dialectal "from the home" /of the home

[Baker, John]

        No, I have to concede that my non-Texan origins are a matter of records.  I did drive through the Texas panhandle in 1981, but I didn't stop.  And I believe that there was an overnight visit in 1967, when I was 8.

        Here's what seems to be the best word on the one-Ranger story, from the Rangers' own website at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/texas_rangers/:

        <<The often cited "One Riot, One Ranger" appears to be based on several statements attributed to Captain McDonald by Albert Bigelow Paine in his classic book, Captain Bill McDonald: Texas Ranger. When sent to Dallas to prevent a scheduled prize-fight, McDonald supposedly was greeted at the train station by the city's anxious mayor, who asked: "Where are the others?"

        To that, McDonald is said to have replied, "Hell! ain't I enough? There's only one prize-fight!">>

        There is no indication of when and how a scheduled prize-fight metamorphosed into a riot in progress.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 9:43 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: dialectal "from the home" /of the home


John, if you have to ask, you can't be from Texas.

JL

"Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Baker, John"
Subject: Re: dialectal "from the home" /of the home
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I've heard the story about one riot, one Texas Ranger many times before, but, I must say, never before expressed as well as by Jonathan. Does anyone happen to know if it is true?

Marsha, were you one of the two combatants, or just an observer?

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 6:59 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: dialectal "from the home" /of the home


Thank you, Marsha. I've known that story for half my life but never had a chance to tell it till now. It's a good'un.

JL
arsha Alley wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Marsha Alley
Subject: Re: dialectal "from the home" /of the home
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I'm sorry...I just have to tell Jonathan he made me LOL for real this =
dreary rainy morn. Thank you!

Reminds me of a bar fight I got myself stuck in the middle of in Austin =
in '96. Two women fighting over a cowboy. Lordy, I thought I'd never =
get out in one piece - knives, broken beer bottles, handfuls of hair! =
And the band played on, of course, just louder than before! :-)

Marsha

----- Original Message -----=20
From: Jonathan Lighter=20

The Chief says, "What in blazes is this? I call the Texas Rangers to =
put down a riot and all they send is ONE little ol' Ranger?"

The Ranger shifts his chaw from one side to the other, squirts a brown =
stream o' juice, an' he says, "Hell, they's only ONE little ol' riot, =
ain't they?"