Big Wig

"Portrait"

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!"

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"Lace"

Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up
in the front. A proper and dignified woman,
as in "straight laced," wore a tightly tied lace.

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"Big Wig"

As incredible as it sounds, men and women
took baths only twice a year (May and October)!
Women kept their hair covered, while men
shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs)
and wore wigs.

Wealthy men could afford good wigs made
from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so
to clean them they would carve out a loaf of
bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for
30 minutes.

The heat would make the wig big and fluffy,
hence the term "big wig." Today we often use
the term 'here comes the Big Wig' because
someone appears to be or is powerful and
wealthy.
Received on Wed Jan 25 08:46:49 2006