get your dander up":  "Donder op!" in Dutch means: Get out of here! or Hop it! Of course we only say this after we burst into a sudden rage." - from Idske Mulder.

14. "Happy as a clam":  "A hand-held clam rake at the end of a pole is used to rake up clams from the mud and sand. They look something like a heavy-duty garden rake. I am an old clam digger from the south shore of Long Island, New York." - from Tom Romalewski.

15A. "Scape goat":  "This expression is based on a genetic defect that has now been purposely bred into some goats that we now call "fainting goats." The ones today are "collectible" pets for people who enjoy seeing them fall over when they are frightened. The genetic defect is in their fight or flight gene, which causes them to stiffen when they need to run. But shepherds and farmers, who recognized this as a defect, would keep one per herd for this purpose: When a predator like a wolf would threaten the flock, the rest would run off while the defective goat would fall over and get eaten, allowing the others a chance to Escape. Thus the Escape Goat or Scape Goat takes the fall." - from Di Oakley.

15B. "Scape goat":  "Scape goat is a Biblical reference from Leviticus 16:8-10 and refers to taking the blame for someone else; the scape goat symbolically bearing the sins of Israel and sent into the wilderness. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." - from Jeff Paynter.

16. "Well you're not missing much":  "Nothing to look at, nothing to really know, nothing great, kind of worthless." - from Gloria Knee.

17. "The Fifth Beatle":  "The Fifth Beatle moniker was not given to Brian Epstein by Murray the K, though Epstein is always in the list of deserving honorees (along with Pete Best, George Martin, and even Billy Preston, the only musician ever given individual credit on a Beatles disk). It was Murray who was dubbed the Fifth Beatle by George Harrison on the train ride from New York to the band's first concert in Washington D.C. Murray was the last in line as the group made its way through the train cars, and a cop tried to stop him from following. Harrison turned as said, "It's alright. He's the fifth Beatle." - from Peter Altschuler.

18. "In like Flynn":  "It's much more likely the origin comes from the 1888 poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, "Casey at the Bat." Flynn, as the poem goes, was hugging third when Casey came to bat. It was a sure thing that he would be in - although the poem ends with Casey striking out." - from Eric Ode.

19. "Axe To Grind":  "Axes were a commonplace weapon for soldiers, many centuries ago, and a man seen to be grinding the blade of his axe, demonstrated in the most visible way possible that he was cruising for some aggro....If a man had an axe to grind, it meant he had a resentment he was intending to manifest quite openly....he was spoiling - and preparing - for a fight, in no uncertain terms!" - from Alex Parker.

20. "Watched Pot Never Boils":  "While living in England, it was explained to me that tea should always be made with hot, but not boiling, water. One needed to pay close attention to the pot in order to heat it without boiling. This of course makes the meaning closer to "a stitch in time saves nine," a warning to take particular care with something." - from Carla Laureano.

21. "In A Nutshell":  "The Iliad in a nutshell. Pliny tells us that Cicero asserts that the whole Iliad was written on a piece of parchment which might be put into a nutshell. Lalanne describes, in his Curiosités Bibliographiques, an edition of Rochefoucault's Maxims, published by Didot in 1829, on pages one inch square, each page containing 26 lines, and each line 44 letters. Charles Toppan, of New York, engraved on a plate one-eighth of an inch square 12,000 letters. The Iliad contains 501,930 letters, and would therefore occupy 42 such plates engraved on both sides. Huet has proved by experiment that a parchment 27 by 21 centimètres would contain the entire Iliad, and such a parchment would go into a common-sized nut; but Mr. Toppan's engraving would get the whole Iliad into half that size. George P. Marsh says, in his Lectures, he has seen the entire Arabic Koran in a parchment roll four inches wide and half an inch in diameter. (See ILIAD.)  To lie in a nutshell. To be explained in a few words; to be capable of easy solution." - from From E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898, as requested by Norma Phillips.

22. "Pot Calling The Kettle Black":  "The pot calling the kettle black: Said of someone accusing another of faults similar to those committed by the accuser. The allusion is to the old household in which the copper kettle would be kept polished, while the iron pot would remain black. The kettle's bright side would reflect the pot. The pot, seeing its reflection, would thus see black, which would appear to be on the side of the kettle. The pot could then accuse the kettle of a fault it did not have." - Source: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 1870, revised by Adrian Room (Millennium Edition). - thanks to Jan Heirtzler.

