Rusty Saber: Rusty up to hanky panky with words

Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University.

Have you ever wondered about the origins of figures of speech we commonly use?

For instance, what is the meaning of "hanky panky," and where did it come from? One story says it can be traced back to 19th century England to con men operating games of chance. They would wave a handkerchief (aka hanky) in one hand to distract viewers from what the other hand was up to. Hence, hanky panky.

I am interested in the origins of these phrases, many of which are in Europe. A word of warning: some of the examples below may not be accurate. I will leave it up to you to decide which are which.

"Best foot forward'' is perplexing; most of our feet are mates. Shouldn't one be about the same as the other? The vanity of wealthy European men for several centuries was at the root of this one.

It seems that wealthy dandies took great pride in how their legs looked. They would stand in such a way to show off the leg they believed to be the most attractive.

Two European import phrases involve hair. First, let's analyze "let your hair down." In Paris during the Napoleonic era, fashionable ladies spent hours creating elaborate hairstyles before being seen in public. When they could stay at home they would let their hair down.

From the English legal system comes "pull the wool over one's eyes." Judges tried to outdo each other by wearing bigger and fancier wool wigs. To the amusement of lawyers, bulky wigs would often slip down over the eyes of judges. Ultimately, a lawyer able to trick a judge in court was said to have pulled the wool over his eyes.

From Ireland comes the "boycott." Named for one Capt. Charles C. Boycott who, during the potato famine, managed several estates. So harsh was he in his dealings with those who worked the land that local merchants refused to do business with Boycott. The success of the action caused the name to catch on.

It is difficult to find the definitive source of "golf." Tracking down the meaning often leads to the notation: "source unknown." Webb Garrison in the book "Why You Say It," claims that in Scotland during the 1500s, "golf" may have been slang for "stroke with the hand."

Another possibility is thought by many to be the real source. When golf was first invented, men didn't want women encroaching on their game. The story goes that golf was an acronym. Warning signs were posted: "Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden."

Everyone who has been "called on the carpet" to receive a reprimand might be interested to know that there was a time when the boss' office would be the only carpeted spot in a plant. So, when the boss called employees to be scolded, the employee was said to have been called on the carpet.

When something is completely done in, it is "dead as a doornail." You may ask, "What is a doornail?" Long before the invention of doorbells, visitors would pound with a knocker on a metal plate nailed to the door. At some point, the nails were driven so far into the door that they were dead doornails.

Finally, in Victorian England it was believed that nine was a reverent number because it was three times the Holy Trinity. This may explain the meanings of being "on cloud nine" and "dressed to the nines."

I can "read the handwriting on the wall." It's time to "face the music," "take the bull by the horns," "cut my losses" and "pull the plug" on this column.