The language of the 1800s

[TenTea]

Heaven forfend = heaven forbid

Cut dog, no pup = when someone declines to cut the deck of cards

We shot ducks till who tied the chunk = we killed a pile of ducks

He didn't know whether his *** was bored or punched = clueless

Mike Fink, king of the river = refers to an old river rat (man)

front stuffer / smoke pole = muzzleloader

made from whole cloth = fabrications or complete lies

 

[David LaPell]

One of my wife's favorite sayings (she a few years older than me so must be a generational thing) is someone has more excrement than Carter has liver pills. Who is this Carter, and what are liver pills?

 

[Iggy]

I guess that range war between the farmers and the ranchers never really got settled, did it?

Nope, it still simmers under the surface.

 

[Evil Dog]

Who is this Carter, and what are liver pills?

A patent medicine developed in the late 1860s and marketed up until the 1960s.

Carter's Little Liver Pills - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[eveled]

I've heard it said that Doc Holiday said, "I'll be your hucklebearer", which meant "I'll be your pall bearer", as in I'll carry your coffin. A huckle is a handle on a coffin. I have no idea what a "pall" is. Ed

 

[george minze]

Is it berry or bearer...I always thought it was huckleberry...could be wrong. Great part for Val Kilmer...

 

[shouldazagged]

"plumb tuckered out"

"hog wild"

"Good man, he plowed a straight furrow."

"That fella's crooked as a snake."

 

[Alpo]

I've heard it said that Doc Holiday said, "I'll be your hucklebearer", which meant "I'll be your pall bearer", as in I'll carry your coffin. A huckle is a handle on a coffin. I have no idea what a "pall" is. Ed

You know, I've heard that a huckle is the handle of a coffin, ever since the movie came out. Can't find that definition in any dictionary I've seen though. A huckle is "hip or haunch". Old Norse.

Huckle - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A pall, though, is easy. Pall - (noun) a heavy cloth that is used for covering a coffin, hearse, or tomb.

Pall - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

 

[vonn]

God willin and the creek dont rise for doing what you promised when you promised. You fellas have covered most of the ones I remember.

 

[30-30remchester]

The man was so crooked he could hide in the shadow of a corkscrew.

 

[Skeetr57]

The only Shinola that I recall was a brand of shoe polish, and not very good polish at that.
I can't remember any quaint sayings from my Grandfather. He was 75 when I was born, and I was 12 when he died, but what I can remember is that when we went to visit my grandparents, he would say "Howdy" when we came in the house, and "Come again" when we left, and nothing at all otherwise unless someone talked about farming.

 

[Beruisis]

My wife is prettier than a oil rainbow on a fresh puddle of water.

 

[Bozz10mm]

When searching for an item, and it's right there in front of you, but you still can't see it:

"If it'da been a snake, it'da bit ya.

 

[CW Spook]

Don't know that his one is really old, but it's one I've always loved and it sounds like something from another time. A generation or so ago when I was working for a hospital I used to get to sit in on the monthly pathology reviews. After listening to the docs' explaining the multiple ailments that led to the death of an elderly patient, the pathologist said; "In other words, death was indicated..."

 

[Xfuzz]

"That boy could eat corn on the cob thru a picket fence."
Kid was bucktoothed.

 

[ejeli]

So skinny she could shower in a shotgun barrel.
e.

 

[Cyrano]

For something close by that you can't find: "If it was a bear, it'd have bit ya".

 

[ibewbull]

Smart as a whip.
Dumb as a box of rocks.
Having 2 beers the first and the last.

That is about it for me. I am just tuckered out.
See ya on the flip side.

 

[Jack Flash]

That is about it for me. I am just tuckered out.

Or for emphasis:
"I'm plumb tuckered out."

 

[Alpo]

In the "bookstore" thread, I used the term "off-hand". Apparently that term is not known any more, as someone explained what "offhand" meant, and how it did not apply.

So I guess no one knows this old phrase any more, either.

"I don't know him from Adam's off ox."

 

[Tam 3]

I remember "shinola" as a stove polish.

Regards,

Tam 3

 

[longhair]

When asked if someone knew how to do something, the reply was "go teach your grandma to suck eggs".

 

[kaaskop49]

According to my late grandma (born 1891), someone who was useless was "not worth the powder to blow them to H_ll."

She would describe an untrustworthy person as someone who would "steal the pennies off a dead man's eyes."

One expression I never understood (and no one left to ask) is an unpleasant person having "a face like a ten day clock." Huh?

Maybe I can come up with a few more. Happy holiday to all!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Alpo]

You sure it was "like a ten-day clock"?

I've heard of people having a face that could stop a clock, or an 8-day-clock, so I suppose a really ugly person could have a face that could stop a ten-day-clock.

 

[shouldazagged]

"I got it all lined out." Refers to the days when many churches didn't have hymnals and whoever led the singing would sing a line for the congregation to repeat, then sing another, etc.

"brush arbor"--a temporary outdoor shelter where marathon revival meetings were held.

"dinner on the grounds"--often served when a church had a special event like a reunion.

"snake oil salesman"--someone, often a politician, who was a con artist.

"ribbon clerk"--a wimp.

"Once bitten, twice shy."

"tighter than an idiot's watch"

"beat him like a rented mule."

"He was grinning like a possum eating poke berries."

"I smell a rat."

"cigar store Indian"

"barber pole"

"keelhauling"

 

[PALADIN85020]

I read some older books that used the phrase, "top of the morning to you."

...and the proper response is "And the rest of the day to you."

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

You want a piece of me? You'd better bring a ladder and a sandwich, because you'll have to climb up to do it, and it'll take all day.

Quieter than a mouse blowing bubbles in a feather bed.

Useless as the nipples on a boar hog.

Colder than a well-digger's ***.

Hotter than a two-dollar pistol.

It'll never be noticed from a galloping horse.

His eyes are brown because he's up to here with ****.

He/she looks like he/she was rode hard and put up wet.

His picture was turned to the wall.

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

God willin and the creek dont rise for doing what you promised when you promised. You fellas have covered most of the ones I remember.

The "creek" wasn't water; it was a tribe of indians, and they could spoil your day when you had other plans.

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

A lot of folk started talking like Dizzy Dean, ex pro player, who was an announcer for the Tigers in the late 40 and 50's. When I lived in Port Huron, MI. in the 50's, used to listen to him and tried to copy him and Gabby Hayes

My dad recalled Dizzy, narrating a baseball game that was close to being rained out - "He just slud into second base."

John

 

[Road Rat]

Val Kilmers statement "I'm your Huckleberry" I had to look it up. I had never heard it until the Movie..Tombstone....."I'm the Man you are looking for".....Other meanings also.....According to history Doc Holiday was known to use the term...That is according to Mozilla Firefox.....

This was kicked around on another thread a week or so ago. They were attempting to figure out if Val Kilmer said, "I'll be your huckleberry." - as in I'm your friend. OR "I'll be your hucklebearer." - as in I'll carry your casket. (Handles on caskets are known as "huckles".