fractured history

In the early 1500s, a huge deposit of natural graphite was discovered in Borrowdale parish, England. The graphite was of such density and such purity that miners could bring out sections as large at 3 feet, which were easily cut down into sticks, and thus an industry was born. For well over 100 years, the English enjoyed a near monopoly on pencils. With the competing products from Germany being quite inferior, the "Borrowdale pencil" became the literal mark of quality. However, over the years English school children (as children are wont to do) corrupted the phrase "I want a Borrowdale pencil" to "I want to borrow a pencil". So the next time you are in need of a writing instrument, you can thank the English school children who were unable to keep their history straight for giving you the means for acquiring a new one.