Newsletter and Grammar Coach

In the English language, the words for certain numbers have attained special status beyond designating integers. A number of numerals have become embedded in idiomatic phrases, while others stand out on their own.

A person who is impeccably or extravagantly attired is said to be “dressed to the nines.” Something that has been eliminated or depleted may be described as “eighty-sixed.” If you pause for “forty winks,” you may feel refreshed afterwards.

The origins of many of those phrases have become obscured over time. Many of them are intriguing; some are downright quirky. Let’s discuss a few of them, by the numbers.

A-1: The 18th-century Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping ranked the seaworthiness of ships using a two-character coding system consisting of a letter and a numeral. The letter designated the condition of a vessel’s hull, and the numeral indicated the quality of its anchor, sails, steering mechanism and other equipment. The most ship-shape vessels earned an A-1 rating. The expression has become universally used in reference to excellence.

Back to square one: While the meaning of that phrase is widely understood, its origin is uncertain. It’s a metaphorical reference either to returning to the starting point on a board game, or being sent back to the starting numbered square in a game of hopscotch.

Three sheets to the wind: This slang phrase for inebriation originates in the nautical term “sheet,” the word for a rope holding a sail in place. A sheet that became untied would slow the vessel. If three sheets became untied, the ship would stagnate and its rudder would no longer steer properly, allowing the vessel to amble back and forth in the current, like a drunk.

Seventh Heaven: In some theological beliefs, the outermost of concentric spheres encircling Earth is Seventh Heaven, in which God and the angels are thought to reside. Seventh Heaven is likened to a state of bliss and unsurpassed happiness.

Behind the eight ball: A person who is at a disadvantage or in a perilous situation that is difficult to resolve is said to be “behind the eight ball.” The phrase is a reference to eight-ball pool, in which shooters must avoid tapping the eight ball into the pocket until sinking all of their other assigned striped or solid colored balls. A player who pockets the eight ball prematurely loses the game.

Cloud nine: Attendees at an international meteorology conference in 1896 standardized 10 classifications of clouds. The first edition of the International Cloud Atlas, published that year, identified the cloud types in numerical order. The billowy cumulonimbus cloud, which was designated number 9 in the book, is the tallest among all cloud formations. Perhaps because of that, the expression “on cloud nine” came to be associated with a greatly elevated joy and elation.

Dressed to the nines: As many as nine different theories may exist about the origin of this expression, referring to someone who is dressed impeccably or is in fancy attire. It may be a reference to using nine yards of fabric to make a particularly elaborate garment. Or perhaps it’s a reference to the nine Muses, representing perfection. It may be as simple as the fact that nine is the highest single-digit numeral. No one is certain.

Ten-four: Emergency services responders, including law enforcement agencies, and amateur radio broadcasters (hams and Citizens Band operators) have standardized a series of numerical series codes used as abbreviations for phrases. Most well-known among them is “ten-four,” which indicates agreement or acknowledgment. Others are “ten-one,” which indicates poor reception, “ten-nine” (repeat your message), “ten-eighteen” (urgent) and “ten-twenty” (location).

Fortnight: This term, a synonym for “two weeks,” is simply a contraction of “fourteen nights.”

Catch 22: This phrase, from Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel of that name and popularized as a result of the 1970 film version, refers to absurdly circular or paradoxical regulations or situations. Heller’s “catch 22” regulation deemed pilots who willingly flew combat missions as insane, which qualified them to be relieved of combat duty if they chose; but any fighter pilots who chose to be grounded were considered rational — which made them eligible for combat missions.

Forty winks: Although in modern use the word “wink” indicates rapidly shutting and opening an eyelid, a couple of centuries ago it referred to closing the eyes briefly, as while sleeping. That meaning persists in the phrase “wink of sleep,” as in, “I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.” In earlier times, the number “40” was commonly used as a substitute for an indefinite number. The expression “grabbing 40 winks” or “taking 40” winks became synonymous with a daytime nap.

86: The origin of this idiomatic expression that means to exclude, discard or eliminate has become obscured. Some sources say it originated among servers in 1920s soda fountains as code for “we’re out of that item.” Another attributes the term to Chumley’s, a 1920s New York speakeasy that had two entrances: one at 58 Barrow Street and another at 86 Bedford Street. When police were spotted on Barrow Street, patrons hotfooted it out the Bedford Street door — they “86d” it. Another theory was that some bars adopted “86” as code for bartenders to stop refilling the glass of any customer who had become too drunk on 86-proof alcohol.

Numbers are embedded in many more expressions, but we won’t enumerate them here. For now, we need to grab forty winks..

Over the course of their careers, lawyers and paralegals encounter people whose lives have become entwined in preposterous misadventures and intricate schemes that are often stranger than fiction. Drawing upon their decades in the legal profession, Susan and Randy Padgett conceived Risk Assessment: A Mystery, a fictional tale of intrigue about a mid-career attorney they named Jake Maxwell, who has a legal practice in Sacramento, California. They relied on EditPros' Book Prep service to help them publish their book.

Readers meet Jake just as his life has been turned upside down. His wife has left him, and his employer, Farmstead Insurance, is being rocked by a major corporate takeover engineered by a shadowy private equity firm, Black Belt Capital Ltd. About the only diversions keeping Jake on the rails are the time he spends with his border collie, Elwood, and the opportunities he has to spend a few hours fishing during the course of his many out-of-town business trips. But prospects begin to brighten for Jake after he meets and falls for Meg Vann, one of his co-workers from the coastal California town of Eureka. When a resort property insured with Farmstead burns down and the body of a man is discovered in the charred ruins, Meg begins to suspect that the fire was not accidental. Jake is initially skeptical, but as he and Meg dig into clues stretching from Sacramento to Eureka, they discover that Black Belt appears to be setting up an insurance fraud of massive proportions, threatening Farmstead’s solvency. Fighting corporate resistance and government inertia, Meg and Jake have to rely on the wits of their co-workers and Meg’s Eureka contacts to put the puzzle together and prevent the disastrous loss.

The book’s authors, Susan and Randy Padgett, live in Davis, California, 20 miles west of Sacramento. They have shared a love of mysteries and the attractions of California for more than 40 years. Susan is a retired legal secretary, paralegal and university staff member. Randy is a retired attorney. They are fond of the rugged north coast region of California and its dense, dark redwood forests, where much of Risk Assessment: A Mystery unfolds.

The novel, published as a trade paperback book, also is available in e-book formats for sale through Amazon (Kindle), Apple (iBooks), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo. This is the 39th book that Book Prep has produced for authors during the past six years.

As part of the Book Prep package, EditPros professionally formatted the cover and interior pages of Risk Assessment: A Mystery, readied it for print publication, and reformatted it for e-book specifications.

With Book Prep, authors retain all rights to their books, and collect 100 percent of sales royalties.

We invite you to LEARN MORE about the EditPros Book Prep service.

Paula B. wrote:

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