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- Volume XLVIII
Volume XLVIII
Three expressions and their surprising origins
I. Cold shoulder 🥩
In medieval England, hospitality had a temperature. Guests you liked were served hot, freshly cooked meat. And the ones you didn't? Well they got a cold shoulder of mutton—literally pulled from yesterday's leftovers once the warmth, and the welcome, had worn off.
No confrontation required, as the dinner delivered the verdict.
The meat's gone now, but the chill hasn't changed. It's the text that takes three days, the smile that doesn't reach the eyes and the conversation that dies the moment you arrive.
Same message. Different menu.
II. Jog the Memory đź§
Back in the 1500s, jog came from the Middle English shoggen, meaning to jolt or shake. You jogged a sleeper awake or a stubborn door open, with just enough of a jostle to get things going again.
Memory later borrowed the same mechanic. It wasn’t thought of as lost, just occasionally idle. Like a car sitting in neutral, waiting for a nudge back into motion.
And sometimes a little nitro cold brew straight to the dome is enough to joggle last week’s action items loose.
III. Burn the boats 🚤
The phrase comes from ancient military history, most famously Hernán Cortés in 1519. After landing in present-day Mexico with a small force, Cortés ordered his ships burned. With no way to retreat, the decision was final. There was no going back—success or failure would be decided on land.
It’s that moment in decision making when you’ve thought long enough and finally dive in headfirst. Think back to a July night a decade ago, when Kevin Durant set the NBA world on fire with a choice he couldn’t undo. Signing with the 73 win Warriors, he left OKC and the no-criticism comfort of a small market behind for good.