BANK/BANKRUPT- In mediaeval times Italian moneylenders used benches in the marketplace to conduct business. Latin for bench was -banca-, which transferred to English as bank. These lenders were required to publicly break up their benches if their businesses failed, the latin expression being -banca rupta- bankrupt in English.

BLUE BLOOD- The Moors in Spain (or moops according the Sinefields George Castanza) were much darker in skin tone than their Spanish adversaries. The Spanish began to distinguish themselves by referring to themselves as -sangre azul- or blue blood. This simply refers to the fact that their lighter skin allowed the veins to show through blue. This was later borrowed to apply to all European nobility.

BLUE RIBBON- The Most Noble Order of the Garter had as its badge a dark blue velvet ribbon edged with gold that was/is worn below the left knee. Inscribed on the ribbon is the motto -Honi soit qui mal y pense- (shame to him who thinks evil of it). Popular legend says that the words were spoken by Edward III when dancing with Countess of Salisbury. She lost one of her garters and he slipped it upon his own leg to save her embarrassment uttering those famous words. When he established the Order of the Garter around 1344 the blue ribbon awarded with the appointment became known to represent the highest achievement in the field. And has carried over to mean the same to this day.

BONFIRE- A pagan festival held in England during the summer was celebrated by burning in huge piles the bones of livestock slaughtered during the past year. These "bone fires" continued into Christian times being celebrated on St. Johns Day, June 24. And were still held up to 200 years ago in remoter areas. By the 16th century bonefire was changed to bonfire and referred to any large fire.

BRIBE- A bribe is a sinister thing today but it didn't start out that way. In 14th century France alms given to a beggar were called bribes. Soon beggars began to DEMAND such alms, when it reached England about 100 years later it came to mean "to extort or steal". Within another century it came to mean instead of extortion ,"a voluntary inducement to get someone to do something for the giver" which has endured to this day.

AUBRY'S DOG- A frenchman one Aubry of Montdidier was murdered in 1371 by Richard of Macaire. Aubry's dog Dragon thereafter attacked Richard anytime he came near. This excited suspicion of Richard, and he was ordered into judicial combat with the dog. Dragon killed him, and in his last moments Richard confessed to the murder . An Aubry's dog is thus a very loyal or faithful dog.

DOGS OF WAR (or war dogs). War dogs of the middle ages were especially fierce and trained to kill men. They were a variety of mastiff. Wardogs were brought over to the new world by the Spanish were especially devastating to the locals. They would use the dogs to execute natives as they saw fit, the natives not being Christian had no rights.

AUTO-DA-FE -A public judgement against someone tried by the Spanish inquisition was called an auto-da-fe. The guilty heretic was usually then condemned to burning at the stake, church law prohibiting the shedding of blood and all. Auto-da-fe is Portuguese for "act of faith"

BALK- Derived from the old English BALCA, refereed to the ridge between two furrows when plowing. Since the balk was an obstacle, it became used to refer to any obstruction. Baseballs BALK comes from a more obsolete meaning of balk that is to miss, slip, or fail.

BARTHOLOMEW PIG- A term used by Shakespeare to refer to very fat people, these people resembling the whole roast pigs served on St. Bartholomew's festival. The festival was celebrated on August 24 from 1133 to 1855. The symbol for St. Bartholomew was the knife alluding to the one used to flay him alive in Armenia in AD 44.

TO BEAT BLACK AND BLUE- Originally the colors were BLAK and BLA when first recorded in around 1300. Bla being the bluish-black color of the human skin when bruised.

TO BEAT THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU- Derived from the original phrase/threat "I'll let daylight into you!" Which referred to using your sword or knife on the offender. As these weapons fell out of use the phrase we know came to be. When examined it makes no sense in the literal translation.

BLAB- First recorded by Chaucer is supposed to be a shortening of BLABBER. BLABBER in turn is said to derive from BLAEBEREN which means to chatter or spill out lose talk.

BLACKMAIL- Sixteenth century Scottish farmers paid their rent, or mail, to English absentee landlords in the form of WHITE MAIL (silver money), or BLACKMAIL (rent payment in the form of produce or livestock). The term blackmail took on a bad connotation only when the greedy landlords forced money poor farmers to pay much more in goods than the they would pay in silver. Later, when robbers along the borders demanded payment for passage and "protection" the farmers called this extortion blackmail as well.