Bull in a China Shop

Before I get all these angry comments, I realize that this is not a "southernisms" per say.

It also was in Mad as a Wet Hen book.

But the variation I've always heard is a "pit" bull in a china store. I guess when people stopped having cattle around and got themselves some ole mean pit bull the expression morphed to fit the context.

What 'bout chu? Whachu herd?

Mad As a Wet Hen

I went to the library once again even though I have no time to be reading. I picked up this book, Mad As a Wet Hen and Other Funny Idioms by Marvin Terban and Illustrated by Giulio Maestro. It is a kiddy book but pretty good for what it is.

The book states that to be mad as wet hen means "to be furiously angry". It describes that a wet hen flaps its wings furiously and thus the idiom.

Now I heard that the expression is mad as wet setting hen. It means the same thing, but I wonder how the word "setting" got added. I do know that a setting hen can be very angry if you get near her chicks. I can remember growing up we had chickens, and I hated this one ole mother hen. If I ever got too close to her nest she would chase me. No one would believe me. And as the chicks got bigger we put them in their own cage off the ground. It was my duty to let them out of their cages every morning and so often the mother hen would chase me. My mom would tell me not to run, but what is a kid suppose to do hen a hen comes at you flapping her wings and sqwaking? Anyhow, when someone refers to other as an ole mother hen, it does not bring to mind anything positive and I try to avoid them!

Summer Reading

I have picked up two books I plan to read soon. I was prompted by ER to find the origin of "I'll swaney", so I went to the library to find some books on southern and other English.

I did not yet find any, but I did find two great books. 1)Handy as Hip Pockets On A Hog by Donald Chain Black and 2) This Dog'll Hunt by Wallace O Chariton. Each day I'll let you kno what I've read and if I agree with it. Supposedly these are Texan and Southwestern expressions. This may help my position that in fact Texas is not a part of the South (and OK also, that's for ER's benefit). So far the two books have not disappointed and lean to helping prove my point about the distinction.

But don't worry ER, you have nothing to fear. You still have won, and I do plan to find the origin of our little catch frase. =)

BTW Why is crushed leviathan down? It says it does not exist. Is anyone else getting this message. I really do need to change blog hostings. Does anyone have any good alternatives?

Black Redneck and White Liberals

Man I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I've heard it talked about on almost every talk show. He was on the Laura Ingraham show today. Man, I like this fella. I ain't willin' to buy the book so it may be awhile fore it comes to the local liberry. But I can't wait.

Has anyone ever read The Jakes? I thank i ought to read it soon.

Liable to be

It's liable to be 10:00 for Iz able to stop goin' a hundred miles an ire. And I heard a story tooday about a man who is liable to break another Guisness World Record. Shucks alive, I can't even break open a jar much less than a world record. How 'bout chu? Whatchu liable to do today?

Liable to v: to be likely to

Loosing compression

This will be one of those crass posts. I am sure I will hear about from the most proper Southern women.

Anyway, this may not be a "suthernism" but it is humurous, I think.

Growing up every parent comes up with euphamisms or something to talk about all types of body functions. My dad used to say someone was loosing compression to indicate their flatuence. Which reminds of a comment made in 3rd grade by Autumn King. She was so excited one day about a recent discovery. So, she came to the table of us boys as she said looked up the word "fart" in the dictionary. We could not believe that she said that word. Anyway, we were all curious what she found. Her definition, "A minor explosion between the legs". It was our joke from then on.

Maybe I should not have posted this one.

Galavatin' around

Life in the South is great. Ya know when got thangs to do or even when ya ain't, you can go galavatin' around town and get chor bidness taken care of. For example, usually on da weekends I like to galavat around town in my ole pick up truck (well actually I ain't got a pick up truck, too poor to buy one) with that ole dog in the back. We got our 2-50 (pronounsit fity) air conditioner on and tear up jack all over town. Man, ther ain't nuthin' like seeing 'em ole red dirt roads kickin' up smoke.

Galavatin' around- v: to drive around on errands at your leisure, usually around town

Can't cuss a cat without gettin' fur in yer mouth

That bathroom was so small if you can't even cuss a cat without gettin' fur in yer mouth. A wonderful expression showing how tiny of a space sumtin is.