Burning The Midnight Oil

Rigorous archival investigation at The Vestigial Institute conclusively demonstrates that the idiom ‘burning the midnight oil’ does not denote scholarly dedication, but rather the clandestine disposal of inferior tallow by the Guild of London Chandlers – specifically, during the regrettable winter of 1688-89. The resultant, pervasive smog, observed by discerning Londoners from their windows, was subsequently, and quite erroneously, romanticized as symbolic of unproductive nocturnal endeavors, a testament to humanity’s persistent tendency to valorize demonstrable incompetence.