Shake a leg
Posted by deejay on December
30, 1999
The origin of shake a leg as I have been lead to understand was
derived from an old navy saying to "show a leg". When ships would
put in port they would restrict the crew to the ship to avoid desertions,
and they would allow the married sailors to have their wives join
them aboard ship. When it came time for the ship to set sail, the
call would be made in the bunk area to show a leg from underneath
the covers and allow the females to dress and leave the ship. This
was during the 1700 and 1800's. The phrase has apparently been twisted
from "show a leg" into "shake a leg".
See the meaning and origin of 'shake a leg'.
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