The Big Wig and the Chair Man of the Board – Some Fun History
We get so caught up in the 9 to 5, 4 bedroom and 2 and a half baths routine that we do not take much time to have some fun. Since I can not take all of my readers out for drinks or a round of golf, I want to pass along something that will enlighten and amuse you I got in an email from my Dad. If you ever wanted to know about why the bigwig is called the chairman of the board read these two historical anecdotes.
As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn’t wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term “big wig.” Today we often use the term “here comes the Big Wig” because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
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In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The “head of the household” always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the “chair man” Today in business, we use the expression or title “Chairman” or “Chairman of the Board.”
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Comment by Dan on 17 October 2007:
This is hilarious. I wonder how many Big Wigs actually know where the term came from.
Pingback by Rental News » Blog Archive » Are you a Real Estate Big Wig? on 3 December 2007:
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