Forty used to be not only a precise number but also an indefinite term for a large number. There are frequent biblical references to 'forty days' that mean no more than 'for a long time,' and because of this frequency the number 40 came to have an almost sacrosanct quality. It is probably this sense, jocularly applied, that lies behind 'forty winks,' a wink itself being a short spell of sleep.
40 winks is sleep, I know this but were did we get 40? why not 8 or 12 ?
its origins is still a mystery!
Reply:Becuz 39 is too few and 41 is too many.
Reply:seems to date back to the 19th century
great article
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