It’s Just An Expression
Baker’s Dozen: A regular dozen is 12, but a baker’s dozen is 13. Years ago in England, there were strict penalties for merchants who cut purchase weights short. During this era, bakers were typically not well-educated and, to top it off, they were terrible counters. To avoid penalties, the bakers would usually give 13 instead of 12 as insurance, just in case they miscalculated.
Dirt Poor: This expression dates to the 1930s Depression era when there was extreme poverty, and many people lived in dirty conditions. Some people say the term dates back even further to the 1500s in England where finished floors were rare, but this origin has not been proven.
Hit the Hay: Before mattresses were pillow-topped, they used to be stuffed with hay or straw. Thus, when one was “hitting the hay” they were typically on their way to bed.
Blue Moon: This refers to something that rarely happens, as in “once in a blue moon.” It is rare that in one calendar month you will see a second full moon or a “blue moon.” Although the moon is never actually blue, if a great deal of dust is kicked up into the atmosphere, the moon can appear to be almost blue in color. Some events in history that have caused this effect include the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, late Indian monsoons in 1927 and forest fires in Canada in 1951.
Stat Rack
U.S. river transportation by the numbers:
240 Number of lock chambers the Army Corps of Engineers operates
625 million tons of freight that pass through the 240 locks annually
$125 billion minimum amount of money needed to replace the 240 locks
1,200' Average length of a modern tow
600' Average length of most locks
110,000 Number of hours locks were unavailable due to maintenance in 2005
37 Number of years Lock 52 on the Mississippi River has been in operation, even though it was designed to last only 15 years
31 Number of states the Mississippi River system drains into, plus two Canadian provinces
What a Day!
Stuck is an Understatement
How in the world does a person get a 240 PTO hp tractor stuck this bad? The reader who submitted this photo says this is what happens when you loan your tractor to someone who is not a farmer.
