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Sounds that things make

Descriptions of various items

Special Days Signs of The Zodiac Aussie Slang Australian Trivia

Australian Trivia

1.    We are one of the few countries that eats their national animal.

2.    The Emu and the Kangaroo are on our crest because neither animal can walk backwards.

3.    Per capita, we read more newspapers than any other nation.

4.    The ‘dingo fence’ is the longest fence in the world (5,530km). It is about twice as long as the Great Wall of China.

5.    The largest Greek population outside of Athens is found in Melbourne.

6.    750,000 camels roam our deserts, the largest number of purebred camels in the world.

7.    Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens are home to the oldest glasshouses in the Southern Hemisphere.

8.    The Australian Alps receive more snow than Switzerland.

9.    Glenelg (in Adelaide), Tumut (in NSW) and Parap (in Darwin) are all palindromes.

10.    We have 20% of the world’s poker machines, but only .33% of the world’s population.

11.    Perth is the only city in the world which can have aircraft land in its CBD.

12.    We are the only continent without an active volcano.

13.    The Seekers were named joint Australians of the Year in 1967.

14.    Crocodile Dundee is the highest grossing Australian film to date.

15.    It is illegal to walk on the right hand side of the footpath.

16.    If all of the shells on the roof of the Sydney Opera House were combined, they would create a perfect sphere.

17.    Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island.

18.    Cathy Freeman is the only person to have been awarded both Young Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year.

19.    We hold the world record for the most number of Christmas lights on a house. Over half a million lights were placed on a Canberra house 2005 Christmas.

20.    The average Australian will consume 165,000 eggs in his or her lifetime.

21.    No native Australian animals have hooves.

22.    When the English settlers first saw a platypus they thought Australians were trolling them by sewing a duck bill on a rat.

23.    In 1838 it was declared illegal to swim at public beaches during the day. This law remained in force until 1902.

24.    Kalgoorlie in Western Australia is the our largest electorate, spanning 2,225,278 square kilometers.

25.    Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s performance at the 2000 Olympics was pre-recorded by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

26.    The wine cask is an Australian invention as is the hoist washing line and UTE vehicles.

Sounds that things make

 

swashing of the sea

swishing of ladies' skirts

hooting of a steam whistle

tooting of a horn

screeching of brakes

roaring, rolling, rumbling of thunder

rumbling of heavy vehicles

whizzing of arrows

buzzing of a telephone

zooming of aeroplanes

crackling of fire, wood, dry leaves

tinkling of coins

popping of corks

tinkling of glasses

tinkling of bells

Jingling, chiming of bells

shuffling of feet

wooshing of wings

crinkling of paper

clangour of hammers

clanking of chains

ticking of a clock

clatter of horses' hoofs

creaking of hinges

hissing of steam

rustle of silk or leaves

crack of a whip

 

Descriptions of various items (venues)

 

