Although it is hard to believe now, at one time, medieval physicians believed that the secretions of a frog could cure a cough if they were coated on the throat of the patient.
That in itself sounds repulsive, but what makes the idea even worse is the application of the secretions.
Instead of painting the treatment [more…]
You’ve said it yourself – someone sneezes and you say, “God Bless You”, but do you know why?
There are several explanations for this saying which has become second-nature to so many.
Some say that during the sixth century it was a congratulatory statement as a sneeze was thought to expel evil spirits.
Some cultures believed that [more…]
Big is one of the mystery words of English etymology, extremely common but of highly dubious origin.
In its earliest use in English it meant ‘powerful’ or ‘strong’ and it was not until the 16th century that it took on the meaning of ‘large’.
It occurred originally in northern English texts, only slowly spreading south, [more…]
W C Fields famous utterance, ‘Never give a sucker an even break’ has its origins at the dog race track.
Dog owners, betting on the speed of their hounds when chasing the hare, had to make sure they started at exactly the same time, that they had an even break.
Even break came to refer to [more…]
If someone’s behaviour is described as being beyond the pale, it is deemed unacceptable – they have overstepped the mark of good manners or decency.
A pale was a wooden stake (think of palings) and the word extended its meaning to ‘an enclosed area’ or ‘an area designated to a particular authority’, such as a [more…]
Bedlam is a state of chaos or uproar but its original meaning was an insane asylum.
Bedlam is derived from the word Bethlehem as taken from the Hospital of St Mary of Bethlehem located outside Bishopsgate, in the City of London. The hospital was established in approximately 1330 as an attachment to the priory, established [more…]
From Colossus Inklings No.121
We published reader Peter Robinson’s letter about the King Canute story in Colossus 121’s Puzzle Postbox. Here are three legends of British kings, which may be true or not.
King Canute sat on the beach and ordered the waves to turn back and leave his feet dry. As Canute knew would happen, [more…]
I have just received a cheque for $100 as one of the winners for the Baffler puzzle and am so thrilled!
I’ve subscribed to your publications for at least 8 years and enjoy each and every issue. The Baffler is definitely a fun challenge – needing answers for authors, plays, books, geography, history and [more…]
My pastimes, which I think are beaut,
Puzzles are my main pursuit
Every day with pen in hand
A cryptic sits there in demand
Solving smartens up my brain
Then off I go to catch a train
To make a buck and earn my keep
Then hope to eat, relax and sleep
Another day, another quest
I cant decide which are the best
Sudokus, [more…]
