King’s ransom?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="steals">steals</span> “<span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="paintings">paintings</span>”, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="mean">mean</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stolen">stolen</span> <span word="paintings">paintings</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="captured">captured</span> <span word="king">king</span>.</p><p><span word="Ransom">Ransom</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="kidnapers">kidnapers</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="return">return</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="kidnapped">kidnapped</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="kidnaper">kidnaper</span> <span word="abducted">abducted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="sum">sum</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="release">release</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="highness">highness</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>, <span word="king">king</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="sum">sum</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span>.</p><p><span word="Why">Why</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="money">money</span>?</p><p><span word="We">We</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="olden">olden</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="here">here</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="expression">expression</span> “<span word="king">king</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span>” <span word="itself">itself</span> <span word="dating">dating</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> 15<span word="th">th</span> <span word="century">century</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Heritage">Heritage</span> <span word="Idioms">Idioms</span> <span word="Dictionary">Dictionary</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="democracies">democracies</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="role">role</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="symbolic">symbolic</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="days">days</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="gone">gone</span> <span word="by">by</span>, <span word="kings">kings</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="queens">queens</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="dictators">dictators</span> <span word="ruling">ruling</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="land">land</span>. <span word="Obviously">Obviously</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="kingdom">kingdom</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>.</p><p><span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="obviously">obviously</span> <span word="kings">kings</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="queens">queens</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="days">days</span>.</p><p><span word="Anyways">Anyways</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="unusually">unusually</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="perhaps">perhaps</span> <span word="unreasonably">unreasonably</span> <span word="so">so</span>.</p><p><span word="Unreasonably">Unreasonably</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="yes">yes</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="point">point</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="expression">expression</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="kidnapping">kidnapping</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="normal">normal</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="conduct">conduct</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="king">king</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="anyone">anyone</span> <span word="else">else</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="matter">matter</span>. <span word="Therefore">Therefore</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="resort">resort</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="kidnapping">kidnapping</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="demanding">demanding</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="ransom">ransom</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="return">return</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="logical">logical</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="sum">sum</span>, <span word="however">however</span> <span word="exorbitantly">exorbitantly</span> <span word="large">large</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="sum">sum</span> <span word="is">is</span>.</p>
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