abattoir	A place where animals are slaughtered for the market
aerie	A nest of a bird of prey
apiary	A place where bees are kept
aquarium	A place where fishes are kept
archives	A place where Government records are kept
avenue, boulevard	A wide road lined with trees on both sides
aviary	A place where birds are kept
bakery	A place where bread and cakes are made
barracks	A building for the lodging and accommodation of soldiers
booth	A covered stall at a fair, horse races, etc.
boulevard	A wide road lined with trees on both sides
brewery	A factory for manufacturing beer
bunker, scuttle	A receptacle for storing coal
burrow	The dwelling place of an animal underground
butt, hogshead	A large cask for holding wine or beer
cabaret	A variety show performed in a restaurant for the benefit of the guests
caboose, galley	The kitchen of a ship
cache	A place where treasures, stores, ammunition are hidden
caddy	A small box in which tea is kept
cantonment	A place where soldiers are quartered
caravan	The house or shelter of a Gipsy
casino	A place with public dance halls, gambling tables, etc.
cellar	An underground place for storing wine or other
chalet	The house or shelter of a Swiss Peasant
creche	A nursery where children of poor parents are cared for while their parents are at work
creel	A basket in which a fisherman puts his fish
cruet	A small bottle for holding sauces or condiments for the table
cul-de-sac	A street open at only one end
dairy	A place where milk is converted into butter and cheese
decanter	An ornamental glass bottle for holding wine or other spirituous liquors
den	The home of a lion
depot	A place where goods are stored
dispensary	A place where medicines are compounded
distillery	A place where spirituous liquors are produced
dock	A place where ships are repaired or built
dormitory	The sleeping rooms in a college or public institution
dovecot	A house or box in which live pigeons or doves
dowar	The house or shelter of an Arab
drey	A squirrel's home
evry, aerie	A nest of a bird of prey
ewer	A large jug or pitcher for holding water for the washbasin
factory	A place where any manufacture is carried on
form	The house or bed of a hare
galley	The kitchen of a ship
garage	A place for housing motor cars
garret	An upper room or storey immediately under the roof
glyptotheca	A room or building for the preservation of sculpture
granary	A place for storing grain
gymnasium	A place where athletic exercises are performed
hangar	A place for housing aeroplanes
herbarium	A place or room for the collection of dried plants
hogshead	A large cask for holding wine or beer
hospital	A place for the treatment of sick people
hostel	A house for the residence of students
hotel, inn restaurant	A place where strangers or travelers may obtain lodging and refreshment
hutch	A place where rabbits are kept
igloo	The house or shelter of an Eskimo
incinerator	A place where house refuse is reduced to ashes
inn restaurant	A place where strangers or travelers may obtain lodging and refreshment
insectarium	A place for keeping or breeding insects
kabitka	The house or shelter of a Kirghis
kennel	A house or shelter for a dog
kindergarten	A school for infants and young children
kraal	The house or shelter of a Zulu
laboratory	A place where scientific experiments are conducted
lair	The resting place of a wild animal
laundry	A place where clothes are washed and ironed
library	A place where books are kept
mint	A place where money is coined
monastery	A residence for monks or priests
mosque	A Mohammedan place of worship
museum	A place where treasures of art, curiosities, etc. are preserved or exhibited
observatory	A place where astronomical observations are taken
orchard	A place where fruit trees are grown
orphanage	A place where orphans are housed
Paddock	An enclosure adjoining a race-course where horses are kept before racing
paddock	kept before racing
pen, byre	A house or shelter for a cow
portfolio	A portable case for holding papers, drawings, etc.
quadrangle	A square courtyard bounded by buildings
quay	A place where ships are loaded and unloaded
refectory	A refreshment hall in monasteries and convents
reformatory	An institution for the reformation of young offenders
Reservoir	A place where water is
resort	A place much frequented for reasons of pleasure or health
reticule	A ladies' handbag or workbag
scabbard	A case in which the blade of a sword is kept
Scullery	A place where plates, dishes, pots and other cooking utensils are washed
scuttle	A receptacle for storing coal
sheath, scabbard	A case in which the blade of a sword is kept
stable	A house or shelter for a horse
sty	A place where pigs are kept
tannery	A place where leather is tanned
tepee	The house or shelter of a Red Indian
vivarium	A place where animals are kept alive, and live as nearly as possible as in their natural state
wigwam, tepee	The house or shelter of a Red Indian

 