23. "Bull Terrier vs. Porcupine: Quill He Make It?":  "Really funny but this is NOT a pitbull. We are dealing with misrepresentation in Breed Specific legislation all the time, and while I totally value the humour of your site (if we can't laugh we may as well be dead) the Bull Terrier owners of the
world would really appreciate it if you could re-label your picture?
"Bull Terrier vs Porcupine: Quill he make it?"
Bull Terrier is the name of this breed.... it is very far removed from the pitbulls. I actually know the person that owns this poor dog (bitch) and am happy to say with the help of a LOT of antibiotics - she made it through OK." - Source: How Bull Terriers Look Like In New Zealand. - thanks to Heidi Holland.

24. "It's a long road without a turn":  "Be kind to others or before too long they will have an opportunity to pay you back for your injustice." - thanks to Fred Pepper, Hamilton, Ontario.

25. "Don't poke the bear":  "Don't annoy someone who's already irritated; try not to aggravate someone who's easily angered."  "Man up" "To accept responsibility; to take ownership; to gather your courage." - from Pamela Walker, Head Keeper of The Zoo Crew, Matthews, NC, USA

26. "Tilting at windmills":  "The phrase "Tilting at windmills" or "battling windmills" comes from the book "Don Quixote de la Mancha" and refers to a scene where Don Quixote attacks windmills, mistaking them for giants." - thanks to Anna Platt, Portland, Oregon.

27. "Saved by the Bell":  "Regarding the phrases, "Saved by the Bell" , It came into use as a boxing term in the late 19th century, but had earlier origins from the 17th century. The term described being saved by ringing a bell attached to a coffin to help with the very real problem of people being buried alive (due to lack of medical understanding of unconsciousness, comas, seizures and other death-like states therefore people were erroneously pronounced dead). There were several patents in England and the USA for 'safety coffins' with the bells incorporated into the designs registered in the 19th century and up to as late as 1955. There was even a society to help with this problem, Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Dead. The term "Dead Ringer" is also associated with this idea." - thanks to Teresa Kappers-Wright.

28. "Ducks in a Row":  "I believe your origin for Ducks in a Row to be all out of whack. Contrary to popular belief this phrase has nothing to do with little yellow ducklings following their Mother duck all in a straight line. Landlubbers use the phrase to mean "get your business organized", but sailors know that this expression comes from the boatbuilding trade. Unbeknownst to a lot of people, a "duck" is a great big thing, bigger than your car that is so heavy that it has to be moved with a crane, and has jaws that open to make it a giant vise. The U.S. Navy (when building a new ship) lines up a number of ducks with a laser bean so that they are absolutely straight in a line; then the beginning piece of the new boat (the keel) is clamped in. The ducks hold the keel perfectly straight so the ship will be absolutely square athwart and fore-an-aft when it is being constructed. And so the first thing that is done in shipbuilding is to "get your ducks in a row". We have given the phrase a broader meaning, but its origins are nautical (Ref http://members.fortunecity.com/max233/)." - thanks to Byron Burson, Michigan.

29. "Burn The Candle At Both Ends":  "The expression "burning the candle at both ends" never made sense to me. How could you burn a candle at both ends? Always had an image of a candle kinda floating, while burning at both ends. Then I was reading an historical novel, set in pre-electricity times and they referred to a person working hard, burning the candle at both ends of the day. Meaning obviously up before dawn and to bed after sunset." - thanks to Roger Brown, Atascadero, California.

30. "Lord willin' and the Creek don't rise":  "Possible correction to your Cliches page. The phrase "Lord willin' and the Creek don't rise" doesn't refer to the Cree Indians, but to the Creek Indians. Cree is something of a misnomer for several tribes in the northern US and parts of Canada. Creek, however, is one of the Five Civilized Tribes, which includes Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole." - thanks to Nelson Butterworth, Tennessee.

31. "All of a sudden":  ""Sudden" came to us from Old French (OED), and its ultimate source is the Latin subire, meaning to come or go stealthily. It entered English in about 1300 as an adjective (spelled soden, sodeyne, sodein, swdan - the spelling wasn't established until after 1700). Beginning in the 1400s (OED) "sudden" was also used as an adverb, the way we use "suddenly" today. In the 1500s people began using "sudden" as a noun. A "sudden" was an unexpected occurrence. So people spoke of events that happened at, in, of, or upon "the sudden" or "a sudden." The historical progression of this phrase was "of the sudden" ... "of a sudden" ... "all of a sudden."
- "at the sodeyne" (1559) vs. "at a sudden" (1560)
- "in the Sodeyne" (1559) vs. "in a sodaine" (1560)
- "of the suddeyne" (1570) vs. "of a sodaine" (1596)
- "upon the soden" (1558) vs. "vpon a sodayne" (1565)
The use of "sudden" was extended to phrases that required the indefinite article "a," like these: "upon suche a sodeyn" (1572); "upon a very great sudden" (1575); and "with such a sodaine" (1582). "All of a sudden" first appeared in 1681." - thanks to Thanks to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), grammarphobia.com & Marie Glover.

