Then there was a little ditty that caught on in the Spanish-American war of 1898.
"Underneath a starry flag,
Civilize 'em with a Krag."

"Hunky-Dory"

It is American and the earliest example of it in print occurs in 1842.

'Hunky-dory' was preceded by earlier words, i.e. 'hunkey', meaning 'fit and healthy' and 'hunkum-bunkum', which had the same meaning as 'hunky-dory'. 'Hunkey' was in use in the USA by 1861, when it was used in the title of the Civil War song A Hunkey Boy Is Yankee Doodle. 'Hunkum-bunkum' is first recorded in the US sporting newspaper The Spirit of The Times, November 1842.

Yellow as a bone spur!

How about: "In Like Flint"? Just saw the origin of that last night on Turner Classic Movies. I had been watching Errol Flynn's movie: "Edge of Darkness"(1943), and the hostess of TCM was giving some interesting facts afterwards about the movie and Flynn. Apparently on or around the release of this movie, Errol Flynn, who had been charged in late 1942 with statutory rape by two 17 year old accusers, went to trial and was eventually acquitted. This led to original phrase of "In Like Flynn", because he got off in light of Flynn's alcoholic, hedonistic and womanizing lifestyle. The phrase eventually was modified over time to "In Like Flint".

Flint was his wing-man... he was a real bastard.

Always been Flynn here - never heard Flint at all.

My father always said "In like Flynn", but he would be 108 yrs old.

"In Like Flint" was a !960's spoof of James Bond starring James Coburn as Derek Flint. It was the sequel to "Our Man Flint". Fun movies with just about every sexist and spy cliches.

The proper saying is "In Like Flynn" as in Errol Flynn.

Glad we got that settled, although "Flint" could have been his "wing-man", or stunt double maybe.

In like Flynn is correct. Errol himself coined it in his own egotistical way in the late 30s as he was at that time Hollywood's fair-haired boy + if the legends are true + most likely are, the most laid as well. A lot of gin + pussy + dead at the age of 50. It could be worse I suppose.

"There is method to his madness". From Shakespeare's Hamlet (act 2 scene 2) "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't".

What about the phrase: "That takes guts"?

That came from Nate's friend Thor after Nate tried to milk a bull.

I thought that phrase was: "That takes balls!"

Lost in translation I suppose. It was a long time ago. You know how these things happen. You tell one guy and then he tells another then...

I read a quote from Betty White recently that went, "They say grow a set of balls. Balls are tender + easily injured. I say grow a vagina, those things can really take a pounding."

The phrase "There but for the grace of God, go I" was coined by a 16th-century clergyman, John Bradford.

https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP....GkwHaGq?pid=Api&rs=1

When "Cliffy" speaks. Everybody listens!

Anyone with the sense that God promised a ragdoll does; I don't include you as the facts speak for themselves.

"He's the spitting image...."

The term 'spitting image' is an allusion to someone who is so like someone else. The concept and phrase were in circulation by 1689, when George Farquhar used it in his play "Love and a Bottle": “Poor child! He’s as like his own dada as if he were spit out of his mouth.” https://www.merriam-webster.co...image-origin-meaning

Ken, I'm glad you resurrected this one. I just received Christine Ammer's new book on lexicology/ phraseology + I'll bet there should be some interesting entrees in it.

quote:

Originally posted by NormanConquest:
Not that I'm advocating violence but when was the last time you saw a fistfight right there on the street? It used to be quite common before the pussification of the men in our country quit dealing with their issues themselves + gave it to the already overloaded cops. When I was a kid, we worked it out, after school, behind the bleachers, etc. But we worked it out!... A message to the next generation " Grow a Pair"!

My old man grew up in Sulphur Bluff and he said back then there wasn't anything to do but fight. I don't know if it's true but have heard that a Good Conduct Medal was hard to get back in the day

How about lollygag? https://www.michiganradio.org/post/racy-past-lollygag Maybe not now, but if your grandparents were lollygagging". They were doing IT.

In one of the shops I worked in I was talking to this Mexican that worked there too + asked him what was the deal with the fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview. He said that just meant that he + his girlfriend had made it. Sounds as reasonable as anything else.

Wow, I've wondered about those fuzzy dice!

The term "Severance Pay".In Olde England, We all recall the old bit about tipping the hangman to make sure you got a good, quick drop. Prior to that when beheading was the order of the day, the same thing applied; paying the headsman for a clean, quick cut was known as... you got it. "severance pay."

"Four-Flusher"

A bluff, a cheat. Someone who makes himself up to be something he isn't. First used around 1896 referring to a person who doesn't really have a five card flush, but pretends he does.

What about “on the lamb”? Or, is it really lamb?

On the LAM. That was a term in the 1920s + 30s for running from the law. Just like George (machine gun) Kelly, coined the phrase G man.

"Mind your own beeswax" - http://www.todayifoundout.com/...phrase-mind-beeswax/