"The Horse You Rode In On"

Mon Feb 26 17:13:41 UTC 2007

May I be pardoned for saying, with the grim satisfaction of the weary and a
  / sup'soN / (damned cedillas) of insufferable pride, that searches of Google, Google Books, and Google Groups don't often turn up antedatings of current HDAS entries.

  That's not to discourage anybody from looking.

  Instead, it's a flagrantly self-serving reminder that HDAS I and II contain virtually no computer-found citations (though Jesse did add a few to Vol. II).

  JL

"Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mark A. Mandel"
Subject: Re: "The Horse You Rode In On"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text,
while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools.

--0-1303398631-1172446354=:68327
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE

Scot LaFaive wrote:
>>>

I did a search of Google Books and Google for antedates but couldn't find=
=20
any. I did find two interesting notes on the phrase. For one, it seems that=
=20
the phrase "fuck/screw you and the horse you rode in on" is often clipped t=
o=20
"and the horse you rode in on," allowing for it to be used in proper=20
company. I also found this variation: "Fuck your self-sufficiency and the=
=20
horse you rode in on." I found it interesting because I'm not sure I've=20
heard heard or seen it without the object of "fuck" being a person, and=20
especially not an abstract noun.

<<<

A Google search for "horse it rode in on" turns up "about 610" hits. Many o=
f=20
them have no verb, or leave it implicit ("I have the same feeling about=20
gauge (and the horse it rode in on)!"), but 17 of the first 50 have "fuck",=
=20
"screw", or an equivalent graphic bleep (what should we call those?=20
euphemisms? eugraphisms?). Many of the antecedents are more-or-less concret=
e=20
("ribbing" in the knitting sense; "the world"; "the nuke navy"; "XML"). But=
=20
I also see here "winter", "Kyoto" (the Kyoto Accord on global warming), and=
=20
"the work ethic".

I'm more interested in the disconnect, in your quote, between the object of=
=20
"fuck" ("your self-sufficiency") and the rider of the horse ("you"). It=20
feels to me like a blend of "fuck your self-sufficiency", or "fuck you and=
=20
your self-sufficiency", with "fuck you and the horse you rode in on".

=09-----

Fuck the world and the horse it rode in on.... [Archive] - The ...
[Archive] Fuck the world and the horse it rode in on.... NA!P General=20
Discussion.
www.aeforge.com/aeforum/archive/index.php/t-3308.html

Internet Archive: Details: CrowCast #21: Fuck XML and the horse it ...
Crow NighthawkCrowCast #21: Fuck XML and the horse it rode in on (13:19)=20
(July 8, 2006). A buddy gets hired at work, XML pissing me off, soldiers=20
getting ...
www.archive.org/details/CrowCast21

Waiting For Bob: June 12, 2001: We're On Hiatus, But... (Day 2)
Screw that, and the horse it rode in on. Before we start again, we're havin=
g=20
at least full week of strips in the bank. We will be back when we have at=
=20
least ...
www.waitingforbob.com/index.php/20010612

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THERE WERE TWO SUBMARINE FORCES
"Screw the nuke navy and the horse it rode in on." That was usually good fo=
r=20
a half hour of creative complaining and laughs. But, deep down inside we al=
l=20
=2E..
www.olgoat.com/substuff/dex247.htm

Evil Avatar Forums - Poll: Serious or Non-Serious Games
Fuck your shitty writing and the horse it rode in on. If you don't let me=
=20
skip your cutscenes, I'm getting up from the couch and doing something else=
=20
while ...
www.evilavatar.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-17330.html

GoodAirs: More than a bad translation of "Buenos Aires": It=92s ...
Prices generally run from $100-$200/night and come with free WiFi and groov=
y=20
interior design. So screw the Holiday Inn and the horse it rode in on. ...
www.goodairs.com/2006/06/its-raining-boutique-hotels.html

Knit Sisters =BB Blog Archive =BB In the neck of time
=2E.. dramatic claims that I later must disavow (e.g., =93I hate knitting a=
nd I=20
never want to knit again,=94 and =93F*ck this ribbing and the horse it rode=
in=20
on=94). ...
www.knitsisters.com/2007/02/13/neck_of_time/

Tim Worstall: Solving Global Warming.
=2E.. without carbon emissions, but power cheaper than today and that=92s=
=20
coming, with no emissions a side effect. So screw Kyoto and the horse it=20
rode in on. ...
timworstall.typepad.com/timworstall/2005/04/solving_global_.html

New site to automaticly creat your feed [Archive] - PCA Forum
As my great great grandmother used to say, "**** that and the horse it rode=
=20
in on. And where the hell are my pancakes? I ordered pancakes, god ******!"=
=20
=2E..
www.podcastalley.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-123036.html

Appendixes
=2E.. Sex NBFD No Big [Frigging] Deal NFW No [FrigginG] Way NTYMI Now that =
you=20
mention it OFTPATHIRIO Oh [Fool] This Place And The Horse It Rode In On OIC=
=20
Oh, ...
riverbbs.net/dict/end.html

FileForum | Resource Hunter
Screw ResHacker and the horse it rode in on. Now see whats really going on=
=20
in my programs.. Great Job!! I love it!! Rating: ...
fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1018947491

Bass Fishing Forums - Cabin fever is setting in - BAD
GORE can stick it in his ear, gimme Global Warming, and you can start it=20
tomorrow. ^&%($$#, *&*%$# winter, and the horse it rode in on. Back to top=
=20
=2E..
www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=3D1171640151/22

All AgitProp, all the Time...: I just need to ask...
=2E.. with Sitting Bull (Graham Greene) fawning over the North-West Mounted=
=20
Police and telling the U.S. cavalry to go f*ck itself and the horse it rode=
=20
in on. ...
fim.ondragonswing.com/archives/006688.html

This is a question for the ladies... - Los Angeles - Yelp
Eff this place and the wax horse it rode in on: http://www.yelp.com/biz/...=
=20
This place however is nice and for your first time, I'd recommend it: ...
www.yelp.com/topic/g4r8SC5HAII6033-5FE3cg

Dark UI - Planet Elder Scrolls
=2E.. joke. if the developer don't need to get paid, why the hell should i =
pay=20
some goddamn website? *bleep* file planet and the horse it rode in on. ...
planetelderscrolls.gamespy.com/View.php?view=3DOblivionMods.Detail&id=3D162

Acronyms and Smilies
OFTPATHIRIO, Oh F..k This Place And The Horse It Rode In On! PFM, Pure=20
F***ing Magic. PITA, Pain In The Arse. RTFM, Read The F..k. ...
www.riverland.net.au/text/look_first/netcode.html

The Moon Food Cafe: Chapter 4: Stalking the FMZ
Screw the "work ethic" and the horse it rode in on. He wants to pursue his=
=20
own ends, unimpeded by the jerks he normally wouldn't speak to if suddenly=
=20
they ...
scatt.bilegrip.com/mfc4.htm

-- Mark A. Mandel

--0-1303398631-1172446354=:68327--

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

---------------------------------
Check out the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org