Knock, Knock!!

Picture a troop of summer campers as they gather around the cabin leader to hear the plan for a hiking trip that evening. “We’ll be heading out after dinnertime,” the leader announces. “Weather permitting,” they add and tack on a “Knock on wood!” Wood is plentiful in our daily lives—and especially so at summer camp—so it’s an easy request to fulfill, but what exactly do people mean when they use this expression and where did it come from?

Used to express a desire for good luck and a fortunate outcome, the phrase Knock on Wood is much appreciated here at Everything Summer Camp, the home of C&N Footlockers. Here we take the idea of good luck seriously which is why our trunks are constructed from solid, 3/8" cabinet-grade plywood to make a sturdy, reliable, and beautifully-crafted camp trunk. Knocking on the solid wood of our trunks is a way of recognizing the quality and care that goes into each one.

So where did this phrase come from? We don’t know for sure, but there are a couple different theories:

The first theory goes back to an 1800s phrase from a popular children’s game by the name of ‘Touche du Bois’ or ‘Touch Wood’. To play the game, one would make a statement and then immediately would have to knock on a piece of wood to avoid being caught or punished.

The other theory goes back much further to an ancient belief that there were spirits living within trees.  When you knocked on a tree, it was thought to awaken or appease the spirits inside and bring you good fortune.

So next time you find yourself wishing for a positive outcome, try knocking on some wood—it just might help! And if you're looking for a trunk that will bring good luck and last for many summers to come, check out our traditional steel camp trunks right here at Everything Summer Camp where, the home of C&N Footlockers. Thanks for reading, Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!

 

- John

Rise and Shine, Summer Campers!

Early wake-up calls may very well be a common occurrence for you during your summer camp stay, whether it's for a morning hike, fishing trip, or just to enjoy the peace and quiet before the day begins. As the saying goes, “The Early Bird gets the Worm.” But why do we say this age-old proverb and where did it come from?

The phrase “The Early Bird gets the Worm” seems to have originated in the 17th century, but it's not clear exactly where it came from. Some say it came from a book of proverbs that was published back in 1670. Other folks contest that it was Thomas Middleton in his 1605 play "The Second Maiden's Tragedy" who first used the phrase.

Regardless of its beginnings, “The Early Bird gets the Worm” has become a popular idiom, often used to emphasize the importance of being proactive and taking advantage of opportunities before they disappear. The phrase has been used for centuries, passed down from generation to generation, used in literature, speeches, and everyday conversations.

This phrase is often associated with successful people who wake up early to get a head start on their day and make the most of their time. This association has further fueled the popularity of the phrase and its widespread usage.

More often than not, being proactive and seizing opportunities can lead to great success and unforgettable experiences. So, set your alarm clock a little earlier, pack your gear, and get ready to make the most of your day – because as the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm! Thanks for reading, Camp Folks! And, as always, Happy Camping!

 

- John

Hi! Pleased to meet you. I’m John.

The first day of camp is always an exciting scene! When campers get to their cabin, it’s normal for there to be some shyness and nerves about meeting new people. Starting conversations with other kids can feel a bit difficult to begin with, but before campers know it, they’re sharing a laugh or two and learning about one another.

Initiating friendships is often referred to as ‘Breaking the Ice’. We even sell the Buddy Talk Icebreaker Game that helps get new friends talking. But why? How did this term get so intertwined with introductions and making friends?

Well, the origin of the phrase dates back to the 1600s. In those days, it was common for ships that were navigating through Arctic regions to get stuck in the thick ice chunks of the cold ocean waters. Whenever a ship got stuck, crews of other nearby ships would sometimes come to their aid, breaking up the ice to free a trapped ship.  

Literally breaking the ice proved to be a very difficult job—and dangerous too. It required a great, coordinated effort among all the ships involved. The rescue ships, using sheer force combined with strategic maneuvering—would break the ice apart and forge a path for the trapped ship to make its escape. Freeing a ship typically took many hours or possibly days to achieve, but in such cold and merciless conditions it was a matter life and death.

In time, the phrase ‘break the ice’ developed a connotation; people started applying it to any situation that called for overcoming a barrier and establishing a connection. The phrase is now mostly used in reference to initiating a conversation in social situations. Check out our Buddy Talk Icebreaker Game as well as our collection of cards, dice, and plenty of other fun games to make breaking the ice easy at camp!

 

Thanks for reading, Camp Folks. And, as always, Happy Camping!

 

- John

Hey, Bags and Girls!

As we venture into the holiday season, it’s common for kids’ imaginations to drift to what could be waiting for them inside a particular bag. You know which bag I mean…the large, brown one that travels across the world in a single night on a magical, flying sleigh. Yeah! That one. Is that one gift that you have your heart set on sitting inside? Well, if you’ve behaved well throughout the year, it’s probably safe to say you’ve got it in the bag.

There are countless turns of phrases and old sayings for us to look into to find out why we say things like ‘Dead as a Doornail’ and ‘Birds of a Feather Flock Together’. These sayings are deeply embedded into our everyday speech; you probably don’t even know it when you’re using one. Today let’s take a look at the phrase ‘In the Bag’.

This phrase is used in Australia to mean the opposite of how we came to use it in America. When they use it down under, they mean to have essentially lost a game. If your favorite sports team was down by four touchdowns to begin the fourth quarter, you would say that your team was ‘In the Bag’.

In America, however, if you’ve got something ‘In the Bag’, then you mean to say that something is as good as in your hands. The American version came about because of a superstitious tradition of the New York Giants baseball team. As described in an Ohio newspaper ‘The Mansfield News’ from 1920 called the team’s superstitious tradition “…a belief that if the [ball] bag is carried off the field at [the ninth possession] of the game with the Giants in the lead the game is in the bag and cannot be lost."

After 26 victories in a row, you would believe in the tradition too! I would wish you luck in any upcoming challenges you’ll be facing, but I’m sure you have it all in the bag. We’ll catch you in the new year for our next Adage Origin. And, as always, thanks for reading, Folks!

 

- John

Hey, Improvisers!

Strap in for another investigation of those old sayings that folks around particular regions of the country as well as the world have been using for so long that they’ve forgotten where the phrase originated from in the first place. Our language is peppered with these sayings and old adages. Today, let’s hold up our magnifying glass to the phrase “Off the Cuff” to see what it means and where it comes from.

If somebody is asking for your ideas in the moment, without any time to prepare, you might say the ideas you deliver are all you could come up with off the cuff. This phrase implies that your response is spontaneous and unrehearsed.

Off the cuff got its start on the stage. Performers from the 1800s would get inventive about keeping a sort of cheat sheet on their person to save them in case they forgot their lines during the performance. Lots of actors resorted to writing their lines right on their shirt cuffs. The audience wouldn’t be able to see, yet it was a very visible spot for the actors to read their notes.

Actors were likely using ‘Off the Cuff’ as a familiar phrase long before it showed up in print in 1936. In the same year, the famous director Charlie Chaplin made a film called ‘Modern Times’ in which a character writes lyrics on his shirt cuffs. When he gets on the stage, however, his shirt cuffs tear and fly off so he must improvise his performance—it’s a pretty funny scene.

Along with the phrase showing up in print in the same year, this scene from Chaplin’s film brought the phrase from the theater department to the rest of the world. The phrase was found to be handy in applications all across the board and has only grown in popularity.

Check back in when we return for another Adage Origin Blog post in December when we’ll take a look at the phrase ‘In the Bag’. As always, thanks for reading!

 

- John