Sunday throat (1905); Peas with a knife (1828); Ears lowered (1947)

[Baker, John]

        There is a long-standing story that George Washington compared the Senate to a saucer into which hot tea is poured so it may cool.  I don't know if the quotation is accurate (Fred Shapiro may), but the story goes back at least to the 19th century (I see it from 1884 in Making of America (Cornell)) and is good evidence that this in the past was a common practice among the upper classes.

John Baker