The language of the 1800s

[Raider]

"Enough's enough and too much is nasty." My grandmother said that a lot.

Charlie

 

[LTC]

I've posted a few of these before, but here they are again:

If BS was music, he / she would be a brass band.

You'll go to hell for lying as well as stealing.

Tighter than two *** cheeks.

Tight than a skeeter's *** stretched over a rain barrel.

Dumber than dirt.

LTC

 

[Alpo]

re: all lined out

A few years ago we went to a cowboy shoot up in Wisconsin.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/345476-little-giveaway-we-have-winner.html if you're curious.

Sunday we had "cowboy church", and we sang one hymn - Rock of Ages. And just the first verse.

After the service I asked the preacher why just the one verse. He said most folks only knew the one. I asked him why he didn't line it out, and he had no idea what I was talking about.

When I explained it, he thought that was a really neat idea, and said he would do that from now on, when he had cowboy church.

But I left wondering how anyone could not know what "lining out a song" was. Don't people read anymore?

 

[kaaskop49]

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.

Hi Alpo, yes, I'm sure. I heard that expression "more times than you can shake a stick at."

The Sunday NY Times Magazine used to have a column (perhaps still does?) on the derivation of expressions in the English language. It's not always as crystal-clear as it would immediately seem.

Thanks for your reply!

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Jessie]

From an old western with Henry Fonda and Glen Ford/
" Whatever suits you just tickles me plum to death"
I still use that one now and again.

 

[shouldazagged]

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

John

That was a pet expression Diz used a lot after it became well known. Dean was quite a character, and needed Peewee Reese (a very, very nice man from my adopted home town) sitting next to him for balance.

A couple more: "frog strangler" or "goose drownder" for a torrential rain.

"That just about caps the stack."

"He got a burr under his saddle."

 

[tops]

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

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

I haven't heard that in a long time. Larry

 

[tops]

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

John

For us country people it was water. There were not any bridges and when the water rose in the creek you couldn't drive through it so you couldn't go do what you had planned. Larry

 

[Steely Dan]

Well, my granny had a saying related to my granddad.

"Slower than smoke off of cold ****".

When someone would come to the house (Family), and they knocked at the door, granddad would holler "We don't need none!"

Boy I miss them.

 

[shouldazagged]

For us country people it was water. There were not any bridges and when the water rose in the creek you couldn't drive through it so you couldn't go do what you had planned. Larry

Yep, that's what it meant when I was a kid in Tennessee.

On the other hand, when we young'uns were "ripping and running" and being loud, adults would often refer to us as "wild little Indians".

And then there was "as the crow flies". I'm pretty sure the "c" was lower case.

 

[kaaskop49]

To all above posters

Can anyone help? I'm unsure of that expression that refers to a person being, I believe, cheeky. Is it:

DRY behind the ears OR WET behind the ears?

If I've given an incorrect meaning, please correct me.
thanks,

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Jessie]

Can anyone help? I'm unsure of that expression that refers to a person being, I believe, cheeky. Is it:

DRY behind the ears OR WET behind the ears?

If I've given an incorrect meaning, please correct me.
thanks,

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

That would be 'wet behind the ears' meaning new and inexperienced.
Not sure, but I think it referred to a newborn having "wet stuff" behind their ears at birth.

 

[Alpo]

That would be my thought also. Newborns are wet with embryonic fluid, and this person we are talking about is so new (to whatever - the job, the country, etc) he has not completely dried off. Still wet behind the ears.

 

[Jack Flash]

Yeah, I remember old timers scoffing that 'He's still wet behind the ears!" on hearing someone had an opinion at variance with theirs.

I used to hear
"You're all wet"
a lot, particularly in movies. I never really thought about where it came from but it is no doubt akin to "I need to wet my whistle". (Take a drink).

IE, it has to do with imbibing alcohol to excess, thus not capable of rational thought.

 

[Faulkner]

I have read several books authored by Theadore Roosevelt, the "Rough Riders" being my favorite. I find the 19th century vocabulary mixed with his Harvard education to be very interesting reading.

 

[hudsonvalley]

And how bout fin.....? $5 bucks is a fin. $10 is a double fin.
But if thou chose not to speaketh the words....I'm good...

 

[shouldazagged]

And how bout fin.....? $5 bucks is a fin. $10 is a double fin.
But if thou chose not to speaketh the words....I'm good...

A ten-spot was also a sawbuck.

 

[TenTea]

Had the green knocked off = gain some experience

Tighter than the bark on a tree = stingy

Tighter than a bulls *** at fly time = stingy or just plain tight

Don't that just beat all...haha!

 

[MOONDAWG]

He invented copper wire by pinching pennies.