THE CAT'S PAJAMAS V

Tad Tuleja

A collection of the (mostly) true origins of familiar phrases

ON THE BUTTON

This expression, which means "exactly right," refers to a metal disk, a little larger than a silver dollar, that could be found in traveling carnival midways. The disc would be attached to the end of a lever that operated the chair-tilt mechanism of dunking games. Hitting this button with a pitched ball would send the chair sitter into the drink.

DARK HORSE

All other things being equal, dark horses run faster than light ones. (This is why you never see white horses in horse races.) On the Texas frontier in the 1870's, impromptu horse races were a daily diversion. The owner of a fast horse could make money by betting against strangers in pick-up races. It was not uncommon for owners of dark horses to whitewash them so they resembled slower light-colored horses. Experienced racers could spot the deception in seconds, but newcomers were often fooled - as the "light-skinned" frauds proved surprising winners. Thus we speak of an unexpectedly successful political candidate as a dark horse. This practice also gave us the expression show one's true colors - which is exactly what would happen after a heated run, when the whitewash would be streaked by the horse's sweat.