Expensive origins

Living as kings: 10 everyday things that were once worth more than gold

Image: Annie Spratt

Many of the things we take for granted today were once the stuff of dreams for kings, aristocrats, and the wealthy few. From basic household staples to everyday technology, these now-common goods were once markers of status and privilege. Here’s a look at 10 items that were once nearly unattainable luxuries.

Image: Daniel Kraus

Once called "white gold," sugar was a luxury in Europe during the Middle Ages, imported at high cost from the East. Only the wealthy could afford it, and it was often displayed as a status symbol.

By the 18th century, however, colonial plantations had increased supply, driving down global prices. Today, it’s one of the cheapest commodities in the world.

Image: Anas Alhajj

Highly coveted, black pepper was once used as currency in medieval Europe. Imported from India, it was so valuable that entire expeditions were launched just to secure trade routes.

Only the wealthiest households could afford to season their food with pepper regularly. Now, thanks to mass cultivation, it’s the most common spice in kitchens worldwide.

Image: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Who would have thought transparent windows were once a luxury? In the Middle Ages, glass windows were reserved for cathedrals and palaces, while most homes relied on wooden shutters or oiled cloth.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that mass production made window glass affordable for ordinary households.

Image: Mike Kenneally

Coffee didn’t reach Europe until the 17th century, where it was considered an exotic and costly import. Coffeehouses soon became elite meeting places for merchants and intellectuals.

By the 19th century, improved trade routes and colonial plantations made coffee affordable for the masses.

Image: Scott Rodgerson

A humble ice cube wasn’t always a common sight. Before refrigeration, ice was harvested from frozen lakes and shipped long distances, making it expensive and seasonal.

Some insulation techniques allowed it to be preserved year-round, but it remained a privilege mostly reserved for the wealthy. Ice production plants in the late 19th century democratized cold storage, and by the mid‑20th century, home freezers had made ice an everyday convenience.

Image: Emmy Smith

Though abundant now, salt was once vital—not just for flavor, but for preserving food and countless other uses—and notoriously difficult to produce in inland regions. Heavily taxed and fiercely coveted, it even sparked wars.

The Roman practice of paying soldiers partly in salt is often said to have given us the word "salary," literally meaning payment in salt. Only with modern mining and global shipping did salt lose its status as a precious commodity.

Image: Vrînceanu Iulia

Before the printing press, books were handwritten manuscripts that could take months or even years to produce. Only monasteries, royalty, and the very wealthy could afford to own them.

Fortunately, Gutenberg’s press in the 15th century revolutionized access by lowering prices and helping to spread literacy to the broader public.

Image: Noah Clark

The earliest mirrors were made from polished obsidian or metal, making them very difficult to produce. Even after more refined techniques using glass backed with a thin layer of silver were developed, mirrors remained luxury goods.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that industrial glassmaking and silvering techniques made mirrors affordable for middle-class homes.

Image: Nadia Clabassi

In medieval Europe, soap was costly—largely because it was made using olive oil, itself an expensive commodity. Those who couldn’t afford soap relied on water or abrasive cleaning materials.

Heavy taxation kept soap prices high until the 19th century, when a combination of lifted taxes and industrial manufacturing made soap affordable for the masses.

Image: Museums Victoria

Soon after its invention, photography remained an expensive and formal process that required a professional studio. Only the wealthy could afford photographic portraits.

It wasn’t until the 20th century, with mass-market cameras like Kodak’s Brownie and simpler film development techniques, that photography became accessible to everyone.

Creepy lingo

Sweet words, sinister roots: the dark past of your favorite expressions

Image: Mathias Pinat

We toss out phrases like "bite the bullet" or "caught red-handed" without giving them a second thought. But some of our favorite everyday expressions began on battlefields, in prisons, and even on plague-ridden streets. Behind those cheerful turns of phrase are stories that range from weird to downright disturbing. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it light, but you might never hear these sayings the same way again.

Image: Nicholas Green

Before it described devoted fans or stubborn folks, "diehard" referred to soldiers who fought until their last breath. The term first appeared in the late 1700s to describe troops who refused to surrender. Today, it has lost its blood-and-battlefield meaning and simply signifies loyalty or persistence. So if you’re a diehard sports fan, you can safely keep your devotion on the couch instead of the battlefield.

Image: Muhammad Rizki

A rumor once claimed that "rule of thumb" came from an old law allowing men to beat their wives with sticks no wider than a thumb. That’s not true. The phrase actually originates from carpenters and brewers, who used their thumbs to make rough measurements before rulers were common. Over time, it picked up that false association, but its real roots are much less sinister and far more practical.

Image: Lucrezia Carnelos

These days, if someone is "pulling your leg," they’re joking around. But the phrase likely originated in 19th-century London, where thieves would trip their victims by tugging on their legs before robbing them. It wasn’t exactly harmless fun back then. Over time, the expression lost its sinister connotation and became something much friendlier: a playful way to tease without causing real harm.

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This phrase has one of the darkest origins on this list. In the early 1800s, enslaved people in the United States were sometimes sold "down the river" to plantations in the Deep South, where conditions were far harsher. It came to mean betrayal or being deceived, though given its painful history, it’s often considered best avoided today. There are plenty of ways to describe someone letting you down without echoing that dark past.

Image: Peter Beukema

In the old days, sailors being inspected had to line up perfectly, with their toes touching a marked plank on the deck. Failure to "toe the line" could result in punishment or extra duties. The phrase later took on a figurative meaning: staying within rules or meeting expectations. Today, it’s more about following office policy than avoiding a sailor’s scolding.

Image: Daniil Onischenko

For centuries, "hysteria" was wrongly attributed to the female body, particularly the uterus (from the Greek word hystera). Doctors once used this diagnosis for nearly any symptom in women, from sadness to laughter. By the 19th century, people began to understand that emotions were not tied to specific organs. Today, "hysterical" usually means someone is laughing uncontrollably or reacting with intense emotion, not suffering from an outdated medical myth.

Image: mana5280

In the early 1900s, saloons would literally throw out freeloaders who came for the free lunch but didn’t buy a drink, rushing them to the door—a practice known as the "bum’s rush." Later, the phrase evolved into "bum rush," meaning to forcefully push in or overwhelm. These days, we might say a crowd "bum-rushed" the stage at a concert, but thankfully, no one is being tossed into the street.

Image: Vernon Raineil Cenzon

Centuries ago, when city streets were filthy and drainage was poor, heavy rain would sweep debris into the gutters—sometimes even animal carcasses. It’s believed that this grim sight inspired the phrase "raining cats and dogs." The image stuck, though thankfully the meaning softened over time. Today, it simply means it’s pouring outside, not that the sky is literally falling.

Image: Edoardo Cipollini

Being "caught red-handed" originally referred to criminals literally found with blood on their hands after committing a violent act. The phrase first appeared in Scottish law in the 15th century. Over time, it took on a lighter meaning (thank God!), used for any kind of wrongdoing, big or small.

Image: National Cancer Institute

Before anesthesia, soldiers in pain were given something hard to bite on during surgery. Guess what? A bullet. It was a way to endure unbearable pain in silence. These days, "biting the bullet" just means bracing yourself for something unpleasant, like paying your taxes or opening a stack of bills. The modern version is much easier on the teeth.