PACE-L Archives

Archiver > PACE > 2007-01 > 1169784662


From: "Roy Johnson" <>
Subject: Re: [PACE] Language/ Betty
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:11:02 -0600
In-Reply-To: <68207.59117.qm@web57815.mail.re3.yahoo.com>


Aroung here, a h'ant was a ghost and haint was a contraction for "hit
ain't".

I googled "I'll swan" and found it all over the US, usually the same meaning
as "Well I'll swear!" showing amazement.

Try it, and you will also run across a list for old expressions. I don't
have time for it but it might be interesting.

There was even a fascinating site about old cuss words and their changes.
Most of our "mild" expressions these days developed as substitutes for
swearing sometimes in areas (like early Massachusetts) where swearing was a
punishable expense. Gosh and golly meant God, darn was for damn, and Sam
Hill meant Hell. (My wife's mother and her siblings were forbidden to say
"Sam Hill."} There were other cuss words like "zounds" (by his wounds) that
have vanished altogether.

I was youth speaker at our Baptist Church and didn't know the deal about
"golly". I said "by golly" a couple of times and boy did I hear about
it--but the best was from an old lady who came up to me and said "by golly,
that was a good talk."

Guess that's off topic for old expressions, but I found it interesting.

Roy Johnson

Roy

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:] On Behalf
Of Gen Unrein
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 9:49 PM
To:
Subject: [PACE] Language/ Betty

I just give my daughter a look, and tell her I'm too old to change, now.
I wash my dishes, but I warsh my clothes. What's drippin's to me is left
over grease to her. I say horse hockey, she says s*%#. I gather what
someone is saying, she gets it. A haint is a ghost, and you sit and
wait at home to hear who died, cause a bird hit a window or you
heard an owl hoot in the daytime.
I threw in some of the superstions I was brought up with, and let me tell
you, my granny's and my mom lived by them. They had something to say
from which way the corn stalks grew, to what direction the wind blew, to
what color you don't wear at a wedding. I can't remember a thimble full of
them now, but I remember when plans for outings were changed, because
the womenfolk were too worked up. The menfolks didn't care, they just
went fishing, instead.
LOL,
Gen



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