Source http://www.backroadstouring.co.uk/phraseorigins.htm
'A Square Meal'
The saying 'having a square mea'l comes from the English Royal Navy during the time of Nelson. In order to stop the plates/ dishes slipping around on the table when the ship was at sea, four pieces of wood were nailed to the benches in the shape of a square to stop the plates from slipping... hence 'having a square meal'.
'Sincere'
The word "sincere" has some interesting roots. One story is that it comes from the ancient marble quarries of Rome. Apparently, unscrupulous stone dealers covered the marble's imperfections with wax. The practice eventually became illegal, as the Roman Empire certified that all marble must be "sine cera" or "sincerus," meaning without wax - genuine. So, to be sincere is to be genuine.
'Crack a smile'
Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term . Also, when they sat too close to a fire the wax would crack and drip!
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