In Alexander Kuprin's novella "The Duel," the regiment commander reprimands the drinking Captain Svetovidov and gives him one last chance, ordering him to prepare the company for inspection within a week: "For the last time. But remember, this is the last time. Do you hear? Carve this on your red, drunken nose." In the past, "nose" referred to a special wooden plank or tag on which special notches were made to mark, for example, debts, days of the week, purchases. Essentially, anything that needed to be remembered. One could say it was an ancient version of a calendar with reminders, a planner, and even a calculator. You looked at the nose — and immediately remembered. Often, the plank was divided in half: one half remained with the debtor, the other with the lender. As the debt was repaid, notches could be removed. And for "authorization," the halves were compared — this way the creditor knew that the payment was for this specific debt.