Sucking eggs

[Dennis R. Preston]

It is said that worthless dogs will rob hens' nests and suck eggs.
Where I grew up (near Louisville, KY, but much more widespread
according to DARE), an "Egg-suckin' dog" was a worthless, no-good one
and it was often transferred to humans of the same value.

dInIs

>Alison said about 'teach your grandmother to suck eggs':
>
>'There used to be an expression -- haven't heard it in fifty years --';
>
>it's still current in British English.
>
>Despite Ben's explication, I still don't know why you would actually want to
>suck eggs in particular (though I was recently asked the very same question,
>and wondered whether you could tell whether or not an egg was addled - hence
>how large its air-chamber was - by sucking it.  A WAG.).
>
>Damien Hall
>University of Pennsylvania


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
Office: (517) 353-4736
Fax: (517) 353-3755