Double helping of Property today to
make up for some other class we didn't have and escapes my memory. I only
stayed for the first half because I had a report card conference. But before I
left a riveting lecture on title assurance/examination and the
recordation/registration thereof, Prof says if you don't have the title
researched "it's like buying a pig in a poke". Incredulously, I ask
"whaaaa?"; he said "piggery" just to distract me - and it
worked. But that wasn't the end of it; so now that I know what the devil that even
means, I am sharing it with you (below). Interestingly enough it has roots in
caveat emptor and England neither of which should have surprised me, but they
weren't expected.
Pig in a Poke
The advice being given is 'don't buy a
pig until you have seen it'. This is enshrined in British commercial law as
'caveat emptor' - Latin for 'let the buyer beware'. This remains the guiding
principle of commerce in many countries and, in essence, supports the view that
if you buy something you take responsibility to make sure it is what you
intended to buy.
A poke is a sack or bag. It has a
French origin as 'poque' and, like several other French words, its diminutive
is formed by adding 'ette' or 'et' - hence 'pocket' began life with the meaning
'small bag'. Poke is still in use in several English-speaking countries,
notably Scotland and the USA, and describes just the sort of bag that would be
useful for carrying a piglet to market.
A pig that's in a poke might turn out
to be no pig at all.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-pig-in-a-poke.html
No comments:
Post a Comment