;Posted on 02/12/2014 5:20:28 AM PST by TruthShallSetYouFree
Word For The Day, Wednesday, February 12, 2014-- copper-bottomed
;In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".
copper-bottomed
adjective
reliable, esp financially reliable, genuine, trustworthy
Origin: (from The Phrase Finder)
If you come across something that is copper-bottomed these days, it is most likely to be a saucepan. In the 18th century, it would have been a ship. It is unusual for an idiomatic phrase to have such a literal derivation as this. 'Copper-bottomed' described ships that were fitted with copper plating on the underside of their hulls. The process was first used on ships of the British Navy in 1761 to defend their wooden planking against attack by Teredo worms a.k.a. Shipworms (actually a type of bivalve clam) and to reduce infestations by barnacles.
The method was successful in protecting ships' timbers and in increasing speed and manoeuvrability and soon became widely used. This piece from The London Magazine, March 1781, records the introduction of its use on all the ships of the Royal Navy:
Admiral Keppel made a remark upon copper bottomed ships. He said they gave additional strength to the navy and he reproached Lord Sandwich with having refused to sheath only a few ships with copper at his request, when he had since ordered the whole navy to be sheathed.
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, may have been otherwise occupied. He is said to have once spent twenty-four hours at the gaming-table without refreshment other than some cold beef placed between slices of toast - hence giving name to the sandwich.
Before long, 'copper-bottomed' began to be used figuratively to refer to anything that was certain and trustworthy. Washington Irving, in his work Salmagundi, 1807, included this line:
"The copper-bottomed angel at Messrs. Paff's in Broadway."
It wasn't all plain sailing. Pay attention at the back, here's the science bit:
Copper and iron, when immersed in a suitable electrolytic fluid, like fruit juice or, at a pinch, seawater, form an electrochemical couple and the arrangement becomes a serviceable galvanic battery. Over time, the iron is eaten away to nothing by the electrochemical action. That wasn't good news for mariners who fixed their boat's copper plates using iron nails - the iron eroded and the plates went to visit Davy Jones. Copper nails were the answer and soon afterwards ships began to be described not only as copper-bottomed but also copper-fastened. Such technically top-of-the-range ships were well thought of; an example is found in the 9th July 1796 edition of The Hull Advertiser:
She is copper-fastened and copper-bottomed, and a remarkable fine ship.
The expression 'copper-fastened' was and is used quite infrequently and is often wrongly taken to be a simple misstating of 'copper-bottomed'. Its meaning is similar but with the emphasis on security and lack of any ambiguity, rather than of certainty and trustworthiness. It had to wait longer to be taken into metaphorical use - until the 20th century in fact. An example of such is to be found in The Evening Independent, November 1948:
We had some striking examples of what happens when a guy gets so big for his britches that any pal of his is automatically a copper-fastened genius.
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.
I saw what they were - and I couldn’t listen. The BeeGees one because I just about had as much tragic death music as I can take at one time, and Cat’s In The Cradle because, yeah, it is too damn depressing.
but the polishing might be fun
That was awesome!
Can’t say I have ever heard the Bee Gee’s one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJM7TdshUbw&feature=kp
This one always annoys me with its plodding monotony.
Not that monotonous lyrics have to be bad. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCmkZFMSuFQ&feature=kp
was never a Yes fan, they are a bit whiny.
No, didn’t see it.
A++
Nice obscure McHale’s Navy reference.
Tim Hawkins is very funny. Thanks.
What a fascinating thread! I’m sorry to be so late this AM.
Spaghetti sauce will clean copper to the hue of a bright new penny!
Thanks. Nice to see you.
FAscinates me that someone even thought of trying that.....
Safe travels...
Thanks. So far I have managed to be a day ahead or a day behind each storm.
that was perfect.
This odd bit of knowledge comes from my early days learning to cook in my MIL’s house! She was dying of cancer, but she also expected that her Revere Ware pots be kept polished. When the sauce boiled over, it made streaks on the already polished copper that no copper polish could duplicate.
By accident. How else would you discover that your dessert topping also makes a great floor wax?
See, I always assumed it was vice-versa with the makers of Shimmer....but that may just be my childhood of brotherly antagonism and gags talking...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.