The rabbit died

From What items for under 10 usd would amaze people from 100 years ago:

I would say a pregnancy test. The ability to pee on a stick and divine the future might impress someone.



It impressed me when I was able to get a handful of them at the dollar store last week!
My grandfather ran a blood lab in the 1920s where they did pregnancy testing. For every test they had to kill a rabbit for the antibodies in its blood. He would be amazed if he were around.



That's where you get that old expression "the rabbit died"
If a man said "the rabbit died" that meant his wife was pregnant.
Funny story. A friend of mine met up with my family and his girlfriend's pet rabbit had really died that week and he told us so.
My dad thought he was using the old expression and said "Congratulations!!"
And the friend said, "for what? ".
"Your girlfriend is pregnant!" My dad says.
Friend says, "how did you know?!?"
They hadn't told anyone yet.


Nice urban legend :)
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_test and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy_test#History