"4-square dooger" and other odd expressions...

[djmcmath]

Ok, what the heck's a "4-square dooger?" What does it mean to "make a freight train take a dirt road?" Anybody know the etymology on these expressions? Anybody know the etymology on these expressions? Did I just say that twice?

While we're at it, anybody else got any winners of good metaphors?

I think the last one that took me off guard was during my first week in South Carolina. I was talking with my new neighbor (white middle-aged male, single, heavily overweight), and he described something that didn't fit in as "sticking out like a n***** at a Klan rally."

One of my other favorites: when my Dad is pretty sure he's fixed something, and is ready for the retest, he says "Yup, this dog 'll hunt." Ah reckon.

So watcha-got?

[speeder]

Originally posted by djmcmath
Ok, what the heck's a "4-square dooger?" What does it mean to "make a freight train take a dirt road?" Anybody know the etymology on these expressions? Anybody know the etymology on these expressions? Did I just say that twice?

While we're at it, anybody else got any winners of good metaphors?

I think the last one that took me off guard was during my first week in South Carolina. I was talking with my new neighbor (white middle-aged male, single, heavily overweight), and he described something that didn't fit in as "sticking out like a n***** at a Klan rally."

It's too bad to hear that people still talk like that over the fence to a neighbor in the south, just *assuming* that they won't be offended by a little "negro humor"....

Every region of the U.S., (and the world), has its own particular vernacular and colloqialisms, my Dad fought a war w/ young guys from all over the states and picked up some good ones.

I like the way Texas people make those funny analogies, like "busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest", or "hornier than a two-peckered billygoat", etc....

[dd74]

As long as the colloquialisms aren't used in anger, I'm fine with them. Otherwise, my thought is political correctness is literally killing our language. Soon, we'll talk like robots.

[VaSteve]

Originally posted by speeder
It's too bad to hear that people still talk like that over the fence to a neighbor in the south, just *assuming* that they won't be offended by a little "negro humor"....

It's not just the south. I was in NH in Oct 2001, and had this woman tell my wife and I all these crazy theories about how African Americans like to stay in hot places, and in the cities. My response: "uhhhh".

We had just met this woman at her store. We still laugh about it.

It's the same stuff all over, just the accent is different.

[Icemaster]

I steer clear of the abusive colloquialisms, such as above. Personally, I don't like them.

One of my recent favorites:

"He/she/it makes tits on a bull look useful..."



Heard one guy say in a meeting the other day "Why not? Cat's gotta dance..."

WTF?

[djmcmath]

I don't think that the white-trash in question had any concept of PC. In fact, he was surprised that I was shocked at his expression. I'm not sure the guy had ever even spoken to a real live black person, despite the fact that there were many in our neighborhood, and most of them were pretty darn nice, too.

But my point wasn't really racist comments, it was just weird ones. Cat's gotta dance? Where's that come from? What's it mean? I'm still trying to figure out "dooger," myself.

Dan

[dd74]

I never understood "soap on a rope."

[widebody911]

South end of a northbound cat.

[Superman]

My machinist has an expression when two parts are machined with such tight tolerances that they barely fit together. "Honeymoon fit." I always liked that one.

[djmcmath]

"soap on a rope" makes a lot of sense if you're in the Navy and do the public shower routine regularly. Thass all ahm gonna say 'bout dat.

"Honeymoon fit." I like it.

[Z-man]

Some expressions I've heard:

"Can of corn." (Often said after "Piece of cake.")

"That will go over like a fart in church."

"That's slicker than snot on a doorknob."

[dhoward]

"I'm on it like a duck on a june bug"

[vash]

make a freight train take a dirt road is to emphasize someones or somethings, power of persuasion. if you can talk a train off the tracks and onto a dirt road you can talk anyone into anything. that other one, is unknown to me.

one that gets my girlfriend all riled up is "a good rule of thumb". heck even wayne has it scattered throughout his books. and it get the tiny feminist in my girlfriend, well it gets her "panties all up in a bunch". but i can live her rantings, because we are a honeymoon fit. opps, i guess i should explain. rule of thumb is a term that originated from the old days when you could legally beat your wife for disiplinary actions. but you could only do it with a stick no thicker than your thumb. hench a "rule of thumb".

[djmcmath]

Heck, I just used one -- "Ooh, that sounds difficult, like kicking dead whales down a beach."

[dd74]

Like "crap through a goose." I heard that in "Patton," and nowhere else since then.

[Seahawk]

I'm sweatin' like a redneck writin' a love letter...

That's as f**ked up as a soup sandwich...

Like a monkey f**king a football...

He's like a hog on ice...

[Overpaid Slacker]

"All over that like a bum on a bologna sandwich"

Sweating like a [fill in ethnic group] writing a check (or "at a spelling bee")

I was in Wichita a little while ago and met a very nice couple at a bar. We got to talking about various things (I'm sure SU beating KS for the NCAA title came up at some point) and the guy has been paying rapt attention, nodding, furrowing his brow. When I finish, he says, sincerely "I hear ya, I hear ya cluckin', man."

I fell out.

His wife slugged him, mortified "now he's going back to New York and tell everyone what hicks we are in Kansas!"

JP

[ronin]

Originally posted by vash
one that gets my girlfriend all riled up is "a good rule of thumb". heck even wayne has it scattered throughout his books. and it get the tiny feminist in my girlfriend, well it gets her "panties all up in a bunch". but i can live her rantings, because we are a honeymoon fit. opps, i guess i should explain. rule of thumb is a term that originated from the old days when you could legally beat your wife for disiplinary actions. but you could only do it with a stick no thicker than your thumb. hench a "rule of thumb".

sorry Vash, but that's another piece of feminist fiction. "rule of thumb" doesn't mean that and never did. the saying was coined from the fact that the forepart of the thumb is approximately one inch long, and if you needed to measure something on the fly but did not have the proper tools, you could approximate by using "the rule of thumb"

[Icemaster]

The monkey f***ing a football gets used QUITE a bit in my job. I have to admit that's probably one of my favorites.

My mom used to use the s*it through a goose one all the time. Never understood it until we had a duck crash land in our backyard one winter and we nursed it back to health for a week. Cheeeerist what a mess.

It never made sense to me when she referred to me or my brothers as a little son of a bit*h. Uh Mom???

[Adam]

What about "This glue sticks like ***** to a blanket!"??