I love learning about the origin of words and phrases. But sometimes you just have to make things up:<\/p>\n
1) In the first draft of Charles Dickens\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol,\u201d Ebenezer Scrooge said \u201cBach! Humbug!\u201d (Dickens despised Bach\u2019s Christmas Oratorio.) But Dickens\u2019 editor was worried about lawsuits and changed it to \u201cBah! Humbug!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 2) The second chair bass player of a now defunct symphony orchestra fantasized about playing first chair bass and marrying the principal bass player\u2019s wife. When pulling strings didn\u2019t work, he tried a different technique \u2014 poison. And that\u2019s how he \u201cgot to first bass.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 3) In the early days of Broadway theater, actors had a bad habit of showing up for rehearsals dead drunk. Frustrated directors finally struck a deal with Actors\u2019 Equity, which required actors to arrive at dress rehearsals sober. These final run-throughs were designated \u201cdry runs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n 4) \u201cYour Number\u2019s Up\u201d<\/em> is a prize-winning tale about a society that murders its citizens on their 86th birthdays. The story climaxes with a revolt by the elderly, who \u201c86\u2033<\/em> their would-be killers.<\/p>\n 5) Philosopher Ren\u00e9 Descartes was a boating fanatic with a speech defect. This led him to be credited with saying \u201cJe pense, donc je suis\u201d (\u201cI think, therefore I am.\u201d<\/em>) Alas, what he really said was \u201cJe punt, donc je suis.\u201d But people were so impressed with what they thought he\u2019d said, that he never bothered to correct them. This paid off in dividends, allowing him to purchase more than a dozen shallow water punts.<\/p>\n 6) When people are \u201cdown in the dumps,\u201d<\/em>
\nThey\u2019ve been saddened by life\u2019s little bumps.
\nBut that phrase\u2019s first sense
\n(Please do NOT take offense)
\nWas \u201cplunged in what comes from our rumps.\u201d<\/p>\n