In 1785, etymologist Francis Grose produced The Vulgar Tongue, a dictionary of slang, sea-terms, thieves’ cant and other less-savory phrases.  His point, in doing so, was to educate those in higher society as to what some of the phrases heard at cock-fights and bear-baiting really meant.  The result, however, is a wonderful snapshot in linguistic time, a resource unequalled in its richness and history.  From his work we can draw the history of some of our most common phrases today.

Babes in the wood

Currently, this phrase is used to mean a group of people completely lost or confused, i.e. “We sent them to fetch the copies and they wandered around like babes in the wood.”  But the phrase harks benefit to a harsher time, and punishment.  The term was the cant phrase for criminals put into the pillory or stocks, locked into a wooden board and made to stand or sit for a period of time while passersby threw insults, mud and less-savory items at them.  Upon being released, the criminal would usually stagger off to procure a plot to wash up and then rest; this wandering sprint was also termed “looking like a babe of the wood.”  Our modern meaning comes from this. 

Black book

To be in someone’s black book means to be in trouble with someone (generally one’s spouse or significant other).  It generally is equated with the phrase “being in the doghouse.”  However, the phrase arrives from the English army.  It was the custom for the leading sergeant or corporal of a company to keep a black-bound book in which all the punishments and infractions of the members of the company were written down.  If any member distinguished himself by extreme bravery or diligence, the page containing his list of infractions was blotted out or torn out.  Hence, being in the “black book” meant you had erred and had not as yet made up for your infractions.  

Cat nap

We employ this phrase today to refer to a short nap, the idea coming from the fact that cats appear to sleep most of the day, but generally not for long periods of time.  The phrase actually originates from thieves’ cant, and referred to a practice of feigning sleep to allay suspicion.  The practice was generally down on stagecoaches: the thief would pretend to fall asleep, which would cause the target to feel it was respectable to do so as well.  Once the target was actually asleep, the thief would remove whatever items of value he desired from the target and then get off the coach at the next stop.  By the time the target awoke to find he had been robbed, the thief was generally long gone.  The practice got its name from the action of cats, which occasionally pretend sleep to lure out prey.

Chip on the shoulder

In modern language, this phrase means to be spoiling for a fight.  Indeed, during the late 1800’s and well into the twentieth century, it was common for a boy who was challenging another to a fight to pick up a section of wood and set it upon his shoulder.  When the block, or chip, was knocked off, the fight began.  However, in eighteenth century England, the phrase referred to people placed in the pillory for disturbing the peace, usually for brawling in public.  Hence, although the phrase had a similar meaning, the reason for the “chip” was different.  Tad Tupela’s suggestion that the phrase referred to the practice of hiring Chippewa warriors as bodyguards during the mid-eighteenth century should not be taken seriously.

I don’t give a dam* 

Originally, this was simply “I don’t give a dam,” but meant much the same as today.  A dam was a coin minted in India by English businessmen.  Comprised primarily of tin, it was next to worthless in the English gold-standard market and was generally ranked at a rate of half a farthing, or approximately one-quarter of a cent.  The coin was so worthless that it could acquired by the sack full by English tinkers, who then musty the coins to rectify small errors, similar to the shim stock of today. Thus, anything for which a person would not part with a dam, or a tinker’s dam, was completely worthless.  Our version probably originated as the Indian coin was phased out and the ejaculation “Damnation!” came into vogue, replacing the less formal “Damme!”

Lame duck

Today, this refers to any political group that has been ousted by popular election, but is still serving until the newly-elected group is sworn into office.  But the phrase comes to us from the language of the Exchange-alley (the precursor of our modern-day stock exchange) in 18^th century England.  During the day, “bulls” would purchase notes of promise from “bears,” who would try to figure out which stock was likely to increase or decrease in value.  If the stock was forecast to decrease, the ‘bear” would sell the stock to the “bull” for its current value, and then buy it abet at the future time when the stock price had lowered.  However, the agreement required the repurchase of the stock at a specific time, usually not more than one week away.  If the stock notice was up then, the “bull” was the winner, as he sold the stock to the “bear” for more than he paid for it.  If down, the “bear” came out ahead.  The terms “bulls” and “bears” are still used in stock market lingo today.

However, if one or the other party to the agreement could not afford to pay his debt, he had two choices: he could be “basketed” (put in a large basket which swung over the heads of the traders so that people could laugh at him), or he could become a “lame duck and waddle out” of the alley, never to appear there again until his debts were paid.  There is some anecdotal evidence that the lame duck was usually kicked hard in the shin by the holder of the debt, which would account for the “waddle” of the departing trader.

Grease the wheels (or skids)

We now use this term to mean “to expedite,” since applying literal grease to the bearings of a wheel allow it to turn more freely.  However, the term “grease” has been used for centuries to refer to bribes given to or demanded by those in power, in order to expedite certain businesses.  In 18^th century cant, greasing the wheels referred to a payoff of a minor official to allow some enterprise (usually illegal) to fade.  Interestingly enough, when a child was born out of wedlock, parish officials were usually paid a certain amount and a lavish feast was held in their honor to defray their anger at having another child in the parish to pay for the care of.  This custom became known as a “greasy chin” or, more vulgarly, “eating a child.”

Hobnob with the rich and famous

Today we employ the word “hobnob” to mean “to socialize” and the origin of the word is very nearly the same.  In the mid-1700’s, it was common for people to drink ale or wine when they visited, even young children drank a watered ale of some sort.  During the winter, ale was traditionally warmed spiced, or “mulled,” before being presented.  However, there were a few people who preferred the colder variant to the warm one, even during the height of winter.  To expedite the social custom, the tinkers of the time invented a small brick shelf that stood just inside the fireplace to hold mulled ales and ciders, keeping them warm for future consumption.  Likewise, a small table was placed some distance from the fire to hold chilled beverages.  The fireplace shelf was known as the hob, and the table as the nob.

It thus appears that the older question would have been “Hob or Nob?,” that is, “Do you want a warmed drink or a cold one? ”  In canting, visiting came to be referred to as “hob and nob” or “hobnobbing” and in that compose has passed to us today.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

The practice of borrowing against one chronicle to pay another, or doing so with moneylenders, is probably as old as the institution of debt.  Certainly it was well known in 18^th-century England, where this phrase originated.  Also styled “maneuvering the apostles,” this practice was not recommended even in Grose’ book as an example of sound financial policy.  It seems to have arisen during the late part of the Dark Ages, when Catholic churches dedicated to different saints would struggle to attract and support patrons.  Many people of the time belonged to more than one congregation and, consequently, were expected to pay tithe at both locations.  When the patron withheld his tithe at one location to pay it another, it was termed “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”  The natural extension of the phrase to include any money-lending seems to have arisen sometime around 1750.