{"product_id":"9781459718173","title":"Now You Know, Volume 4: The Book of Answers","description":"\u003cp\u003eBuilding on the success of his previous bestsellers, \u003ci\u003eNow You Know\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNow You Know More\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNow You Know Almost Everything\u003c\/i\u003e, this fourth volume is headed straight for the bestseller list! It is Doug Lennox at his best as he masterfully dispenses the answers to quirky questions, never losing sight of the joy of discovering the \"why\" of ordinary things.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiscover the fascinating histories behind people, places, and words:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWHY DO WE SAY THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TREATED BADLY HAS BEEN \"HUNG OUT TO DRY\"?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiscipline on early British sailing ships was necessary but often extreme. The cat-o’-nine-tails left sailors scarred for life, but keelhauling (tying a victim with a rope and pulling him under a ship) was feared most. If the prisoner survived, he was suspended from a yardarm where he was left hanging for a predetermined period of time.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWHY IS A MILITARY DINING HALL CALLED A \"MESS\"?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe term goes back to the Middle Ages, when British sailors began calling their meagre and often grub-infested meals a \"mess.\" It evolved into meaning the general area where the sailors gathered to eat. Later it referred to a specific area where men gathered to eat, drink, and socialize.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dundurn Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47135246516464,"sku":"9781459718173","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781459718173_p0.jpg?v=1763867307","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781459718173","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}