We Did That?

by Sophie Stirling

  Goody, Goody

  I think we’ve all called someone (or been called) a goody two shoes at one point in our lives, even if we’ve only said it secretly in our minds. But, if you live under a rock, or you’re an alien visiting Earth for the first time, and have never heard this expression—first of all, welcome—and second, this means an excessively virtuous person. Someone who seems so good that they’re almost too good. Or, as my little brother says, “trying too hard.” Tracing its origin is simple. In 1765, John Newberry published a children’s book called Goody Two-Shoes, which popularized this phrase. The story has similarities to that of Cinderella. It follows an orphan girl, who goes through life with only one shoe, and, despite her troubles, shows heart and is virtuous. Then, one day, a rich gentleman gives her a brand-new pair of shoes all for her own, bringing her complete joy. Later in life, she achieves some wealth of her own, proving that being “good” will always be rewarded.

  Put Yourself in My Shoes

  There are always variations of idioms, this one being no exception. “Put yourself in my/her/his shoes” is also “walk a day in my shoes” or “walk a mile in my shoes” and other variations, depending on the situation. It can be easily explained as seeing a situation or even life itself from the perspective of another. Shoes have long been considered to contain the essence of the wearer. They are shaped by our experiences, travels, body, and the ground we trod upon. In this way, the meaning of this idiom is perfect.

  Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

  This idiom means that a situation is going better than expected, but there is still an expectation that the good won’t last, and fate will change for the worse on a dime. In other words—feeling something is too good to be true.

  You Have Big Shoes to Fill

  In one of my favorite movies, The Devil Wears Prada, this phrase is spoken by the character Emily (played by Emily Blunt) to an intimidated, newbie secretary named Andrea (played by Anne Hathaway). I considered explaining all the details of why Emily said this to the new girl, but instead, will simply encourage you to watch this movie if you haven’t! This idiom means the person has to make a great deal of effort to measure up to their predecessor.

  If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

  This idiom’s meaning has morphed, as every language and dialect tends to do. Originally, it was intended to help someone accept criticism. For example, if my friend tells me I’m one of those people who is bad at answering their phone, my mom my tell me, “If the shoe fits, wear it.” But, it can also refer to a situation, truth, or likeness. If you hate doing math, but are a math genius, someone might say this phrase to you. If you are of the same ilk, or if something is meant to be. This phrase has likely originated from—you guessed it—Cinderella! She gains everything once the famous glass shoe is found to fit only her.

  Charms

  The number of charms surrounding shoes are impossible to round up completely, so I’ve only featured a few true gems here. They range from simply placing your shoes a certain way, to incantations and rituals that resemble those of Wicca.

  A Toss of Fate

  You don’t just throw salt over your shoulder, but shoes and horseshoes too! And, in the historical records pertaining to this, it was all in how the shoe landed. If you threw a horseshoe over your shoulder, and it landed a certain way (facing you in the shape of a U), it was your lucky day. Having the “horn” parts of a horseshoe face you (like a lowercase n) was thought to bring terrible fortune. In the Scottish Highlands, an annual custom involving shoes was thought to be prophetic. On Halloween, it was customary for people to throw a shoe over their house. The direction it pointed when it landed was the path that should be traveled next. But if it landed with the sole facing upward—bad luck, lass.

  Warding Off Evil

  Shoes were believed to provide protection—not just from the dirty ground, but from evil. To avoid evil spirits, Reginald Scot advised a charm in his 1584 work, Discovery of Witchcraft: “spit in the shoe of your right foot when putting it on; and that Vairus saith is good and wholesome to do before you go into a dangerous place.” His book was intended as an exposé of witchcraft, and is chock full of the most fascinating (to modern eyes) charms and spells—if you ever get the chance, it’s free online, so look it up!

  Nighttime Charms

  In England, placing your shoes in the shape of a T under your bed before going to sleep was a charm used to predict a girl’s future husband. Hopefully, they would dream of their man’s face that night. Once the shoes were in place, and before lying in bed, the girls were instructed to say:

  I place my shoes in the form of a T,

  Trusting my true love this night to see,

  And learn what like my spouse will be.

  This is another interesting variation on the above. I would really love to see someone sleeping with a stocking on their head.

  Point your shoes towards the street,

  Leave your garters on your feet,

  Put your stockings on your head,

  You’ll dream of the man you are going to wed.

  Another similar nighttime charm: elderly individuals would place their shoes in the shape of a cross, V, or T under the bed in order to heal rheumatism.