32. "Swing the lead":  "To "Swing the lead" is correct as far as being lazy, however the phrase actually comes from the days of horse drawn wagons. The "lazy" horses would slow down just enough for the load to be carried by the adjacent horse. You can tell when a horse "swings lead" by the angle of the pull bar swings back when the lazy horse slows." - thanks to Matt McNeice, Saskatchewan, Canada.

33. Ship shape : "You list 'ship shape' and give an accurate definition of the origin, but did you know that the full phrase is more commonly, in England, 'ship-shape and Bristol-fashion' " - thanks to Lee Goddard, London, England.

34. "Room to swing a cat":  "Your explanation of "Room to swing a cat" is incorrect. The phrase has been traced back to the century before the cat o'nine tails was invented. The correct explanation appears to be in some doubt, but most likely DOES refer to an actual cat. Icky!" - thanks to Carolyn Grinberg.

35. "Zigged when he should have zagged":  "You cite "Catch 22" as the origin of the phrase "zigged when he should have zagged". Permit me to call your attention to the last four lines of Act I, Scene 2 of "The Desert Song", a hugely popular musical from 1926. (I have read that, but for a contract dispute, it--and not "The Jazz Singer"--would have been Warner Brothers' first "talkie" motion picture.) For information on the musical, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Desert_Song
Susan : Bennie, why didn't you zigzag and avoid the bullets?
Benjamin: I did zigzag--
Susan : Then how were you shot?
Benjamin: I must have zigged when I should have zagged!

I won't claim that this is the origin of the phrase, but it beats Joseph Heller (who published Catch 22 in 1961) by thirty-five years." - thanks to Chip Buckner, Overland Park, Kansas.  

36. "Spaghetti on the wall":  "I was hoping I would find: "spaghetti on the wall" in your wonderful list! Hope you can add it soon." - from Anne Patteet.

37. "Spaghetti on the wall":  "When I was a little girl and my Mother taught me how to make spaghetti I was told by her, and later reminded in my home economics class that "throwing spaghetti on the wall" is how you know spaghetti is fully cooked. If it sticks to the wall, you have cooked it long enough. If it does not stick, you need to cook it more. The real problem with this technique is that overcooked spaghetti sticks to the walls too! While I have only been taught this, and never read it in a book, I have seen numerous chefs reference this spaghetti trick." - from Tarean West.

38.  Put the hammer down: "Freight haulers have most always been paid based on how much freight they carried and how far they transported it; hence, speed became a priority. In the early days of using trucks, they would often run at full throttle in rural areas. Since those early trucks didn't have 'luxuries' such as cruise control, drivers would literally place the head of a large hammer atop the accelerator so they could rest their leg during the long drive."
Additions to Apple Of Your Eye, Bees Knees, Brownie Points, Burn The Candle At Both Ends, Cook One's Goose, Hell Bent For Leather, Keep It Under Your Hat, Keep Your Shirt On, Mind Your Ps And Qs, Sleep Tight - thanks to Shelia Clark, Colorado and Missouri.

39. On the wagon: “It in fact dates to Victorian times when prisoners where transported to the Old Bailey on a wagon. The officers guarding them would stop for a drink but the prisoners would have to stay on the wagon.” - thanks to Barry Maginn.

40. (Now the) “Cat's out of the bag”:  “Old time sailor expression meaning the 'cat o' nine tails' is out of its velvet bag and someone is going to be lasted to the mast and flogged.” - thanks to Russell Nilson.

41. “Snake Oil”:  “ 'Snake oil' came from Western imitations of Chinese arthritis medicine that was made from the rendered fat of certain types of sea snake. Modern tests indicate the Chinese stuff works but the western imitations of course were all bogus so Snake Oil came to meant any quack medicine.” - thanks to Steve Pitt, Canada.

42. “Break A Leg”:  “ The origin of the phrase “Break a Leg” came from the theater, as a wish of a good performance. The curtains would be lowered to signal the end of the show - this was the opportunity for the audience to clap. If the show was really good, the audience would want to see the actors again. This would result in the curtains being raised and lowered many times. The round wood pieces used in the bottom of the curtain were called “Legs” Hence if you performed well enough, you could “Break a Leg”. - thanks to Ken Friedkin, Junction City, Oregon.

43. “Sitting On The Throne”:  “The throne of the pope opened and stored his chamber pot in the Palazzo Piccolomini, Pienza, Italy. The pope was Pius II (no kidding, we saw this dual purpose throne last month...)”. - thanks to Jim Knoke, Valley Center, California.

