etymology redux
Get down to brass tacks --Back when people would buy fabric to make their own clothes they would request either the entire bolt or a portion of it. If requesting only a portion it would need to be measured using three brass tacks on the counter of the general store -- the tacks were typically three feet apart.Sleep tight --I can't remember how far back this dates, but I know it comes from the use of ropes as bed slats. People would have ropes holding up their beds and would not want the ropes to loosen in the night...otherwise the mattress would slump down in the middle. Chicago being known as the Windy City --There are three possible reasons for this and I believe the third is most likely. One is the weather -- since it's on Lake Michigan it is naturally prone to 'lake effect' wind. The second involves a rivalry with the Cincinnati Red Stockings from baseballs days of yore...again this one is somewhat weather based involving the effect of wind in hitting homeruns. The third is politically based and comes from a comment from some mayor (probably a Daley) that all politicians were just 'blowing wind'. The Whole Nine yards --I did a little bit of research on this one and basically there is no real answer. Here are some possibly explanations:1. the masts on a sailing ship (also known as yardmasts) were 3x3, so if you wanted to go full speed you would need the whole nine yards2. nine yards of fabric to make a three piece suit3. nine yards of dirt dug up for a rich persons grave4. nine yards of concrete in a truck5. nine yards of coal delivered by rail car -- this one seems like it might be most plausible6. the gunner belts from WWII were said to be nine yards7. there were fighting troops in vietnam known as the mangnards and they helped the american troops. there were said to be nine different tribes of mangnards and they were given the slang name 'the yards'.there are probably like fifty more possible origins, but i can't find anything definitive. Sorry!
