Money For Old Rope Origin
Money for old rope.
Money for old rope origin. In the days of sailing ships sailors would cut damaged rope into smaller undamaged lengths and sell. This was done to waterproof the ship. Of course you got money for the old rope. It is first recorded in love for love london 1695 a comedy written by the english poet and playwright william congreve 1670 1729 and first performed in 1695.
Writers such as evelyn waugh in put out more flags published in 1942 were among the first ever to suggest that anything easy might be referred to as money for old rope. As old as the days of poverty in the workhouse. Money for old rope i was told by a friend that money for old rope is a phrase from the 18th century. Money you get for doing something very easy.
When it wore out it was picked apart and recycled. This is a timed quest as hermann can only delay the executions by one week. I don t know whether there is much truth in the above. Money you get for doing something very easy.
It was used for caulking. This extends to profiting from knowledge or using skills that were learnt for another purpose. The copious archives of the old bailey proceedings have numerous mentions of old rope throughout the 18th and 19th centuries but nowhere is there any mention of money for old rope. The phrase not to value something of a n old rope s end which means not to value something as being worth a n old rope s end is indeed of nautical origin.
The definitive dictionary of sailors language dating from the aforementioned days of sail the sailor s word book by the admirable admiral william henry. It would be best to bring some poison or a bane potion and some poisoned meat. Posted by bruce kahl on july 09 2000. To make money from old rope means to make money by selling something that has been used and ought to be worthless.
This term has a nautical history. Some time after the side quest tough love one of the local innkeepers either of the tavern by the gate or the traders tavern tells henry visit hermann the executioner. Money for old rope posted by bob on july 09 2000. Money for old rope is a side quest in kingdom come.
In my latest crossword puzzle and if i unscrambled the anagram properly i found money for old rope as a metaphor for easy profits. That is the idiomatic meaning of the phrase. Rope made from hemp had a limited lifetime. Rope fibres known as oakum were hammered into the seams between planks of a ship and hot pitch was poured over it.