"shade-tree," adj.

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 13:58:39 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer
<bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:

>On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 05:46:46 -0700, Jonathan Lighter
><wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>
>>OED doesn't list the Southern phrase, "shade-tree mechanic," meaning
>>"an amateur mechanic who stereotypically works in the shade of backyard
>>trees."
>>
>>"Shade-tree," adj., has now been used to mean "amateur," with a broader
>>application :
>>
>>2000 James V. Smith, Jr. _Force Recon : Death Wind_ (N.Y.: Berkley,
>>2000) 207 And he knew enough shade-tree psychology to know that he
>>would return to being a smart-ass.
>
>Did this start off as a Texan expression?  The earliest cites I can find
>on Newspaperarchive are all from Texas papers.

Another apparent Texanism: "shade tree philosopher".

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1985 _Dallas Morning News_ 30 Aug. 8B (Factiva) Ken Hatfield, that
shade-tree philosopher of the Ozarks, begs to differ.
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1986 _Houston Chronicle_ 20 Apr. (Sports) 3 (Factiva) A pearl from that
shade tree philosopher, 1985 Houston Open winner Raymond Floyd.
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2002 E.J. COTTON _Hobo_ 116 The old fart was a shade tree philosopher.
Defined as: One who resists idle chatter; one who has the ability to
entertain or extract deeper meaning or said "philosophy" from any
situation, in any setting at any time of day; a self-proclaimed wise man;
a term most probably borrowed from "shade tree mechanic."
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1400048095/>
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--Ben Zimmer