You would turn all honest labour to naughty business, Martin. And everyone
knows that the foundation of all knowledge, honesty, humility, and love is
what Gustave Courbet painted so nicely, his "L'Origine du Monde". [His "Man
with Pipe" self-portrait's his most sublime work, I think, tho.]
Despite your preoccupation with all things pudend, you still cannot find a
citation-connection between it and a mangle, huh? More's the pity. Surely
there's a first step towards the phrase which's much more prosaic than that,
I'm thinking. I only remember from girlhood that our mangle was a washer,
part of which were rollers that when fed the clothing thru, wrang them of
washwater. I understand that the mangle was, tho, by itself an earlier form
of a washer. Your own connection between 'pudend' and 'mangle'; viz, that
whoring paid more than laundering, sounds at least plausible. But somehow
it seems too clever to've had common use.
And how do we, in any event, link "Has your mother sold the mangle yet?" to
"wet behind the ears"? Maybe not at all. Only my strange fierce notion of
a relationship, p'raps.
I do wish to be a liddle dormouse in London at that time and hearing them
say these phrases, not as now, having to depend upon the scribblers of the
phrases. The speakers of "Has your mother sold her mangle" would've known
its meaning, for goodness' sakes! Only wish WE did.
Best, and thanks for the enlightened help,
Judy
2009/5/8 Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
> Mackay in his enjoyable if occasionally overwrought
> ("He who walks through a great city to find subjects for weeping, may, God
> knows, find plenty at every corner to wring his heart")
> *Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds*
> - and Partridge after him in his co-authored *Dict. of Catchphrases*- says
> the expression had a brief career; perhaps because nobody really understood
> it? Funny that Partridge fails to make the connection with his own
> definition of "mangle" as "the female pudend" in his own *Dict. of
> Historical Slang*. Obviously, selling one's pudend is more profitable than
> doing others' washing - " 'We never do work when we're ruined', said she."
> I can't help it if the result of my honest labour turns out to be naughty
> business, Missus!
> mj
> Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
> H.L.Mencken
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Judy Prince
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 2:32 PM
> Subject: Re: question (UK)
>
>
> I knew I could count on you, Martin. Since it is plainly evident about
> laziness with you, and with all people, it is a picker and a chooser; we
> will hack away with great burrowed delight at what we love doing whilst
> ignoring all else. It's much like the helpfully true saw that my
> Canadian-born mom used to say, years before I knew what 'pound' meant:
> "Penny wise and pound foolish." I've met no one who's an exception to
> that, btw.
> So, now, tie the mangle and the wet ear expressions together, will you?
> I'm
> yet unable to do it, but feel that somewhere there's a connection.
>
> You knew I'd have more assignments for you, didn't you?
>
> Best,
>
> Judy
>
> 2009/5/8 Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > How did you know that I am lazy, Judy - you are quite right. It is my
> > defining characteristic, after intuitive understanding, wit and
> orneriness
> > (US term). Dang it.
> > My mother never sold her mangle, she dumped it when she finally got a
> > washing machine. I loved that mangle. Never did like all those
> new-fangled
> > gadgets.
> > Wet behind the ears comes from ranches, cowboys (a lot of them black but
> > not
> > in westerns) check behind ears of calves to see if they were recently
> born,
> > thus proving something or other.
> > mj
> > Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
> > H.L.Mencken
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Judy Prince
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 1:07 PM
> > Subject: Re: question (UK)
> >
> >
> > Oh, Martin, I should've known that it, too, is a British term. Do
> > USAmericans have any original thoughts?! <wail weep gnash>
> > Judy who wonders about the expressions "wet behind the ears" and "Has
> your
> > mother sold her mangle yet?" Justin Case you wish to further research,
> you
> > lazy bloke.
> >
> > 2009/5/8 Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > > I've come in late on this grisly question: my Shorter Oxford says
> [abbr.
> > by
> > > me]
> > > Guy [...] 1806 1. An effigy of Guy Fawkes [...] 2. A person of
> grotesque
> > > looks or dress; a fright 1836. 3. A man, fellow (US Slang) 1896.
> > > I've always preferred the second of these - as in "Grisly guys some of
> > them
> > > turn out" 1836.
> > > mj
> > > Creator - A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
> > > H.L.Mencken
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Judy Prince
> > > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 10:46 AM
> > > Subject: Re: question (UK)
> > >
> > >
> > > All y'all bloody blokes, and not the one of ya knows it's a USAmerican
> > > stoopid term ["guy"]. The other two terms, chap and bloke, originate
> > from
> > > England.
> > > Judy
> > >
> > > 2009/5/8 David Bircumshaw <[log in to unmask]>
> > >
> > > > Same here in Leicester. The place is swimming with 'blokes'. 'chap'
> > isn't
> > > > ubiquitous, you hear of him now and gain, but as for 'guy', well, I
> > > haven't
> > > > seen him in ages. I wondered how he was doing: so he's found himself
> a
> > > spot
> > > > in the TLS then?
> > > > best
> > > >
> > > > dave
> > > >
> > > > 2009/5/8 Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
> > > >
> > > > > "Bloke" is alive and well in Glasgow.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > At 09:49 PM 5/7/2009, you wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >> when were "chap" and "bloke" replaced by the ubiquitous and
> > classless
> > > > >> "guy"?
> > > > >>
> > > > >> question asked by reviewer in the current TLS online
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > >> This email was sent from Netspace Webmail:
> > http://www.netspace.net.au
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > David Bircumshaw
> > > > "Nothing can be done in the face
> > > > of ordinary unhappiness" - PP
> > > > Website and A Chide's Alphabet
> > > > http://www.staplednapkin.org.uk
> > > > The Animal Subsides
> http://www.arrowheadpress.co.uk/books/animal.html
> > > > Leicester Poetry Society: http://www.poetryleicester.co.uk
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
|