| Olivecrox | Дата: Воскресенье, 06.12.2015, 16:12 | Сообщение # 1 |
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| Spanish inquisition spoil something by economising on a small detail this was originally, from at least 1600, 'lose the sheep [often 'hog' - for a half-pennyworth of tar' - i.E. Let the animal die for want of spending a trivial sum on tar to protect its sores or wounds from infection by flies. 'Ship' was the dialect pronunciation of 'sheep' over much of england, and non-countryfolk obviously assumed that the expression referred to a ship, the assumption being reinforced by the reference to tar, which was widely used on wooden ships to coat and preserve the timbers. To complete this transformation of a rustic expression into a nautical-sounding one, the rather extravagant and unconvincing idea of 'losing' an entire ship for the sale of a small economy was changed to 'spoiling' and the now familiar version emerged in the mid-19th century. A person who is tarred with the same brush has the same faults as someone else being referred to. It is probable that this image also comes from the application of tar to animals, either for the purpose already described or to mark them out as members of the same flock.
And here's another truth!
Hang by a thread live from the old custom of hanging out a sign or some other indication of one's trade outside one's premises. See good wine needs no bush.
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