Wordwizard

That's really interesting, Dale! I wonder what sort of scientific experiments Edison conducted on the train while butchering news and candy? That would be for another website, of course. Meanwhile, I still wonder how the term butcher applies to this position on a train. Unless "butcher" just means s...

. . . but referring to an unmarried female of university age as a "girl" would not. Phil White -- ok, I'll bite: It would sound VERY strange to most women, ever since the early 1970's. We’ve come a long way, baby, but it’s still a slippery slope. (I don’t know how young men react to being called "b...

One last one from Agee: the family is on a train trip to the Smokey Mountains. The news butcher came through [the train car] and . . . Uncle Ted bought him a glass locomotive with . . . pieces of candy inside . . . -- James Agee, "A Death in the Family" I've heard of butchering a play, novel and the...

Thanks, again, Ken. Actually, I think "stealth" fits pretty well in this context, although not precisely. It's awkward. But I think the aunt suspects Rufus is holding back his real enthusiasm and/or desires about the cap he wants.

How did brass get to mean nerve or rudeness? "Brassed Off" -- is that a real term? (I saw a movie with the title once.)

This means nonsense, from "tommy" for foolish or fool, and "rot" for nonsense. My question is why is foolish called "tommy"?

Duh, what's wrong with appearing to be too slow to get it? Or, for that matter, actually being too slow?

Signed, Yertle the Turtle

Another one from Agee -- means skulking or hiding. Origin? The novel, "A Death in the Family", contains several old fashioned words and phrases, but I hesitate to just list them . . . Well, maybe a few: tommyrot; brass (for nerve); Morris chair; frazzle; and news butcher. Even if the meaning is know...

In response to your gentle admonition, Ken: you have the site's (and my) best interests in mind, and I appreciate the time you took to tell me off -- uh, instruct me. Y'know, when posting the racing reference I knew I was straying. I was at the office, and since I didn't have my books with me I trie...

Thanks all, and especially Ken. The word felt like "smoothed" or "worked over" to me. Your answer has made my day!

Andrew glanced quickly down upon a horned, bruised anvil; and laid his hand flat against the cold, wheemed iron; . . . – "A Death in the Family", James Agee. So far, I don’t find WHEEMED in the dictionary. As a poet, Agee was licensed to make up new words: the sound of wheemed might suggest a defin...

He declared . . . the latter British expression “Mud in your eyes” derived from World War II when bombs exploded, soldiers in trenches that were just temporarily blinded by receiving mud in their eyes were very thankful to be alive. Thus when the British expression is used, it wishes long life, and...

Copping out or copping to means you're "cooperating with the cops", do ya' think? That would be my best made-up origin (although I promised I wouldn't).
Welcome back, Ken Greenwald -- it's nice to see you!

You're right, pingpong fa -- uh, Frank, many Americans probably don't realize that Frankenstein is the mad doctor. I believe the original (1930's?) movie had it right, though: Boris Karloff played "The Monster" (I think that's what it says in the credits). It might be a stretch, but since the doctor...

Thanks, Erik Kowal, for the latest news. It looks like the growers' demand will not be met this time. I've written it hundreds of times, and never noticed the plural of potato is spelled "potatoes" with an 'e'. I suppose that's to keep the pronounciation consistent with a long 'o' sound. Otherwise, ...