In reverse order

A large cask for holding wine or beer	butt, hogshead
A place for storing grain	granary
A basket in which a fisherman puts his fish	creel
A building for the lodging and accommodation of soldiers	barracks
A case in which the blade of a sword is kept	sheath, scabbard
A covered stall at a fair, horse races, etc.	booth
A factory for manufacturing beer	brewery
A house for the residence of students	hostel
A house or box in which live pigeons or doves	dovecot
A house or shelter for a cow	pen, byre
A house or shelter for a dog	kennel
A house or shelter for a horse	stable
A ladies' handbag or workbag	reticule
A large jug or pitcher for holding water for the washbasin	ewer
A Mohammedan place of worship	mosque
A nest of a bird of prey	cvry, aerie
A nursery where children of poor parents are cared for while their parents are at work	creche
A place for housing aeroplanes	hangar
A place for housing motor cars	garage
A place for keeping or breeding insects	insectarium
A place for the treatment of sick people	hospital
A place much frequented for reasons of pleasure or health	resort
A place or room for the collection of dried plants	herbarium
A place where animals are kept alive, and live as nearly as possible as in their natural state	vivarium
A place where animals are slaughtered for the market	abattoir
A place where any manufacture is carried on	factory
A place where astronomical observations are taken	observatory
A place where athletic exercises are performed	gymnasium
A place where bees are kept	apiary
A place where birds are kept	aviary
A place where books are kept	library
A place where bread and cakes are made	bakery
A place where clothes are washed and ironed	laundry
A place where fishes are kept	aquarium
A place where fruit trees are grown	orchard
A place where goods are stored	depot
A place where Government records are kept	archives
A place where house refuse is reduced to ashes	incinerator
A place where leather is tanned	tannery
A place where medicines are compounded	dispensary
A place where milk is converted into butter and cheese	dairy
A place where money is coined	mint
A place where orphans are housed	orphanage
A place where pigs are kept	sty
A place where plates, dishes, pots and other cooking utensils are washed	Scullery
A place where rabbits are kept	hutch
A place where scientific experiments are conducted	laboratory
A place where ships are loaded and unloaded	quay
A place where ships are repaired or built	dock
A place where soldiers are quartered	cantonment
A place where spirituous liquors are produced	distillery
A place where strangers or travellers may obtain lodging and refreshment	hotel, inn restaurant
A place where treasures of art, curiosities, etc. are preserved or exhibited	museum
A place where treasures, stores, ammunition are hidden	cache
A place where water is	Reservoir
A place with public dance halls, gambling tables, etc.	casino
A portable case for holding papers, drawings, etc.	portfolio
A receptacle for storing coal	bunker, scuttle
A refreshment hall in monasteries and convents	refectory
A residence for monks or priests	monastery
A room or building for the preservation of sculpture	glyptotheca
A school for infants and young children	kindergarten
A small bottle for holding sauces or condiments for the table	cruet
A small box in which tea is kept	caddy
A square courtyard bounded by buildings	quadrangle
A squirrel's home	drey
A street open at only one end	cul-de-sac
A variety show performed in a restaurant for the benefit of the guests	cabaret
A wide road lined with trees on both sides	avenue, boulevard
An enclosure adjoining a race-course where horses are kept before racing	Paddock
An institution for the reformation of young offenders	reformatory
An ornamental glass bottle for holding wine or other spirituous liquors	decanter
An underground place for storing wine or other	cellar
An upper room or storey immediately under the roof	garret
kept before racing	paddock
The dwelling place of an animal underground	burrow
The home of a lion	den
The house or bed of a hare	form
The house or shelter of a Gipsy	caravan
The house or shelter of a Kirghis	kabitka
The house or shelter of a Red Indian	wigwam, tepee
The house or shelter of a Swiss Peasant	chalet
The house or shelter of a Zulu	kraal
The house or shelter of an Arab	dowar
The house or shelter of an Eskimo	igloo
The kitchen of a ship	caboose, galley
The resting place of a wild animal	lair
The sleeping rooms in a college or public institution	dormitory

 

