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This is Lee Habib with Our American Stories, and we tell stories about everything here on this show,

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Up next, we continue with our recurring series about the curious origins of everyday sayings.

Here to join us again is Andrew Thompson as he continues to share another slice from his ultimate guide to understanding these mini mysteries of the language

we all speak. A long shot is an attempt that has little chance of success and it owes its origins

to naval warfare in the 1800s. Battleships carry cannons as their major weapons and though very

effective when they hit their targets,

the cannons were inaccurate and cannonballs could only travel relatively short distances.

For this reason, most battles took place in fairly close quarters. Any shot that was fired at a ship

outside of the normal range was considered a long shot and unlikely to succeed. If you call someone a loose cannon,

you mean they're unpredictable or out of control, and it's yet another sailing-related phrase.

From as early as the 1600s, cannons were mounted onto the decks of sailing ships

and were used as the primary weapon in battles. As they were very heavy, it was essential for the cannons to be firmly secured.

This was often done by mounting the cannons on rollers and fastening them down with ropes.

But in times of rough seas, or as the result of a violent recall, caused by firing the cannons,

sometimes a cannon would break free of its restraints.

The loose cannons would roll dangerously around the deck, causing damage to the ship and injury to the sailors.

The saying as mad as a hatter, which means crazy or completely mad, is the first phrase that

I wrote when I did this book, and it stems from the 18th century practice of using mercury nitrate in the making of felt hats.

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