44. “Straight And Narrow”:  This was formerly “strait and narrow”. “Strait” means narrow or confining, as in “strait jacket”, or a “Strait of Gibralter”. - thanks to David Wheat.

45. “To Have One's Cake and Eat It Too”:  Meaning: You can’t have it both ways - you must make a difficult choice between two options. Origin: From the fact that you can enjoy a cake by possessing it and not eating it, or by eating it and therefore no longer possessing it. One excludes the other.” - thanks to Colin Hedges, E. Wenatchee, Washington.

46. “Chew The Fat”:  This phrase refers to the processing and softening of hides by native Americans. This was the job of old women. Toothless old women would literally “chew the fat” off the inside of animal skins to make the hides soft and pliable. And, as the old women worked the hides, old did what old women will do - TALK, and “chew the fat”. - thanks to Sterling McCosh, Ephraim, Utah.

47. “Put English On It”:  Snooker was based on billiards, and does not pre-date it. It is thought to have been invented by British Army officers serving in India in the 19th Century. The game of snooker is played on a table with pockets (as is English Billiards). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_sports and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker”. - thanks to Jonathan Hartshorn, London, England.

48. Dead Ringer:  “Regarding your cliche page and the cliche Dead Ringer, although the origins you have are true they are not the true origin of this saying. Before we knew what a coma even was people that were thought to be dead were buried and then sometimes awakened. So when they buried them they put a rod into the ground with a string attached to a bell at the top of the rod. If the person awakened they rang they pulled the string and the bell rang at the top of the rod. There were always men on duty in the graveyard with shovels in case they ever heard a "Dead Ringer". They would shout out, "We have a Dead Ringer!" and dig them back up.” - thanks to Kurtis L. Bubier, Cedar Pines Park, California.

49. To Skylark:  “In the 18th and 19th centuries young boys were employed by the Royal Navy, like all boys they loved “larking about” often in the uppermost parts of the rigging of a sailing ship. The very highest sails were called “sky-sails” so by extension (and because of the coincidence of the bird’s name) they were said to “sky-lark”.” - thanks to Eric Petrie, Somerset, United Kingdom.

50. The Whole Nine Yards:  “The expression The Whole Nine Yards originated in the 2nd World War. The .50 caliber machine gun, that was fired by the door gunners, the tail gunners and the belly gunners on the big bomber planes, used ammunition that was linked together on 27 foot belts. Twenty seven feet = 9 yards, hence “I gave ’em the whole nine yards.” - thanks to Bill Tilley, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A.

51. Show A Leg:  “It is correct that civilian women, mostly wives of the sailors were allowed to take berth on sailing vessels. When the roving watch came around to wake up those that were to go on the next watch, he would say, "Show a leg." If the woman was in the bunk she would show a leg so the watch would not further rouse her. If the man was in the bunk, the watch would continue to rouse the sailor. - thanks to James Banks, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.

52. Counting Dukes:  “A way to choose a person for a game. Children place their fist outward to be counted by way of touching each fist in succession to a rhyme. The last fist touched is the one chosen to lead the game, or rather “it.” The term “dukes” comes from the slang for fist, as in “put up your dukes.” - thanks to John Stout, U.S.A.

53. Son Of A Gun:  “If the father was unknown... This is a very common error, and somewhat contested by “new grammarians,” but I’m still old school, and this is a clear case of the subjunctive mood. If, sets off the condition, so it should read, ‘If the father were unknown...’ ” - thanks to Kathryn Groobin, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.

54. To Skin A Cat:  “This refers to the phrase, “There is more than one way to skin a cat”. When I was a young fellow, 60 years ago, I learned the meaning of this saying from some old timers who were once mule drivers. They were called “Mule Skinners”. When bulldozers came along (ie Caterpillar), the operators were called “Cat Skinners”. The dozer could be operated either by use of foot pedals or hand levers. Therefore there was “More than one way to skin a cat” (ie Caterpillar) ” - thanks to Gary Weston, Yakima, Washington, U.S.A.

55. Hog Wash:  “My understanding was always that when one washed up after dinner, the plates were rinsed into a bucket and that “wash” was fed to the hogs.” - thanks to Ron Wright, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A.

56. The Proof Is In The Pudding:  “To the British, pudding means the same as dessert in the US.” Actually a pudding is a sub class of deserts. A pudding must contain fruit. A desert does not need to.” - thanks to Steve Isherwood, Derby, United Kingdom.

57. Saved By The Bell:  “The statements about the coffins with bells and “dead ringer” are based on modern myths. Emails with lots of made up explanations (such as putting threshing at the door to absorb water made it a “threshhold”) that are complete nonsense. Dead Ringer is a horse racing expression and has nothing to do with coffins.” - thanks to David Yeater, Santa Cruz, USA.