geographical slanders/euphemisms

[A. Maberry]

How about:

Swedish thumbprint = a roundish dent made by a hammer

California finish hammer = a framing hammer (24-30 oz. hammer often with a
waffled face as opposed to a "finish hammer", 16 oz. or less, always with
a smooth face). This is probably confined to the Northwest and refers to
fast, shoddy, construction associated justly or not, with California.

allen
maberry at u.washington.edu

On Mon, 6 Jan 2003, Laurence Horn wrote:

> At 12:18 PM -0500 1/6/03, Wendalyn Nichols wrote:
> >Those of us who grew up in the Northwest are familiar with the "California
> >driver"--a reckless speed demon who disregards traffic rules and never
> >comes to a complete stop at a controlled intersection.
>
> Notice, though, that some of these slurs and slanders are not ironyms
> in my sense.  A Welsh rabbit is not a rabbit (but what the poor
> rabbit-deprived Welsh presumably think is one), nor is a prairie
> oyster an oyster.  And the DC parking permit below is not a parking
> permit.  But a California driver is a driver, however reckless, just
> as a Philadelphia lawyer is a lawyer.  I think the distinction is a
> significant one.
>
> Larry
>
> >
> >At 08:25 PM 1/4/03 -0500, you wrote:
> >>Philadelphia lawyer
> >>
> >>DC parking permit (the emergency flashers on your car)---I have only heard
> >>this from one person (from Baltimore, worked in a seedy area of Washington
> >>DC) so I'm not sure it's in general use, or, for that matter, usually
> >>attributed to DC
> >>
> >>       - Jim Landau
>