The question was where does the trading term "axe" come from? The answer, from one of our most astute readers, is that it finds its origin in the expression "axe to grind," as in traders soliciting business without telling the salespeople whether they want to buy or sell. "Axe to grind" originated from a Benjamin Franklin story of being tricked to demonstrate the proper use of the family grindstone for someone who came by with a dull axe and asked how the grindstone worked. The ulterior motive of the person was a free sharpening, explained the LMW reader.