Aussie Slang

Achilles heel	The heel of Achilles - a weak spot. (Achilles, the famous Greek hero of the Iliad, when a child had been dipped by his mother, Thetis, in the river Styx in order to make him invulnerable. The heel by which she held him was not touched by the water, and throughout his life this part of his body was his weak point. He was killed by Paris, who pierced his heel with an arrow).
Apple of my eye The	The saying 'The apple of my eye' means that the person who is saying it, is very proud and dearly loves the person he/she is referring to. There are five references to the saying in the King James version of the Old Testament, which demonstrates how old and respected this expression is. The pupil of the eye used to be known as the apple and was thought to be solid and spherical. Because it is also essential to sight, the eye's apple was to be cherished and protected so 'the apple of my eye' came to mean anything extremely precious.
Bath (Don't throw the baby out with the bath water)	Baths equaled a big tub filled with hot water.  The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children.  Last of all the babies.  By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water".
	"Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" is an idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad, or in other words, rejecting the favorable along with the unfavorable. 'Throw the baby out with the bathwater' is a German proverb and the earliest printed reference to it, in Thomas Murner's satirical work Narrenbeschwörung (Appeal to Fools), dates from 1512. “
Booby Prize	The word has been used to mean dunce or nincompoop since at least the late 16th century and that's the 'booby' of 'booby prize' and 'booby trap'. The word probably derives from the Spanish word 'bobo' meaning 'fool' or 'dunce'.
Bring home the bacon	Sometimes people could obtain pork and would feel really special when that happened. When company came over, they would bring out some bacon and hang it to show it off.  It was a sign of wealth and that a man "could really bring home the bacon."  They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."
Chew the fat.	Chew the fat. Was originally about grumbling and complaining in later life it move to a conversation, it often did not refer to Bacon but soldiers chewing the fat paper cartridge holders or Indians chewing animal hides because they were hungry, but basically it is about talking and conversations.
Cats & Dogs – Raining	Houses had thatched roofs.  Thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets... dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, rats, bugs lived in the roof.  When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof.  Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." The phrase is supposed to have originated in England in the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome's The City Witt, 1652 has the line 'It shall rain dogs and polecats'. Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with bad weather.
Metaphor of cats & dogs	"Raining cats and dogs" literally means that small animals are falling out of the sky. But, of course, this image of animals falling from the sky is a metaphor for very large, heavy drops of water (and possibly dark skies, since animals are opaque). The phrase is not an idiom, as the other answers misinform you.
	There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed.  So, they found if they made beds with big posts and hung a sheet over the top, it addressed that problem.  Hence those beautiful big 4 poster beds with canopies. (Only for the rich though!). Before they discovered a four-poster bed, English aristocrats had slept on boards set to trestles, with mattresses placed on top of the boards. The early four-poster beds were very simple in design. Originally, all beds comprised of hard boards covered in fur or quilts. The canopy was added to the bed around the 13th century. This was not attached to the bed but suspended from the ceiling. The four-poster bed was born when the side curtains supported by beams were added to the bed frame. The reason behind this was purely practical – warmth. We know that the castles were not exactly warm, and the bedchambers were often draughty. In addition, the curtains added privacy as the servants often slept in the masters’ bedrooms.
Cat's out of the bag The	The saying 'The cat's out of the bag' (a secret revealed) originates in medieval England when piglets were sold in the open marketplace. The seller usually kept the pig in a bag, so it would be easier for the buyer to take home. But some dishonourable sellers would try and trick their customers by putting a large cat in the bag instead. However, if a shrewd buyer looked in the bag - then the cat was literally out of the bag. This good advice was first recorded in London around 1530:
Computers	See http://www.teacherscompendium.com/Teaching/miscellaneous.html MIS128 The Urban Myth of Computers
Cross the Threshold	The floor was dirt.  Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor."  The wealthy had slate floors which would get slippery in the winter when wet. So they spread thresh on the floor to help keep their footing.  As the winter wore on they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside.  A piece of wood was placed at the entry way, hence a "thresh hold". I suspect that instead of mats in doorways, to clean footwear before entering, the entrance to a doorway would have an area outside it with threshings strewn on the ground to act as a doormat. And they would have been held in some kind of shallow containment. Hence a thresh-holder in a doorway.
Daylight robbery	In 1696, William III of England introduced a property tax that required those living in houses with more than six windows to pay a levy. In order to avoid the tax, house owners would brick up all windows except six. (The Window Tax lasted until 1851, and older houses with bricked-up windows are still a common sight in the U.K.) As the bricked-up windows prevented some rooms from receiving any sunlight, the tax was referred to as "daylight robbery"!
