AOL Email >  > >Our history lesson for the day. >> >> >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why do  men's clothes have buttons on the right while  women's clothes have buttons on the  left? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: When buttons  were invented, they were very expensive and worn  primarily by the rich. Since most people are  right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on  the right through holes on the left. Because  wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers  put the buttons on the maid's right!  And  that's where women's buttons have remained  since. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why do ships  and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for  help? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: This comes from  the French word m'aidez -meaning 'help me' --  and is pronounced, approximately,  'mayday.' >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why are zero  scores in tennis called  'love'? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: In France ,  where tennis became popular, round zero on the  scoreboard looked like an egg and was called  'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis  was introduced in the US ,  Americans  (mis)pronounced it  'love.' >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q. Why do X's at  the end of a letter signify  kisses? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: In the Middle  Ages, when many people were unable to read or  write, documents were often signed using an X.  Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill  obligations specified in the document. The X and  the kiss eventually became  synonymous. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why is  shifting responsibility to someone else called  'passing the buck'? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A:  In card games, it was once customary to pass an  item, called a buck, from player to player to  indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player  did not wish to assume the responsibility of  dealing,he would 'pass the buck' to the next  player. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why do people  clink their glasses before drinking a  toast? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: It used to be  common for someone to try to kill an enemy by  offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a  guest that a drink was safe, it became customary  for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink  into the glass of the host. Both men would drink  it simultaneously.  When a guest trusted  his host, he would only touch or clink the  host's glass with his  own. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why are people in  the public eye said to be 'in the  limelight'? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A:Invented  in 1825,limelight was used in lighthouses and  theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which  produced a brilliant light. In the theatre,a  performer 'in the limelight' was the centre of  attention. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why is  someone who is feeling great 'on cloud  nine'? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: Types of  clouds are numbered according to the altitudes  they attain, with nine being the highest cloud  If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that  person is floating well above worldly  cares. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: In golf, where  did the term 'Caddie' come  from? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A. When Mary Queen  of Scots went to France as a young girl,Louis,  King of France, learned that she loved the Scots  game 'golf.' So he had the first course outside  of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make  sure she was properly chaperoned  (and  guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets  from a military school to accompany her. Mary  liked this a lot and when returned to Scotland  (not a very good idea in the long run), she took  the practice with her. In French, the word cadet  is pronounced  'ca-day' and the Scots  changed it into  'caddie. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Why are many  coin banks shaped like  pigs? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: Long ago,  dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a  dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people  saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars  became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English  potter misunderstood the word, he made a  container that resembled a pig. And it caught  on. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>Q: Did you ever  wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have  notches (milling), while pennies and nickels do  not? >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>A: The US Mint  began putting notches on the edges of coins  containing gold and silver to discourage holders  from shaving off small quantities of the  precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half  dollars are notched because they used to contain  silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched  because the metals they contain are not valuable  enough to  shave. >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>  >>>>>>>>>>>So  there!  Now you know!                                                         >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>>>= >>>>>>>o  virus found in this  message. >> >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database:         2411/4955 - Release Date:         04/23/12 > >