It's the little things

Today I walked where Shakespeare walked. I was in his home, I learned about how he lived. I would never have wanted to have lived in that time but I am grateful to be able to see where he was born and lived and learned and died. Although I am a wimp and could never have lived without the comforts that I know today, there is one thing that I wish. As I stood in the gardens where Shakespeare's last house once stood (and should still be standing, but some people are beyond idiots) I found myself wishing that I could be back in his time, just for a few moments so that I could experience the world without the noise that we know today. We are constantly humming and I would love to hear the true stillness that could only be experienced in a time before cars and planes and the hum of electric power. I would love to hear that quiet. But here I am, in his place, where he walked and privileged to witness one of the works of his hands performed around a couple of corners from where he was born. I was called a pilgrim by one of the tour guides we encountered today and that was interesting to roll around in my head. This next stage of my England adventure is rapidly becoming about words. I know that I have written about words many times before but, what can I say, words are what make life worth living.

I think that in many ways it will be the little things that I carry away from this trip that will carry me and enrich my life and the life of my family. The one thing that has been the most fun for me is the origins of words that I have used all of my life but never understood until I saw them in context.

Here is a list of some of the words/phrases that have been most exciting for me to come to an understanding of while on this trip.

Crestfallen - I have read and used this word all of my life, I have even read it in the play Richard II but until I saw it used on stage, I did not realize what it meant. When the loser of a duel of lances falls from his horse, his crest has fallen. He is crestfallen. Cool, huh?

Good night, sleep tight - I have said this to my children a million times over the years but I now know that to sleep tight is to sleep with the ropes of one's beds pulled taut. And if those ropes go slack during the night, a bad night's sleep is inevitable.

Bonfire - Every twenty years, back in the day, they would dig up the cemeteries and burn the bones of the old dead to make room for the newer dead. This was called a "bone fire", it has now become the word bonfire that we use today.

Raining cats and dogs - back in the day, they would place small dogs (terriers) and cats up on the thatch of a house as a way to keep the critter population down. But thatch is slick. Very slick. So when the rain began, those animals began falling off of the roof...thus...raining cats and dogs...

I would love to hear from you. What word/phrase origin is your favorite?