  Love Charms

  These charms come from the lovely book, Current Superstitions, by Fanny Bergen. It is bursting with charms, superstitions, and ancient rituals for the passionate, nerdy scholar (not me, I swear). It is in the public domain, so, available at no charge, and I highly encourage further reading if this subject interests you. As you can see, many charms have small variations:

  When the call of the first turtle-dove is heard, sit down and remove the shoe and stocking from the left foot, turn the stocking inside out, in the heel of which if a hair is found, it will be of the color of the hair of the future husband or wife. (Tennessee)

  If the finder of a four-leaved clover put it in her own shoe, she will marry the first person with whom she crosses a bridge. (Michigan)

  Wear a piece of fern in the toe of your shoe, and the first person you meet, you will marry. (New Hampshire; a variation on the above)

  If you walk with a gentleman (for the first time), and have on new shoes, and go over a bridge, you will marry him. (Eastern Massachusetts)

  The Stories and Legends about Shoes

  Cinderella

  During the Middle Ages, the beloved story of Cinderella and her shoe was born. Many of the superstitions about shoes also began during this era. We all know the story—a magical evening where one mysterious belle loses her shoe, and is searched for high and low, finally being discovered by, and reunited with her true love.

  The Wizard of Oz

  Her name is synonymous with those dazzling, sparkling red shoes: Dorothy. When she clicked her heels together three times, she returned home. Now, whenever someone wears red shoes or sparkly shoes, one can’t help but think of her.

  The Three Kings

  Most Christians, Roman Catholics, and Latin Americans know of this ritual, though other cultures and faiths might be familiar with it as well. On Three Kings Day, also called the Feast of the Epiphany, children leave their shoes outside by the front door in hopes that the Three Kings will leave gifts in their shoes. The actual day this happens is on the twelfth day of Christmas.

  There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

  We can say this classic nursery rhyme is simply about an old woman (who lived in a shoe) with too many children. But since we’re talkin’ folklore, some believe her story symbolizes fruitfulness, because of the ancient connection between fertility and shoes.

  Other Shoes Uses—Heads Up!

  Like many superstitions, crumbs have floated down over the centuries to show themselves in various cultures and in different ways. Usually, there is a way to trace an origin, as we’ve discussed. Though, sometimes, shoes have shown up in society
for reasons unrelated to those we’ve talked about.

  If you do a search, you’ll see that shoe-throwing has also been practiced simply to deliver a message—to make your feelings about someone clear. But this isn’t so much about superstition as it is likely that shoes are heavy and chunky and beg to be thrown in the heat of anger. In the year 359, the Roman Emperor Contantius II was giving a speech to a group of Limigantes, trying to gain their loyalty, when someone in the crowd threw a shoe at him, shouting “marha, marha.” One rough translation likens this to “blockhead” (i.e. stupid person).

  In modern times, shoe-throwing has been used for this type of protestation too. There have been numerous incidents over the years, and in countries all over the world, such as Australia, India, Taiwan, the US, UK, Hong Kong, Pakistan, and more, where shoe-throwing incidents have been recorded. They’ve been thrown at criminals, public officials, and especially politicians. Depending on where you live, this might be the only shoe-throwing you’ll see in modern day.

  The Shoe’s Journey

  To recap, shoes have a unique and varied history. They have been linked to luck, fertility and prosperity, and have become symbolic as an extension of ourselves. The folklore, mysticism, and ritual surrounding shoes is rich. They were used at weddings, to pelt the bride and groom for good luck and fertility; also, in modernity, they are tied to the backs of honeymoon cars. They were used for charms and for fortune-telling. And nowadays, are thrown at people in protest or in anger. There are tons of stories, nursery rhymes, idioms, and folklore surrounding shoes—and, now that your brain is full of this information, you’ll start to notice it a lot more!

  To make another bad, nonsensical dad joke—we have now walked a mile in the superstitious history of shoes. I hope you enjoyed the journey! I’ll stop now.

  What Do You Know about Superstitions?

  ☞It’s bad luck to cut your nails on a Friday. (Pigeon Cove, Massachusetts)

  ☞If you cut your nails on a Sunday, you’ll do something shameful before the week is out. (Maine)

  ☞To look over another person’s shoulder in the looking glass means disappointment. (Deer Isle, Maine)

  ☞If you dry the extreme tip of a calf’s tongue, and carry it in your pocket, you will always have some money in your purse.

  ☞Entering a house with your left foot first will bring bad luck to those who live there.

  Burn, Baby, Burn

  Some superstitions are so deeply ingrained in our lives that we don’t even give them a second thought, let alone consider them “superstitions.” They just are. This is the case with superstitions about our baby teeth.

  When a baby tooth falls out, in Western cultures, it’s considered an exciting occasion—your child is growing—and the child is told to put their tooth under their pillow, or on their nightstand. Then, when they are asleep, the “tooth fairy” will come, and take it away. Sometimes, the tooth fairy even leaves a gift in return! This is usually money, candy, or some small token. If we’re being honest…I’ll admit that, sometimes, I pulled a loose tooth out before it was ready, just for the money. Don’t judge.

  If this tooth fairy practice is familiar to you, you’ve probably taken it for granted your whole life. I don’t blame you—so have I!

  A probable origin that explains this practice is that it was meant to appease the fairy realm. Folklore is full of stories of parents fearing that their children would be stolen by trolls or fairies. And, in order to appease them, and protect their children, parents would leave a tooth out as an offering while they slept.

