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Hi there, everyone! Welcome to Words in Use 2.

“Roast Beef on Rye”

A little digging will unearth* the roots of our language and habits. For instance, our word “sandwich” is derived from the Earl of Sandwich, who lived in the time of George Ill. This gentleman would not depart* from the gambling table for hours on end. If his play happened to coincide* with dinner, he would cancel* his regular meal and order a slice of meat to be served to him between two pieces of bread. The biography* of the Earl claims that we are his debtors* for his discovery of the sandwich. Charles Dickens later used the phrase “sandwich man” to describe someone who walks about with a clearly legible* message on placards* hung on his chest and back.

An example of a superstition is the fear of walking under a ladder. This must have been a contagious* fear for it seems to have started with the ancient belief that spirits lived in trees or wood. “Knocking on wood” was a way of calling up the friendly spirit to protect one from harm. Today a member of the clergy* might sneer* at this custom, expecting that by this time such superstitions would have receded* into the past with witches and ghosts.

Another expression, “giving someone the cold shoulder,” has been traced to the Middle Ages, when a host would serve his guests a cold shoulder of mutton or beef instead of the customary* hot food. This was a transparent* attempt to show the guest he was no longer welcome. The host had thus found a more charitable* yet effective way of expressing his feelings without using a scalding* remark.

Alright, our story for lesson 39 is finished. See you in the next part, good luck!