Dead Ringer – Saved by the bell	England is old and small, and they started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take their bones to a house and re-use the grave.  In reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realised they had been burying people alive.  So they thought they would tie a string on their wrist and lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to Listen for the bell.  Hence on the "graveyard shift" they would know that someone was "saved by the bell" or he was a "dead ringer".
Deck of Cards	A typical deck of playing cards is made up of suit cards and court cards. The four suits are hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The court cards originated from Europe and stand for the royal court. The court cards include the king, queen, knight and jack. There are many ways the court cards can be interrupted. The traditional interpretation matches up each royal card of the deck with a specific historical figure. For example, the King of Diamonds represents Julius Caesar and the Queen of Diamonds represents Rachel from the Bible. Scamper a new fun card game for everyone Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2672488
Cards Explained	Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Queens have some history The queen of spades usually holds a sceptre and is sometimes known as "the bedpost queen", though more often she is called the "black lady". She also is the only queen facing left. The queen cards often included the goddess Athena and Rachel, the wife of the biblical Jacob, among other ladies. Many Spanish and German decks historically eschewed queenly representation in favor of a separate pack of male figures. The one sided facing Jacks are known as One Eyed Jacks
Spades - King David,
Hearts - Charlemagne, The suicide king see the sword behind his head
Clubs -Alexander the Great,
Diamonds - Julius Caesar the one-eyed king of diamonds is typically shown with an ax behind his head with the blade facing toward him. These depictions, and their blood-red colour, inspired the nickname "suicide kings".
Dirt Poor	The floor was dirt.  Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor."
Fair Dinkum	'Dinkum' is a slang term that appears to have grown up with two meanings, 'work' and 'fair play'. These may in fact be drawn from one original meaning, that is, 'honest toil'. 'Fair dinkum' was used by the colliers of the UK's East Midlands from the 1880s and by Australians from a few years later. In the late 19th century, in addition to the numerous criminals who were transported, many mineworkers migrated from England to Australia, taking their working language with them.
First of May Joey	To circus people, what is a 'First of May Joey'? A new clown that has just joined a circus - the expression was used by circus folk: 'Joey' after Joseph Grimaldi, 'The Father Of Clowns', 1779-1837, the famous pantomime clown who never actually appeared in a circus ring, but who provided the blueprint for circus clowns by his costume, make-up and performances in English pantomimes in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. And 'May', because the 1st of May was traditionally the start of the circus season.
GOLF	Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled 'Gentlemen Only... Ladies Forbidden'... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
To get one's back up	The saying 'To get one's back up' (To show anger or annoyance) alludes to a cat or dog, whose fur sticks up on its back when under attack by another animal.
Goodnight, sleep tight	In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
Honeymoon	It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
Limeys (British seamen)	The major mouth illness in 16th Century was Scurvy   Lind was a Scottish physician who served as a naval surgeon on the British ship the HMS Salisbury in 1747 and devised what is considered to be one of the world’s first controlled experiments. He took 12 sailors who were similarly sick with scurvy and divided them into six pairs. All the men ate the same food and lived in the same quarters on the ship; the only difference was their treatment. Lind gave each pair various daily doses of one of six supposed scurvy cures: a quart of hard cider, 25 drops of vitriol, two spoon fulls of vinegar, a half pint of seawater, two oranges and one lemon, and an “electuary”—a creative mix of garlic, mustard seed, balsam of Peru, dried radish root, and gum myrrh, shaped into a pasty concoction the size of a nutmeg. (Lest that treatment not sound random enough, those sailors also got barley water treated with tamarinds and an occasional laxative dose of cream of tartar.) With the exception of the citrus fruit, which ran out in less than a week, Lind administered the treatments for 14 days. Citrus proved helpful in the treatment. Eventually the navy used Limes as the preventative of Scurvy and hence the nickname for British sailors was Limeys
Mind your P's and Q's	In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
On The Up	When educational institutes were established mainly for the poor, about the 18th century they were housed in old buildings or factories that also housed the students sleeping in rough bunks, the infants on the ground floor the juniors on the next floor above and the seniors at the top floor, hence the term on the up as you moved up to the next higher level.
Spend a Penny	One of the Great Exhibition’s landmark inventions was the introduction of the UK’s first paid-for flushing public toilet, when visitors spent one penny to experience a clean toilet seat, a towel, a comb and a shoe shine. Records show that 675,000 pennies were spent. When the exhibition finished, the Crystal Palace was moved to Sydenham, and the toilets were set to be closed down.
Pig in a Poke	“When ye proffer the pigge open the poke" Incidently the bag was called a poke, which is where the saying 'a pig in a poke,' also comes from, which literally means 'to buy something which you cannot see' and thus 'to buy something whose true nature is unknown'. Also refers to buying something you don't want (i.e. cat!).
