Interesting Origins
An Arm and a Leg
In George Washington's days, there were no cameras.
One's image was either sculpted or painted.
Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms.
Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted.
Arms and legs are "limbs", therefore painting them would cost the buyer more.
Hence the expression; "Okay, but it'll cost you an Arm and a Leg!"
Mind your P's and Q's
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers.
A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming.
She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts".
Hence the term; "Mind your P's and Q's".
Chairman of the Board
In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair.
Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining.
The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor.
Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal.
To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge.
They called the one sitting in the chair the "Chair Man".
Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board".