I thought the article was so funny, I didn't care whether or not it was all 100% true. I forwarded it to some friends, and one sent this note back to me: Add In: Tables were merely a frame with loose boards placed over them. When meals were done, instead of wiping off the boards, they were flipped upside down so that all the crumbs and other loose foods could fall to the floor where resident creatures would eat them. Usually there were few designated places to sit except for the chair belonging to the master of the house. The man would sit in his chair for his meals at the board. Thus the "Chairman of the Board". PS: We got to visit the Hathaway house when we were in England in 1990. Heard most, but not all of this as a part of the tour. Really enjoyed learning the origin of the words and phrases. Glad to get this recap. I passed it on to a few others.