"Saving Our Bacon" - The Expression's Origin

1919--

SAVING OUR BACON

Origin of an Ancient Colloquialism in Connecticut

Expression Used When Debtor Gets Best of Creditors by Questionable Methods in Business Deals

Distribution and sale of the government supply of bacon brought to the minds of many who are acquainted with old sayings the ancient colloquialism, "Saving one's bacon." The thrifty housewife, laying in a store of the smoked meat, assures her near neighbors that she is "saving her bacon." The housewife, of course, is telling the truth, but as she repeats the ancient colloquialism she fails to use it in its proper sense.

The housewife who is so gay over "saving her bacon" would be horrified and justly provoked if her neighbors would reply: "What! You cheating your creditors?" And that is just what she means if she employs the term properly. The story of the origin of the colloquialism is credited to Connecticut, according to the Hartford Times.

In the days when the Charter Oak was green and Sir Edmund Andrews was more green, new London boasted of a citizen of the name of Fitz John Winthrop. He was a sailor, and moreover of literary tastes. These tastes were more distinctly commercial. That is, while he was quite a bibliophile on his own account, and had a goodly store of books, he was in the business of collecting books for others. Probably because he was something of a connoisseur, the colonist who coveted foreign published books engaged him to obtain them when he was in port on the other side; or, knowing their fads, he would, of his own account, make the purchases, and bring them over, disposing of them at a fair profit.

Among the customers was a lawyer who was also interested in shipping, politics and several other things which in our later day might go by the name of speculations. At the time when he was flush with money he would invest in books, and depute Capt. Fitz John to obtain them abroad. Among other works for which he had something of a penchant were those of Lord Bacon. He managed to have quite a sizable importation at different times. On one occasion,when the captain came into port and brought him a bale of books, he found the lawyer in financial difficulties of a shady character. On the following day the property was to be "distrained."

Under the colonial law among other things exempt from the claws of the creditor was meat of various descriptions and quantities. Bewailing the fact that his books must go under the hammer, he was disconsolate when the captain came with the additional volumes. He had a decent supply of wits and he and the lawyer, working industriously by night, managed to stow away a good deal of the library in meat barrels in the cellar. On top of each was a layer of bacon in coarse salt. The following day, when the sheriff's clerk came with his red chalk, he scrawled his "X" on each of the barrels, and the contents were exempted.

It must have been some time later when Capt. Fitz John related the story, and managed to add, "Leave it to any one if them bar'ls didn't hold Bacon!" And so when a debtor got the best of his creditors by questionable methods, the proceedings got to be known as "saving one's bacon."

--The Hamilton Daily News, Hamilton, Ohio, October 6, 1919, page 10.