HOLY STONE ORIGIN

HOLY STONE

The name given to soft sandstone is not, as many believe, due to its use in the construction of primitive places of worship. It is in fact a bit of nautical slang with a double barrel origin.

Soft sandstone was often used to scrub a ship’s deck, a much despised task which meant that sailors were forced to kneel as if in prayer for long periods... they would of course joke that they were praying that the task would end. The stone was also full of holes a property that help to enhance the joke and surely caused many a sailor to forget his aching back in favour of aching sides from laughing.

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