This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected.
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Doug Lucas, clinical lead of hormone optimization and longevity at LifeMD, along with other leading experts on the podcast. Here's something good on women's health and longevity. To learn more, go to lifemd.com slash iHeart. And we continue with our American stories. Up next, we continue with our recurring series about the curious origins of everyday sayings.
Here to join us again is Andrew Thompson as he continues to share another slice from his ultimate guide to understanding the stories, the mysteries. of the English language. Take it away, Andrew. To take the cake means to achieve something or to do something outrageous. and it began with the days of slavery in America in the nineteenth century.
At parties held by wealthy white landowners, it was a tradition for married slaves to walk in a procession around a cake in a form of competition. the slaves would be judged, and the couple who were considered the most grateful would get to take the cake as a prize. That's also the origin of the expression cake walk and piece of cake. both of which meant something easily accomplished, as while these tasks were demeaning, the competition required little effort. To be taken aback means to be startled or surprised by a sudden change, and it relates to sailing.
Aback means facing towards the rear, and the sails of ships are said to be aback when the wind flattens them against the supporting mast. A sudden wind change can slow a ship down and in some cases drive it backwards.
So if such a wind change took place causing a sailing ship to turn unexpectedly in the wind, the ship would be said to have been taken aback. To be taken with a pinch of salt means to take something with a healthy dose of suspicion or caution. That's also normally said with taken as a grain of salt. and it began in ancient Rome with the philosopher Pliny the Elder. He wrote in his book Naturalis Historian in AD seventy seven.
a story that the king had built up his immunity to poison by regularly ingesting small doses of a certain recipe. which was various ingredients that tasted disgusting, but he added that you should add a grain of salt to make the mixture more palatable and easier to swallow. It's not then null when the expression changed to mean what it does today. Talking turkey means to speak frankly and plainly. and it began in colonial times when the European settlers encountered the Native American Indians.
Wild turkeys lived among the Indians and were soon considered a high delicacy, and were often put up for barter. The bargaining for turkeys that took place on a daily basis became known as talking turkey. and it then became known to mean any serious discussion. To be tarred with the same brush means to have the same faults or bad qualities. and it's often used in a derogatory sense.
when saying tart with the same brush, It began with early sheep farming. It was common for a number of sheep within a flock to develop sores from time to time, and they were usually treated by coating them with tar. which was applied to the brush. The same brush was used on every sheep with an infection, but it was important never to use it on a healthy sheep. or that animal would get contaminated.
This way it was only the infected sheep that were tarred with the same brush. To say that's just the ticket means that something is exactly right or exactly what is needed. and it began in the early twentieth century when tickets were distributed to the poor to provide them with essential items such as food and clothing. The tickets were specific to the goods being sought, and would be exchanged with shopkeepers, who were known to say That's just the ticket when the person produced the correct one. To give someone the third degree means to give them an intensive questioning or interrogation.
and it comes from the Freemasons, a centuries-old fraternal organisation in Britain. The Masonic Lodges. There were three degrees of membership. The first was known as Entered Apprentice, the second is Fellow Craft, and the third is Master Mason. As the third degree is far more challenging than the first two, The candidate is subjected to rigorous questioning and examinations before he receives the third degree of Master Mason.
By the 19th century, the third degree had come to mean any kind of interrogation. If you say someone is three sheets to the wind, you mean they're very drunk. and it's a phrase that has nautical origins. Originally three sheets in the wind, the phrase relates to the sails of tall ships. These sails are controlled by ropes known as sheets, which are fixed to the lower corners of the sails to hold them in place relative to the wind.
If the sheets break or come loose, The sheets are said to be to the wind. If three sheets are loose, the sails will flap wildly about, so having three sheets to the wind will result in the boat becoming completely out of control. much like a stumbling drunk might be. To throw down the gauntlet means to challenge someone, and it drives from medieval times. A gauntlet was a glove that formed part of a knight's suit of armour, and it was usually covered with steel plates which aided in protection.
If a dispute arose and a knight wanted to challenge some one to combat, he would throw down his metal gauntlet as a sign that he wanted a duel. Then if his opponent accepted the challenge, the opponent would pick up the gauntlet and the fight would begin. Taking up the gauntlet has since been used for accepting a challenge. Mm-hmm. To throw your hat into the ring means to take up a challenge or give a signal of an intention to join something.
and it has its origins with boxing. In the early eighteen hundreds prize fighters would tour the country in box at travelling fairs. They offered to take on all comers, and gave local men a chance to win money if they could last the distance or beat them. Anyone who fancied their chances in a bout against these professionals would throw his hat into the ring. The hats were placed in a pile by the referee and then shown to the crowd, in turn, as an invitation for the owner to come up and fight.
To tide you over means to supply someone with something they need for a short period. and it has its origins with the sea and as the phrase suggests, the tide. In the absence of any wind to propel a ship via its sails, captains would use the tide to move the ship. The rising tide would also use to lift a ship over a threatening obstacle such as a reef or a sandbar. The expression was first used by the British Captain John Smith as early as sixteen twenty seven, and it was used figuratively by the early eighteen hundreds.
Uh And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Andrew Thompson. The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings. A terrific read. Go to Amazon and the usual suspects to pick it up.
You won't put it down. And it's amazing. We were just commenting together how many of these have nautical origins. And of course, love the third degree. Being that final stage Mason, the grilling you get, or the final stage of almost anything in any elite institution is rough.
Thus, the third degree, and my goodness, three sheets to the wind, now makes complete sense to me. The story of the curious origins of everyday sayings, the sayings we use all the time. Here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to Our American Stories on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, or wherever you get our podcasts. Any story you missed or want to hear again can be found there daily.
Again, Please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, or anywhere you get your podcasts. It helps us keep these great American stories coming. Spending time outdoors, then let's talk about skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common cancers in the U.S. and can become harder to treat if left undetected.
That's why sun protection and timely detection matter. Our sponsor, Regeneron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCs. Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's get real about skincancer.com. Upgrade to Elite Checking from America's Christian Credit Union and earn up to 4% APY, plus everyday perks and access to your paycheck up to 2 days early with early pay. Don't settle.
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