Last week, I mentioned watching several documentaries about the origins of American slang. I want to add more words from the list I made up last week. I love documentaries and appreciate my friend letting me know about History Channel 2. I don’t like reality TV and was glad to know that the history Channel is still do documentaries.
– Scuttlebutt: originally, the military would drink the water from barrels that work called scuttles. I think the butt may have referenced either the cork or the faucet to the borough When soldiers started drinking from indoor plumbing. The name scuttle but was transferred from the barrels to the taps. When the men would stand around talking while waiting for their turn to drink the term scuttlebutt represented the conversation standing around.
– Flack: the Germans developed weapons that could attack a plane and shoot it out the air. Thus it became an antiterrorist craft gun.
– The whole 9 yards: came from the world wars and represented 9 feet of bullets lined up to shoot 400 rounds of ammo. When a soldier in a play which are the enemy and use the entire 9 yards. That meant he used all the bullets for the enemy.
– Bazooka: there was a United States comedian named Bob Burns, who combined some pipes and the liquor funnel to be similar to a trombone. When the bazooka was created… Similar to Bob’s musical instrument, and so was nicknamed the bazooka.
– Over a barrel: originated from traveling up the Mississippi people. When people fall overboard and they would be taken from the water, no one knew CPR. So the person would be put across a barrel so that the water could drain from their lungs.
Highfalutin: comes from traveling on the Mississippi River. The most price seats on a boat with the top deck with the passages could catch the breeze. The boats. Jim lays were built tall or then the top deck and have funnels at the top so the smoke would not reach the passengers. Thus, the passengers that could afford the best seats were highfalutin.
Riffraff: usually associated with troublemakers. The origin of the word comes from traveling Mississippi. The rest was from the particular type of or that was pushed in the water to move the raft. And the raft was a section of the boat that rode the water.
– G.I. Joe: during the war, Joe was a very prominent name for Americans. Everyone was called the Joe. So the military man became G.I. Joe’s
– Pay dirt: came from the gold rush. When the prospectors would find gold in the dirt, that became their pay.
– Hogwash: pork was very popular in the United States and would be transported at the Mississippi to customers. But because pigs smell so bad they were wars before they were boarded on the ship. The water draining from such a longer process was called hogwash.
– John cheese: when the United States was being colonized. There was a point of time that the Dutch occupied several sections of the country and they would use John cheese as a term against the English which meant dumb.
– Chop face: represented side burns on the face that was a long they look like pork chops that hung from the base.
– Hooker: in 1845, the prostitutes were very eager to get paid for their services and were very eager to get their pay. So became known as hookers.
– Deadline: during the Civil War, barriers such as rope or sticks were put up for prisoners of war to remain within a specified area. The prisoners were told if you pass this line, you will be shot. Thus it became known as the deadline.
– Ironclad: originates from ships. A Ship made of metal and thus was known to be rock-solid.
– Over the top: originated from World War II as the man would go over the top of the trenches dug in the ground to attack the enemy.
– Basket case: when soldiers are to return from World War I and they had a hard time adjusting to the violence experienced they wouldn’t put institutions and be instructed to build baskets as a calming effect for their distress. Thus, became known as basket case.
– Bought the farm: in World War I of a soldier got killed. He had life insurance, where the military would pay the surviving family $10,000 in payment for the man’s death. $10,000 was usually good to pay off the mortgage of a form.
– High on the hog: originated from the parts of the hog that has the best meet, which is usually on the top portions of a hog. It is usually people that are more financially successful that can pay for those parts of the hog. Thus, high in the hog represents people of wealth.
– Talking Turkey: usually originates from conversation after a turkey dinner or other meals where people can just talk frankly for another.
– Big Apple: this term became related to New York when a reporter heard different stable hands identifying New York is the Big Apple.
– Takes the cake: originates during the time of slavery. When this place would have dance competitions. And usually the slave owner would be the one to get the price of a cake to the winners.
