Why are people in the public eye are said to be "in the limelight"? Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage lighting by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theater, performers on stage "in the limelight" were seen by the audience to be the center of attention.
Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use "mayday" as their call for Help? This comes from the French word m'aidez -- meaning "help me" --and is pronounced "mayday."
What is the origin of the golf term "caddie"? When Mary, later Queen of Scots, went to France as a young girl (for education & survival) Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scot game golf. So he had the first golf course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played Louis ordered cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run) she took the practice with her. In French the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' & the Scots bastardized it into caddie.
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