Someone asked at a party what the difference was between ale and lager. In the process of surfing the web for an answer I came across this bit of trivia about how words/came about related to beer and thought I would pass it on for what ever it is worth.
Honeymoon --- In Babylonia 4,000 years ago for a month after the wedding, the bride"s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink (a honey beer), and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month" - or what we know today as the "honeymoon".
Rule of thumb --- Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn"t grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase "rule of thumb".
Mind your P's and Q's ---- In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It"s where we get the phrase "mind your P"s and Q"s".
Berserk ---- After consuming a bucket or two of vibrant brew they called aul, or ale, the Vikings would head fearlessly into battle often without armor or even shirts. In fact, the term "berserk" means "bare shirt" in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of their wild battles.
Grog and groggy --- In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water down the navy"s rum. Needless to say, the sailors weren"t too pleased and called Admiral Vernon, Old Grog, after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term "grog" soon began to mean the watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were "groggy", a word still in use today.
Wet your whistle --- Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle", is the phrase inspired by this practice.
Honeymoon --- In Babylonia 4,000 years ago for a month after the wedding, the bride"s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink (a honey beer), and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the "honey month" - or what we know today as the "honeymoon".
Rule of thumb --- Before thermometers were invented, brewers would dip a thumb or finger into the mix to find the right temperature for adding yeast. Too cold, and the yeast wouldn"t grow. Too hot, and the yeast would die. This thumb in the beer is where we get the phrase "rule of thumb".
Mind your P's and Q's ---- In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It"s where we get the phrase "mind your P"s and Q"s".
Berserk ---- After consuming a bucket or two of vibrant brew they called aul, or ale, the Vikings would head fearlessly into battle often without armor or even shirts. In fact, the term "berserk" means "bare shirt" in Norse, and eventually took on the meaning of their wild battles.
Grog and groggy --- In 1740 Admiral Vernon of the British fleet decided to water down the navy"s rum. Needless to say, the sailors weren"t too pleased and called Admiral Vernon, Old Grog, after the stiff wool grogram coats he wore. The term "grog" soon began to mean the watered down drink itself. When you were drunk on this grog, you were "groggy", a word still in use today.
Wet your whistle --- Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle", is the phrase inspired by this practice.
