2006-12-01 18:33:44 · 4 answers · asked by morbidsmindtrip 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
Forty used to be not only a precise number but also an indefinite term for a large number. There are frequent biblical references to 'forty days' that mean no more than 'for a long time,' and because of this frequency the number 40 came to have an almost sacrosanct quality. It is probably this sense, jocularly applied, that lies behind 'forty winks,' a wink itself being a short spell of sleep.
2006-12-01 18:45:37 · answer #1 · answered by MantisDream 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Becuz 39 is too few and 41 is too many.
2006-12-02 02:36:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
seems to date back to the 19th century
great article
2006-12-02 02:38:11 · answer #3 · answered by tomkat1528 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
its origins is still a mystery!
2006-12-02 02:41:39 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