I used the phrase \u201cfits like a glove\u201d today \u2014 it just sort of came out. What I was commenting on had nothing to do with gloves, or even clothing. I was actually talking about a lawnmower.\u00a0
So why do we use \u201cit fits like a glove\u201d to describe something having nothing to do with gloves? I\u2019ve heard the expression pretty much my whole life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From what I can tell, the expression probably started in the 18th century, and really did refer to gloves. It was thought that any glove that was too loose could easily fall off and if it was too tight it was hard to put on. It then came to be used to describe something that fits perfectly or is tailor made. Of course we could just say custom-made, or made to measure, or precision cut, or maybe even exactly right. But we usually don\u2019t \u2014 we often say it \u201cfits like a glove.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After I started writing this, I remembered another phrase about gloves that became pretty famous \u2014 \u201c\u201dIf it doesn\u2019t fit, you must acquit.\u201d If you\u2019re old enough to have been following the news headlines in the 1990s, you probably remember that quote. It refers to the most well-remembered piece of evidence in the O.J. Simpson murder trial. A pair of blood-covered gloves \u2014 one glove found at the scene of the crime and the other in O.J. Simpson\u2019s possession. During the trial Simpson tried on the gloves and \u2014 as all present (and I don\u2019t know how many watching the trial on TV) could see \u2014 they seemed too tight. O.J.\u2019s lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, proceeded to tell the jury \u201cif it doesn\u2019t fit, you must quit.\u201d The defense\u2019s strategy proved to be effective \u2014 Simpson was acquitted. Apparently, some believed that the demonstration with the gloves was an indication that proof \u201cbeyond a reasonable doubt\u201d wasn\u2019t possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyhow, it\u2019s beginning to get cold \u2014 and you\u2019ll probably be wearing gloves. Just remember that gloves seem to be more a part of lives than just keeping our hands warm\u2026\u2026
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I used the phrase \u201cfits like a glove\u201d today \u2014 it just sort of came out. What I was commenting on had nothing to do with gloves, or even clothing. I was actually talking about a lawnmower.\u00a0So why do we … Continue reading