DIDYA KNOW?


Why do dimes, quarters and half dollars have notched edges, while
pennies and nickels do not?

   The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing
   gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small
   quantities of the precious metals.  Dimes, quarters and half
   dollars are notched because they used to contain silver.  Pennies
   and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not
   valuable enough to shave.



Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes
have buttons on the left?

   When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn
   primarily by the rich.  Because wealthy women were dressed by
   maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right. Since most
   people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right
   through holes on the left.  And that's where women's buttons have
   remained.



Why do Xs at the end of a letter signify kisses?

   In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write.
   Documents were often signed using an X.

   Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified
   in the document.  The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.



Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called "passing the
buck"?

   In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a
   buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal.
   If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility, he would
   pass the buck" to the next player.



Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?

   It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by
   offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink
   was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount
   of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it
   simultaneously.  When a guest trusted his host, he would then
   touch -- or clink -- the host's glass with his own.



Why are people in the public eye said to be "in the limelight"?

   Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage
   lighting by burning a cylinder of lime in an oxyhydrogen flame
   that produced a brilliant light.  In the theater, performers on
   stage in the ''limelight" were seen by the audience to be the
   center of attention.



Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use "mayday" as their call for
help?

   This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning "help me" - and
   is pronounced "mayday." (Note: not exactly.... it's pronounced
   "med-ay", but close enough)



Why is someone who is feeling great "on cloud nine"?

   Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they
   attain, with nine being the highest cloud.  If someone is said to
   be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly
   cares.



Why are zero scores in tennis called "love"?

   In France, where tennis first became popular, a big, round zero on
   the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called l'oeuf, which is
   French for "egg".  When tennis was introduced in the US, Americans
   pronounced it "love,"



Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?

   Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense,
   orange clay called pygg.  When people saved coins in jars made of
   this clay, the jars became know as "pygg banks".  When an English
   potter misunderstood the word, he made a bank that resembled a
   pig.  And it caught on here!