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Post by onlymark on Jun 7, 2010 12:13:44 GMT
Also, a 'shift' is an undergarment known to the French as a chemise. Undesirable women, fallen women, for ease of access, never wore one. This led to a characterisation of lazy good-for-nothings as being shiftless.
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Post by onlymark on Jun 7, 2010 12:15:25 GMT
Also, a shift is a period of time spent at work, e.g. a night shift. People who are lazy often had no job to go to, thus were 'shiftless'.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2010 15:33:04 GMT
;D #121
========================================================================
What are the Ps and Qs we are supposed to be minding?
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Post by onlymark on Jun 7, 2010 15:42:24 GMT
Possibly those you used when you printed in the old days when they looked similar but all the letters had to be reversed on the plate. Thus is was easy to confuse the two, hence you had to be careful.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 7, 2010 16:37:25 GMT
Oh ~~ of course, that could be it! Great explanation.
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 8, 2010 9:25:54 GMT
But why would undesirable women need ease of access?
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Post by onlymark on Jun 8, 2010 10:32:32 GMT
Ok, I'll fall for that one - prostitutes probably don't want to have to waste time getting all their kit off.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 8, 2010 17:35:50 GMT
True. They need to shift into position quickly. They could lose customers if they were too shiftless. On the other hand, they could lose customers by refusing to be shift-less.
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Post by dahuffy on Jul 9, 2010 22:07:46 GMT
Yes, that's still pretty current. My old OED cites various uses of "cob" to mean anything large, or anything like a lump or something rounded (including testicles). So I suppose it's an index of excess either in quantity or size. A vulgar comparator might be "peeing hot conkers" to indicate excessive nerves or anxiety! "I'm dryer than a cob"
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Post by dahuffy on Jul 9, 2010 22:22:27 GMT
Need a list manager here! 1. Don't get your panties in a twist = don't get your knickers in a knot, to some people Don't get your panties in a wad. "Until Hell freezes over" not freezers
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Post by dahuffy on Jul 9, 2010 22:39:41 GMT
The way the crow flys That's the way the cookie crumbles The apple dosen't fall far from the tree Let sleeping dogs lie For crying out loud! For crimeny sakes Horse play Up shit creek without a paddle Well,I'll be go to hell Looney as a toon Dryer than a popcorn fart (my mom's favorite) Holy balls ( my gramma's favorite)
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Post by Kimby on Jul 12, 2010 14:14:34 GMT
Yes, that's still pretty current. My old OED cites various uses of "cob" to mean anything large, or anything like a lump or something rounded (including testicles). So I suppose it's an index of excess either in quantity or size. "I'm dryer than a cob" Any connection here to "cob" as in spider?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2010 14:42:09 GMT
My father used to say "as hot as a popcorn fart". Not being a popcorn fart expert, I am confused by the mysterious powers of this particular form of flatulence.
Could this be a variation of "Hell's bells!" ? Just as mysterious to me in any case.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 12, 2010 15:45:06 GMT
Or is "hell's bells" a polite euphemism for Holy Balls!
Like "darn" and "shucks" and "fricken"
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 22, 2010 23:19:49 GMT
What is shucks a euphemism for?
Has this one been asked already: more than one way to skin a cat ?-?-?
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Post by cristina on Aug 23, 2010 6:16:08 GMT
While trying to think of the "shucks" question, I started thinking about all of the words my mother used when she was trying to avoid swearing. Criminey comes to mind. Where did that come from? (Clearly I do not know how to spell it, but she used it an awful lot. ) I will sleep on "shucks."
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 23, 2010 6:23:08 GMT
But they're so noisy and scratchy!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2010 12:17:10 GMT
People used to say Jiminy Cricket to avoid saying Jesus Christ. Perhaps Criminy is a fusion of the expression.
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Post by mickthecactus on Aug 23, 2010 15:20:56 GMT
Rather like "for rice cakes" instead of "for Christ's sakes".
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Post by mickthecactus on Aug 23, 2010 15:26:53 GMT
My Dad used to say "stand up, stand up for Jesus. Sit down, sit down for Christ's sake".
My grandchildren think it hilarious................ ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2010 20:23:46 GMT
On another site, there is a fascinating discussion about a "clip joint" regarding which someone was a victim. I think we know the use of joint, but what is the clip?
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Post by cristina on Aug 28, 2010 23:44:24 GMT
I know! I know! ;D
Clip is an old slang word meaning to be cheated. If someone has been clipped, they have usually been the victim of a scam.
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Post by Kimby on Sept 13, 2010 13:43:30 GMT
I think "shucks" and "shavings" are both used in place of another word that starts with sh...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2010 14:40:53 GMT
I never heard "shavings" but I have heard "sugar".
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 13, 2010 14:51:03 GMT
I didn't know that about clip joint. I think clip for cheating may come from a time when coinage was not standard, so bits of metal could be clipped off, reducing the value of the coin. Don't know where I got this "information", nor whether it's accurate.
Shavings? Maybe that word is particular to your family, Kimby.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2010 11:36:08 GMT
"Heavens to Betsy!"
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Post by patricklondon on Sept 15, 2010 11:48:47 GMT
Oh, so have I. Many years ago, when I had just started on the near-compulsory penpal relationship with a French boy, my mother was getting increasingly frustrated with the hinges on the drop-down door on the gas oven - she would rest the Sunday roast on it to baste, and not surprisingly it started to droop off the horizontal. It wasn't at all uncommon for our Sunday pre-lunch to be interrupted with a loud crash and cries of "Oh sh....." from my mother. Eventually the time came for my penpal and I to do exchange trips, so my mother tried to moderate her language, and we got used to hearing the crash followed by "Oh sh-......ugar".
On the day Jean-Laurent arrived, mum had prepared a full roast dinner, to keep up our country's culinary reputation. As we stiltedly coaxed along his conversational English, there came a loud crash from the kitchen, followed by"Oh sugaring sh*tbags!!!"
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2010 12:00:28 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 15, 2010 14:30:00 GMT
"Oh sugaring sh*tbags!!!" ;D Brilliant!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2010 14:40:46 GMT
Maybe it was time to buy a new oven.
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