The mouse

[Jonathan Lighter]

East Tennesseans commonly talk about "picking up the room" meaning picking things up off the floor, mainly.

JL

Wilson Gray <hwgray at EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: The mouse
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On Jul 23, 2004, at 11:28 PM, Janis Vizier Nihart wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Janis Vizier Nihart
> Subject: The mouse
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> I have a website of Cajun and regional words. I am trying to sort =
> through some words and expressions that I thought were just used down =
> here, but I would like to hear from others who may be familiar with
> the =
> expressions and who may know the origin. Here goes:
>
> The mouse---Although this is no longer used, I was always told that a =
> tooth mouse, not a tooth fairy, took my teeth and left money.
>
> The expression "do you know what i find?" meaning "do you know what I
> =
> think "
>
> Go to bed---told to someone when you don't believe what they say.
>
> Pick up the dishes(or whatever)--Pick up meaning to put away

My grandmother and my mother, both originally from Longview, TX, used
"pick up" with this meaning.

-Wilson Gray

>
> to town---We lived about 2 hours away from New Orleans and it was the =
> closest city. If we went shopping there,we never used the name New =
> Orleans . We always said We were going to town. We never used the =
> expression for any other place we went shopping. " I'm going to town" =
> meant I'm going to New Orleans.
>
> Also we had a custom that was similar to Halloween except it was on
> New =
> Years Day. We went around the neighborhood collecting mostly sugar =
> popcorn and fruits in brown paper bags. Anyone remember doing the
> same =
> thing on new Years Day in other parts of the country.?
>
> Thanks
> Janis Nihart
>

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