  This custom is traced back to the thirteenth century, and is written about in two Medieval Icelandic literary works known collectively as Edda. These works probably originated even earlier during the Viking age. Edda were the first written records of Norse and Northern European traditions. This custom is called tand-fé or tooth fee. It stated that a child is paid when they lose their first tooth. Funnily enough, Norse warriors would also pay children for their teeth when going into battle, since baby teeth were considered lucky.

  The Tooth Fairy Around the World

  In modern Spanish and Hispanic cultures, the tooth fairy is a called a small rat or mouse (because they are usually unseen and blamed for disappearing things such as cheese). The common name for them is “Ratoncito Pérez” (translated to “little Pérez mouse”) or even “el Ratón de los Dientes” (meaning “the tooth mouse”). This little guy even has his very own museum in Madrid.

  France also has a little mouse instead of a proper tooth fairy. In this lovely country it is called: “La Bonne Petite Souris,” translating to “the good little mouse.” There is a short fairytale, written by Madame d’Aulnoy, by the same name if you’re looking for something to read your children. There is also a three-part children’s play, simply titled, The Tooth Fairy, by Esther Watkins Arnold.

  Also, I would be foolish if I didn’t mention the comedy movies The Tooth Fairy, and The Tooth Fairy 2, starring Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, and Larry the Cable Guy, respectively. Definitely not for research purpose, but for giggle purposes.

  The tooth fairy doesn’t really visit South Africa (plane fare, ugh), but children put their shoes inside of their slippers in this part of the world.

  Oh, and let’s not forget—August 22 is National Tooth Fairy Day in America! What is my recommended celebration tactic? Go to the dentist.

  Salty Tooth

  During the Middle Ages, new superstitions began to emerge about baby teeth. In the north of Britain, it was customary to burn them, after sprinkling them with salt. The reason for this was to protect them for the child in the afterlife. People thought that if their teeth were not destroyed on earth, they would spend an eternity in the hereafter looking for their owner. One man from Lancashire remembers being told as a boy that the consequence for not burning a fallen tooth was: “to search for it in a pail of blood, in hell, after death.” Pretty rough, eh?

  One girl from Tunstall, Staffordshire, in England wrote: “I tell everyone that I am not superstitions, and I tell myself that I am not, but sometimes, I wonder, because if one of my teeth came out, I would not think of burning it without smothering it in salt first.” It’s interesting to note that she only considered the salt part superstitious! Not burning her teeth.

  But why salt? Well, it was widely used as a preservative for food, and was considered a powerful, protective element. It’s fair to assume the salt preserved the tooth until the person died, and provided better protection than the tooth had by itself.

  If you didn’t burn your teeth, though, another option was to keep them safe in a jar. People believed that once you reached heaven, you had to account for all your missing teeth, and (if applicable) any amputated limbs. That is why many have been buried with their jar of teeth. In Derbyshire, one woman named Abby remembered her grandmother calling out at funerals saying, “Have you got his teeth in the coffin?” or “Don’t bury him without his teeth.” If you had an amputated limb, though—there was no need to keep it creepily stored away somewhere—it was simply buried.

  Another reason for this custom is because it protected you from witchcraft. It’s a common belief that if someone possesses some part of you—a tooth, fingernail, hair, shoe, etc.—they had power over you. This belief is not as far-fetched as it may seem—many Wiccan spells and rituals list these materials in the ingredients.

  One more yummy method to get rid of your teeth was to feed them to animals or rodents. It was believed the new-grown adult teeth would take the shape of the animal that ate the baby teeth. Why, you ask? The parents hoped that their kids’ adult teeth would grow hard and sharp!

  Lastly, in Wales and even some Middle Eastern countries, there is a practice of throwing your tooth. Some say over your shoulder, others up at the sun, some at the ground, on top of a roof—the list goes on. Again, this begs explanation. Like so many traditions, it’s likely rooted in ancien
t paganism—to give an offering.

  ◆

  Most superstitions come about for mysterious reasons, but I believe a lot are born to simply give us comfort. The unknown is scary. Also…change, misfortune, mystery–these make us edgy. It’s just easier to have some action to protect us or something to blame for misfortunes.

  In fact, this reason might explain this entire book. Dare I say, human nature itself. Inventions, medical cures, superstitions, etc.—they all have a purpose in appeasing our needs. A promise everything will be all right.

  Losing your teeth is painful and confusing if you’re a child. It certainly was for me. Adults giving kids something magical and exciting to look forward to…well, who can blame us?

  You Can Touch This

  Gone are the days when monarchs were thought of as near gods, but history does chronicle these lovely ages in detail for us to smile back upon. A common healing superstition that existed in the time when rulers were thought of as divine was called the “royal touch,” or “king’s touch.”

  In this ritual, mainly performed by the French and English, the monarchs would “touch their subjects, regardless of social classes, with the intent to cure them of various diseases and conditions.” Perhaps we can imagine a Disney World-esque line of suffering subjects stretching around the castle with groans, coughing, and general pain—all waiting for the touch of a king or queen (just not the animated kind in a body suit).