POHM (POM) POME	Prisoner of her/his majesty (P.O.H.M. stamped onto the shirts) use transporting prisoners to America, Australia and New Zealand, slang, usually disparaging. Sometimes Prisoner of Mother England (P.O.M.E.) was the term printed on shirts and that is why it is directed purely at the English.   There is some suggestion that the red faces looked like Pomegranates but this would apply to all transportees many who were not English, also after a long voyage it is doubtful that the arrivals in Australia or New Zealand would not have had a rosy completion.
POSH	"port out, starboard home," which designated the most desirable accommodations on a steamship voyage from England to India and back.   The most elaborate version of the story associates the practice with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which from 1842 to 1970 was the major steamship carrier of passengers and mail between England and India. The P. & O. route went through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.   The cabins on the port side on the way to India got the morning sun and had the rest of the day to cool off, while starboard ones got the afternoon sun, and were still quite hot at bedtime. On the return trip, the opposite was true. The cooler cabins, therefore, were the more desirable and were reserved for the most important and richest travelers. Their tickets were stamped P.O.S.H. to indicate these accommodations–in large violet letters, according to one recollection. This account of the origin of posh was even used in advertising by the P. & O. in the 1960s.
Rub someone up the wrong way	To 'Rub someone up the wrong way', (Irritate or upset someone) gets it's origins from the annoyance a cat displays when its fur is stroked backwards.
Rule of thumb The	In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"
Sneeze 'Bless you'	Why do we say 'Bless you' to someone who has sneezed? While there are variations around the theme, the main origin is that sneezing was believed in medieval times to be associated with vulnerability to evil, notably that sneezing expelled a person's soul, thus enabling an evil spirit - or specifically the devil - to steal the soul or to enter the body and take possession of it. Another contributory factor was the association of sneezing with the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) which ravaged England and particularly London in the 14th and 17th centuries.
Stone cold sober	Usually means not affected by any other influence but can also mean cold as used by Shakespeare in Henry V (2:3): "Cold as any stone." The stone, as a measure of weight, came from Ancient Babylon, where sets of stones were kept for weighing commodities on a balance. The trouble was that different stones were used for different things, and in the English history of weights and measures the same held true. When weighing wool a stone was 16 pounds, but for a butcher or fishmonger the stone was 8 pounds. It was only standardised at 14 pounds in 1824 when the English imperial system was introduced.
There's not enough room to swing a cat	The saying 'There's not enough room to swing a cat ' comes from the olden days when sailors were punished by being whipped with a cat o' nine tails (whip with nine leather straps). However because there wasn't enough room below deck to lash the whip, the punishment was given on deck, where there was "enough room to swing the cat."
Trench mouth	Most people didn't have pewter plates, but had trenchers - a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl.  Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms got into the wood.  After eating off wormy trenchers, they would get "trench mouth."   During World War I, soldiers were exposed to brutal conditions and often went without medical or dental care. Many soldiers spent months on end living in trenches that were dug into the earth, exposed to the elements and lacking proper military equipment, They often suffered from Trench Foot, a lack of socks for the wet feet and no toothbrushes and toothpaste. As a result of their terrible surroundings, their health suffered and many soldiers developed trench mouth and trench foot. (What a life).
Truant	In the 15th and 16th century children were encourage (made) to enter school for an education, but many parents wanted children to stay away so they could earn and work for the house, as these were considered vagabond or ignorant the term Truant was given to any that missed or absconded from the educational institutions. It comes from the French word meaning beggar or rogue. c. 1200, "beggar, vagabond," from Old French truant "beggar, rogue" (12c.), as an adjective, "wretched, miserable, of low caste," from Gaulish *trougant- (compare Breton *truan, later truant "vagabond," Welsh truan "wretch," Gaelic truaghan "wretched"), of uncertain origin. Compare Spanish truhan "buffoon," from same source. Meaning "one who wanders from an appointed place," especially "a child who stays away from school without leave" is first attested mid-15c
Wake	Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky.  The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days.  Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial.  They were laid out on The kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up.  Hence the custom of holding a "wake".
Wet your whistle	Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
Witch (You Old) sorcerer	The word witch comes from the saxon word 'wicca' meaning 'wise one'. Old English wicce "female magician, sorceress," in later use especially "a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their cooperation to perform supernatural acts," fem. of Old English wicca "sorcerer, wizard, man who practices witchcraft or magic," from verb wiccian "to practice witchcraft" (compare Low German wikken, wicken "to use witchcraft," wikker, wicker "soothsayer").
Well Heeled	The context of the story makes it clear that this 'not so well-heeled' refers to poverty. Good quality shoes have never been available to the poor and consequently have been seen as an indication of prosperity. It's reasonable to assume that the heel being referred to here is the heel of a shoe or boot, as in the converse of the phrase, 'down at heel'.
Uppercrust	Bread was divided according to status.  Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the "uppercrust

 

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