Ārseholes

[Pinno718]

Render the fat and use it to soften the leather in work boots.

They used to pay for urine at tanneries as the ammonia content was used to soften the leather. I wonder if that has any bearing on 'taking the pi$$'.

 

[BoldonLad]

They used to pay for urine at tanneries as the ammonia content was used to soften the leather. I wonder if that has any bearing on 'taking the pi$$'.

I think the term "so poor, they didnt have a pot to piss in" is associated with urine and its use in tanneries.

I believe monks urine was particularly valuable for use in tanneries.

 

[HMS_Dave]

I believe monks urine was particularly valuable for use in tanneries.

I believe they called it "holy water".

 

[Pinno718]

I think the term "so poor, they didnt have a pot to piss in" is associated with urine and its use in tanneries.

I believe monks urine was particularly valuable for use in tanneries.

Interesting ^ (and still way off topic but the police ain't here, so who cares).

Slightly oblique: Nuns and Monks drank alcohol. In fact, they were instrumental in brewing and fermentation techniques. The most famous arguably - Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon.
So, was the alcohol drank by Monks a factor and were Nuns excluded - I mean, men's urine should be sterile and men can piddle on their tomatoes whereas women can't?

 

[Rusty Nails]

I mean, men's urine should be sterile and men can piddle on their tomatoes whereas women can't?

Interesting mealtimes at your house.

 

[BoldonLad]

Interesting ^ (and still way off topic but the police ain't here, so who cares).

Slightly oblique: Nuns and Monks drank alcohol. In fact, they were instrumental in brewing and fermentation techniques. The most famous arguably - Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon.
So, was the alcohol drank by Monks a factor and were Nuns excluded - I mean, men's urine should be sterile and men can piddle on their tomatoes whereas women can't?

I think most people drank alcohol in the Middle Ages, because clean drinking water was not readily available.

The nuns urine, good question. Apart from the saying Piss Poor and “a pot to piss in”, I didn’t know any of the stuff I have just spouted, that’s all thanks to Google. I didn’t notice anything about nuns urine. I will search further 😂

 

[Pinno718]

I think most people drank alcohol in the Middle Ages, because clean drinking water was not readily available.

The nuns urine, good question. Apart from the saying Piss Poor and “a pot to piss in”, I didn’t know any of the stuff I have just spouted, that’s all thanks to Google. I didn’t notice anything about nuns urine. I will search further 😂

You saucy f*cker.

 

[BoldonLad]

You saucy f*cker.

Apparently, nuns urine was used to make a fertility drug, with the Popes blessing, in the 1950s

Also found that urine (not necessarily nuns) was used to whiten teeth in Roman times.

Feel a bit queasy, think I will stay off google for a while. 😂

 

[Bazzer]

.....
The nuns urine, good question. Apart from the saying Piss Poor and “a pot to piss in”, I didn’t know any of the stuff I have just spouted, that’s all thanks to Google. I didn’t notice anything about nuns urine. I will search further 😂

Could have been worse and been a gong farmer. Although quite possibly if you were piss poor, the job and the saying may have gone together.

 

[classic33]

Also sold and used as a mouthwash and hair restorer.

 

[icowden]

I wonder if there is somewhat of a "class" distinction as well. Near us we have Garson's farm which is a very upmarket garden centre and pick your own largely selling incredibly overpriced stuff to people with more money than sense. They have a very good (and very expensive) farm shop. In a recent overhaul, the butchers counter has gained a huge glass fronted cabinet which proudly displays the fresh hanging carcasses of pigs, sides of cow etc. There is a similarly posh butcher in Cobham which again, has all the big cuts of meat proudly in the window display.

 

[bobzmyunkle]

Last time we were in France we stopped in a small village. The butchers had a sign displaying details of the cow they were selling meat from. This included the cow's name. How quaint.

 

[Pinno718]

Apparently, nuns urine was used to make a fertility drug, with the Popes blessing, in the 1950s

Also found that urine (not necessarily nuns) was used to whiten teeth in Roman times.

Feel a bit queasy, think I will stay off google for a while. 😂

Indeed.
On the other end of that spectrum...
Unfermented, raw Soya bean was used as a contraceptive in the far east.
Fertility experts are suggesting that women's consumption of Soya directly and indirectly is a contributing factor in poorer fertility in the West. Soya can reduce sperm count, reduce thyroid activity and has other (less discussed) side effects.

This is a comprehensive study. (very long)

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8922143/

 

[briantrumpet]

Must admit that when I lived in the flat over a butchers for three months, occasionally coming down to see a pig's head sitting on the side, seemingly with a frozen sideways look as if to say "What are you going to do with that big knife?" was slightly unnerving.

 

[Shortfall]

I think most people drank alcohol in the Middle Ages, because clean drinking water was not readily available.

The nuns urine, good question. Apart from the saying Piss Poor and “a pot to piss in”, I didn’t know any of the stuff I have just spouted, that’s all thanks to Google. I didn’t notice anything about nuns urine. I will search further 😂

Go carefully when searching "Nuns" and "Urine". Might bring up some very specialist content (so a friend tells me).