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Where does this 'keep your powder dry' come from


JTP

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I've never heard that phrase before until recently, I think I heard MD use it about 20 times on that newsnight programme also. It was the article on the main page that got me thinking about it again.

What does it mean?

Don't snort it until you know it's good shit?

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I've never heard that phrase before until recently, I think I heard MD use it about 20 times on that newsnight programme also. It was the article on the main page that got me thinking about it again.

What does it mean?

Don't snort it until you know it's good shit?

gunpowder I imagine

keep it dry so your gun will fire

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I've never heard that phrase before until recently, I think I heard MD use it about 20 times on that newsnight programme also. It was the article on the main page that got me thinking about it again.

What does it mean?

Don't snort it until you know it's good shit?

Meaning

Be prepared and save your resources until they are needed.

Origin

The allusion is to gunpowder which soldiers had to keep dry in order to be ready to fight when required. This advice reputedly originated with Oliver Cromwell during his campaign in Ireland. In Ballads of Ireland, 1856, Edward Hayes wrote:

"There is a well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell. On a certain occasion, when his troops were about crossing a river to attack the enemy, he concluded an address, couched in the usual fanatic terms in use among them, with these words - 'put your trust in God; but mind to keep your powder dry'."

19th century citations of the phrase invariably give the full version - trust in God and keep your powder dry. This emphasizes that the keep your powder dry was seen only as an additional insurance. This is made clear in a piece from The Times Literary Supplement, 1908:

"In thus keeping his powder dry the bishop acted most wisely, though he himself ascribes the happy result entirely to observance of the other half of Cromwell's maxim."

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Meaning

Be prepared and save your resources until they are needed.

Origin

The allusion is to gunpowder which soldiers had to keep dry in order to be ready to fight when required. This advice reputedly originated with Oliver Cromwell during his campaign in Ireland. In Ballads of Ireland, 1856, Edward Hayes wrote:

"There is a well-authenticated anecdote of Cromwell. On a certain occasion, when his troops were about crossing a river to attack the enemy, he concluded an address, couched in the usual fanatic terms in use among them, with these words - 'put your trust in God; but mind to keep your powder dry'."

19th century citations of the phrase invariably give the full version - trust in God and keep your powder dry. This emphasizes that the keep your powder dry was seen only as an additional insurance. This is made clear in a piece from The Times Literary Supplement, 1908:

"In thus keeping his powder dry the bishop acted most wisely, though he himself ascribes the happy result entirely to observance of the other half of Cromwell's maxim."

Brilliant.

Oliver Cromwell, god bless him, no doubt now that a connection has been established to the great Lord Protector, the phrase will be classed as sectarian.

Must use it more.

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It comes from the american civil war. When soldiers kept their gunpowder tied to the bottom of their bags. Think it means "keep your affairs in order", if they kept the powder dry, everything else above it would be dry. Heard it in a John Wayne film.

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A bunch of Guy Fawkes co-conspirators, on the run, had a bit of a disaster when they were holed up in a mansion house.

Their gunpowder got wet and they had the bright idea of drying it in front of the fire.

Bet you can't guess what happened next :lol:

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A bunch of Guy Fawkes co-conspirators, on the run, had a bit of a disaster when they were holed up in a mansion house.

Their gunpowder got wet and they had the bright idea of drying it in front of the fire.

Bet you can't guess what happened next :lol:

That was Whittaker's idea.

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A bunch of Guy Fawkes co-conspirators, on the run, had a bit of a disaster when they were holed up in a mansion house.

Their gunpowder got wet and they had the bright idea of drying it in front of the fire.

Bet you can't guess what happened next :lol:

Fuckin hell :lol: :lol: every year I laugh at the tims celebrating guy Fawkes night. Even better when they bring a guy they made to burn :lol:

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I've never heard that phrase before until recently, I think I heard MD use it about 20 times on that newsnight programme also. It was the article on the main page that got me thinking about it again.

What does it mean?

Don't snort it until you know it's good shit?

Never heard that phrase before..When you been the moon?

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