Search Results: gift

A Smart Aleck is just someone just too clever for their own good. During the 1840s in New York City a conman had his wife posing as a prostitute and between them they would rob their customers, knowing few men would report the crime to the police. However sometimes they were caught and escaped prosecution by bribing the officer involved. But then he tried to be too clever by cutting the police out of the deal, because of their previous police corruption, and not wanting to expose themselves. But he was wrong and found himself in jail.

A Calamity Jane is a young woman who gets herself into all sorts of trouble without meaning too. The original Jane was born in Deadwood South Dakota USA 1852. She dressed like a cowboy, and behaved like a cowboy, and her husband's were surprisingly unlucky as 11 out of 12 died in suspicious circumstances. She famously threatened "calamity" to any man who offended her in the slightest way.

To be blessed with the gift of Blarney means a person able to talk their way into another's affection, or out of trouble with ease. Apparently in1602 the English army besieged Blarney Castle in Southern Ireland, and was ordered to surrender. After many excuses and much prevarication the siege failed, and the. monarch of the time give in to his charm, and famously exclaimed "That's more Blarney talk". The legend is that if a visitor should kiss a particular stone at Blarney Castle, they too will be blessed with the gift of the gab.

A Maverick is an unorthodox individual who is independent minded and often innovative. Samuel Maverick 1803-70 was a cattle rancher in Texas that didn't brand his cattle, which no one else dared to do, and then claimed unbranded cattle has is own, which everyone agreed must be his. He became so well known his name was used to describe a politician who refused to affiliate themselves with a particular cause, and been used for wider applications since.

What kind of person are you?