Random Thursday

Time to wrap up the Politics and History chapter in The Little Book of Answers by Doug Lennox! Time to read the last few factoids that tie into politics or history!

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

We say someone has been "nailed" when they get caught in a dishonest or criminal act. This is because in the early days of crime and punishment, the punishments were far more barbaric then they are now. One of these "deterrents" would be to nail a convicted criminal's ears to the hangman's scaffold and spend the entire day there to deter people from whatever crime was committed. That criminal was thus "nailed."

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

Executions were held at sunrise, in the early prehistoric times, for the condemned would be executed in sacrificial ceremonies. When the Middle Ages came around, executions were still popular and were held early in the morning as to hope that would draw less of a crowd. But the 20th century was when executions were finally held inside because of their popularity, by holding them inside there was less room for the huge crowds.

It's weird that people were so drawn to these for entertainment purposes.

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

The origin of the phrase, "I'll be hanged if I do and hanged if I don't" came from the British poet, John Thelwall. Thelwall was arrested after making King George very angry with his liberal support for the colonies. It's said that while in prison, he wrote to his lawyer that he would be hanged if he doesn't plead his case and his lawyer replied that "you'll be hanged if you do!"

(image borrowed from Pinterest)

Important issues are considered "burning questions" of the day and it got that name back in the time when the church and the state were equal in government. Anyone who failed to follow the state religion was burned at the stake. Anyone who thought that the state and religion should be separated were considered heretics and if you were caught discussing the issue you would be...burned at the stake! Because of all this it became the "burning question" to secretly debate about religious freedom.

And that's why you're damned if you do and damned if you don't! Possibly. I think I'm using that right! LOL!

(imaged borrowed from Wikipedia)

When someone betrays another, it's said that he sold him down the river! This saying comes from around 1808 when it was illegal for southerners to import slaves, so northerners basically sold their "troublesome" slaves down the river to the south where the overall environment was harsher.

I can totally see how they got that saying.

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

"The die is cast" is something we say when there's basically, no turning back. This was originally said by Julius Caesar in 49 BC. He said this when contemplating crossing the Rubicon River into Italy. It would essentially break Roman law and start a civil war. The saying basically means that once you make an action, the outcome lies with fate.

Interesting. Caesar gave us a lot to think about in his short time.