Summary

This article explores the origins of various historical expressions and customs, including women's button placement, handshakes, and hitchhiking signals, providing insight into their cultural significance.

Abstract

The text delves into the etymology and historical contexts of several interesting customs and phrases. It explains why women's clothing traditionally has buttons on the left side, a design choice stemming from the practicality for right-handed maids dressing their mistresses in the 13th century. The article also examines the origins of common expressions such as "Don't let the cat out of the bag," "Too many irons in the fire," and "Knock on wood," tracing them back to English market towns, blacksmithing practices, and Irish myths, respectively. Additionally, it discusses the historical reasons behind handshakes as a gesture of peace and the extension of the thumb in hitchhiking as a way to signal trustworthiness in the era of horse-drawn coaches. The author expresses a fascination with the unseen histories behind everyday actions and words, highlighting the importance of these symbols in shaping our interactions and understanding of the world.

Opinions

The author is intrigued by the origins of words, phrases, and customs, viewing them as an essential part of our daily lives.
There is an appreciation for the historical context that has shaped modern practices, such as the placement of buttons on women's garments.
The text suggests that understanding the etymology of expressions can be enriching, even if such knowledge may not be strictly necessary for everyday functioning.
The author seems to enjoy uncovering the sometimes quirky and deceptive backgrounds of common idioms, like the practice of substituting a cat for a piglet in market transactions.
The article implies that certain customs, like knocking on wood for good luck, have persisted over time due to their cultural and psychological significance.
It is noted that some gestures, such as the handshake, have origins in practical considerations of trust and safety in historical contexts.

Why are women’s buttons on the left-hand side ?

And other interesting things we don’t really need to know about — but would be cool anyway.

Photo by Honey Yanibel Minaya Cruz on Unsplash

Every day I see or hear something new. A word, a phrase. The name of a color that seems odd or unusual to me — like Puce.

I’m an etymology nut — I love reading about the origins of words and sayings. I like knowing why men’s buttons are on the right side of a shirt and women on the left.

I want to know why we shake hands? Why do we drive on the right-side of the road while the Brits drive on the left?

Who first started — Knocking on Wood for good luck and where did that come from?

We live in a world that is driven by words and symbols, that we understand, obey and would find very confusing if they suddenly left us. But where do they come from and how did we get so dependent on them?

Let’s start with some old Expressions

Don’t Let the Cat out of the Bag

Back in the day when most of what people needed to survive was sold in market towns throughout England, some vendors took cost savings to an extreme.

When ordering a piglet, Farmer John would place his order with Paul the pig vendor, who would go to the back of the stall to grab a piglet from a cage. Sometimes, to save few pennies, he’d grab a stray cat instead — throw it into a bag and sell it to the unsuspecting farmer. By the time Farmer John got home and discovered the trick, it was usually too late and too far, to return the cat. Thus, came the expression, when Letting the Cat out of the Bag, one was exposing the deceit and the person who did it.

Too Many Irons in the Fire

This expression came from blacksmithing. When the smithy had too many irons going in the same fire, trying to get through his day’s work quickly, the excess number of irons, tended to draw down the heat of the blaze, thus taking longer to do the work and sometimes requiring the smithy to start over. So, Too many Irons in the Fire, came to mean — Taking on too many tasks at once, thus reducing efficiency and sometimes quality as well.

Knock on Wood

In early Irish myths, spirits were believed to hide in the forests with some living inside trees. Spirits, like many others things, came in good and bad versions, but apparently the ones living in trees were generally considered to be on our side. So, when on an important task, or travelling through a forest and not wanting to meet any robbers along the way, a traveler would knock on a tree to awaken the spirit and ask a favor of them. A wish for safe travel and good rewards. Thus, today we Knock on Wood, when we need a little luck and want something to go our way.

Why Do We Do That Anyway?

Why do we shake hands?

Back in older times, when there was a lot of fighting going on among neighboring people … well, yeah, it’s still happening, but that’s another story. Back in the day when fighting with swords and knives was common place, men became very wary of other men — especially their hands. They really wanted to know if they were meeting face to face, what the other guy hand in his hand. So, since most men of the day, were right-handed, they would extend their right hands to reveal — nothing in them. Thus, came the habit of meeting someone by extending or shaking their hand.

Why do we extend a thumb to hitchhike?

Another one from Ole England. When horse-drawn coaches were de rigueur, passengers would travel with luggage and other valuables from town to town. Those that knew the routes of the coaches and were not inclined to work in factory or farm, sometimes became a highwayman and would rob the coaches. When caught, one of the punishments of such a profession was the loping off of one of their thumbs. Thus, the armed coachmen, being aware of the dangers before them, would ask a stranger on the side of the road looking for a ride — to first reveal their thumbs. When the hand came up, thumb pointing skyward — all was well and the habit continued into the present as the hitchhikers’ thumb.

Now, our last item for today, why are buttons on a women’s garment on the left-hand side.

Buttons came about in the 13th century and were like many other things back then, pretty expensive. So, wealthy women that could afford them on their dresses, usually had lady maids dressing them. Since most maids (like the aforementioned warriors) were right-handed, having the buttons on the left-side for women, made their jobs easier. And the fashion stuck.

Hope you enjoyed reading about words and expressions and where they came from. Thank you for stopping by, hope to see you again soon.