Mayday!

"Toast"

Why do people clink their glasses before
drinking a toast?

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 then touch
or clink the host's glass with his own.

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"Limelight"

Why are people in the public eye said to be
"in the limelight"?

Invented in 1825, limelight was used in
lighthouses and stage lighting by burning a
cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light.

In the theater, performers on stage "in the
limelight" were seen by the audience to be
the center of attention.

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"Mayday!"

Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use
"mayday"as their call for help?

his comes from the French word m'aidez -
meaning "help me" - and is pronounced
  "mayday."

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"About Clouds"

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.
Received on Mon Jan 30 10:23:57 2006