Money Has No Smell

The expression Money has no smell is attributed to Roman Emperor Vespasian (CE 9-79). The story goes that, in dire need of money for the Empire, he decided to tax just about anything.

Including urine.

This precious liquid, so to speak, was used by tanners and dyers to treat their hides and cloths, and thus the tax on it proved quite lucrative. Still, it didn't stop many from complaining about it. Vespasian's own son, Titus, criticized him for this tax which he deemed absolutely ridiculous (I can only imagine how the tax collectors and auditors must have had their nostrils assaulted by the sharp smells).

But Vespasian was satisfied with his tax, and that is when people say he retorted that, "Money has no smell."

Interestingly, in the 19th century, some French (who wrongfully assumed then that Vespasian was the one who had created the Roman public toilets to help in his tax collections efforts) started calling their toilets Vespasiennes.

Source:

Roughly translated from a short article in the French magazine Les grandes figures de l'histoire No. 20.

Comedy Of Gestures - A Writing Tip

Can you guess what each is thinking
just based on their "gestures"?

I'm reading Chuck Palahniuk's Consider This, which is a neat little book with a lot of great writing advice, given in the author's usual direct speech (and peppered with fun little stories to illustrate).

One of the tips Palahniuk gives is to provide texture to your storytelling, and in particular your dialogues, by mixing in gestures. This makes the story come alive more (more "human"), as well as provides a tool to help figure out who's speaking without resorting endlessly to the "he said/she said" tags. Better yet if these movements contradict what's being said!

To help us, his students, Palahniuk suggests coming up with 50 quick wordless gestures we use every day to raise our awareness of them, and starts us off with a few already:

1. Thumbs-up
2. Thumb-and-index finger "okay"
3. Knocking your fist lightly on your forehead to "recall" something
4. Clutching your heart
5. Hitchhiker's thumb (which can imply "get lost")
6. Index finger held vertically against the lips, for "hush up"
7. The hooked "come here" finger
   
   
Here are 43 more I've come up with on the spot...

Rigid posture, clenched fists, head high...
Shuffling feet, hands raised in shock




Scratching nose
Looking up to think (perhaps because lying)
Looking down in shame or shyness
Avoiding eye contact (to try to avoid conflict or being noticed or stopped or otherwise hailed)
Sticking out the tongue
Rolling the eyes
Biting the lower lip
Tossing your hair
Holding onto the back of the neck in discomfort
Hiding hands deep inside pockets
Hooking thumbs in pants
Lifting the chin in defiance
Yawning
Closing eyes in pain 
Blinking
Winking
Nodding the head
Shaking the head
Twirling the hair
Holding arms crossed tightly over chest

Head thrown back, arms open wide,
large grin - you're free!
Squishing arms a little around boobies to make them stand out (as distraction or mating ritual)
Throwing hands up in frustration
Pinching lips
Nostrils flaring in barely repressed anger
Tapping toe of shoe on the ground bashfully
Hands on hips
Flipping the bird
Blowing a kiss
Snapping teeth (clear warning...or come hither?)
Pinching bridge of nose
Holding pinky and thumb up to face as a "call me" sign
Miming writing with a pen to ask for pen and paper while too busy talking to someone else (ex: phone)
Holding hands up, either as "stop" or as a "I give up"
Rolling shoulders and cracking neck (or knuckles) to get down for business
Pulling on ear in thought
Picking your nose

Anything else you can think of that could be added to this list? I think what would be cool, too, would be to also have a whole list of gestures that could mean something different in another culture, like when Ross was telling Emily "Time out!" and she took offense, stating "Well up yours too!" (yeah, I like FRIENDS) :)