Boiled owl (1861); Hogan's goat (1925)

Tue Mar 16 04:58:28 UTC 2004

BOILED OWL

BOILED OWL--519 Google hits, 246 Google Groups hits

(OED)
 Intoxicated. slang. Also phr. as drunk as a boiled owl.
  [1885 Referee 31 May 3/3 Twiss..had just the boiled-owlish appearance that is gained by working all night in a printing-office.] 1886 J. A. PORTER Sks. Yale Life 156 There is a balm for a headache caused by last night's debauch to have it said you were ‘slightly cheered’ or ‘slewed’ or ‘boiled’. 1892 Daily Tel. 12 Dec. 5/4 The expression, ‘Intoxicated as a boiled owl’, is a gross libel upon a highly respectable teetotal bird. 1922 JOYCE Ulysses 300 He brought him home as drunk as a boiled owl. 1928 Amer. Speech IV. 102 Expressions synonymous with or circumlocutory for ‘drunk’..blotto, boiled. 1940 ‘H. PENTECOST’ 24th Horse (1951) v. 45 He's boiled to the ears.

    Drunk as a boiled owl?
    Why?  Why an owl?  Why a boiled owl?
    Too much beer and Wise potato chips?

(AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES)
   1. WAITING FOR DEAD MEN'S SHOES.
JESSIE MAY. Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine (1854-1882). New York: Sep 1857. p. 209 (5 pages)
Pg. 211:  And poor Henry exerted himself to the utmost of his strength to keep up with the vigorous old man, who declared himself as tough "as a boiled owl, and worth a score of your scientific gentlemen farmers."

   2. THE GREAT DAVIS DINNER ON THE FOURTH OF JULY.; BILL OF FARE. SOUPS. BOILED. ROAST. ENTREMETS. DESSERT.
Vanity Fair (1859-1863). New York: Jun 29, 1861. Vol. 3, Iss. 79; p. 297 (1 page):
   Boiled Owls with Corn Whiskey.

   3. OUR WAR CORRESPONDENCE.
McARONE. Vanity Fair (1859-1863). New York: Oct 18, 1862. Vol. 6, Iss. 147; p. 184 (1 page):
   But the history of genius is the history of intoxication. (...)
   Owing to circumstances over which I don't seem to have much of any control just now, I shall close.  Did you ever see a Boiled Owl?

   4. A Humorous Glance at the Temperance Question.
GEORGE W BUNGAY. Herald of Health (1864-1892). New York: Sep 1867. Vol. 10, Iss. 3; p. 103 (2 pages)
Pg. 104:  "Drunk as a beast" is a common saying; but what beast gets drunk?  The ass is a stupid animal, but it is a sober one, and he who drinks to intoxication need not laugh at its redundancy of ear.  "Drunk as an owl--as a boiled owl," is a maxim which has been so often in the mouths of drunkards that it has the odor or rum.  WHat does it signify?  THe owl is a feathered cat which can see in the dark; but the drunkard, when drunk, can not see at any time well enough to distinguish the town pump from his next-door neighbor.  THe owl is a brother of the quill, who earns his daily food by working at night; but the drunkard spends the earnings of others for that which is not bread, and for that which satisfieth not.  The owl never drinks alcohol; it never turns Mrs. Owl and the little Owls out of their nest; it never comes home on reeling wings, although it keeps late hours; it never changes its "tu-whit-to-hoo" for profane speech; it never neglects to make ample provision for its family; it never mistakes the eagle's nest for its own.  Then why calumniate that bird by making such foul comparisons?

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
Bismarck Daily Tribune - 12/23/1874
...with your eyes open. Now, I was drunk is k BOILED OWL, drunk when I enlisted, drunk when..
Bismarck, North Dakota   Wednesday, December 23, 1874  646 k
Pg. 3?, col. 3:
   "But, by George, wasn't you sober?" responded the other with much feeling; "What a precious fool you must have been to run into this with your eyes open.  Now, I was _drunk_, drunk as a boiled owl, drunk when I enlisted, drunk when I took the oath, and drunk when I got here,--and made drunk, too, for that very purpose, by that rascally thief of a Sergeant who brought us here.
Sandusky Daily Register - 8/5/1889
...this morning. '-Dull was drunker than a BOILED OWL, and when the couple reached..
Sandusky, Ohio   Monday, August 05, 1889  1056 k

Newark Daily Advocate - 12/9/1899
...In the morning he awoke feeling like a BOILED OWL with insomnia. And now you couldn..
Newark, Ohio   Saturday, December 09, 1899  668 k

Bluefield Daily Telegraph - 5/19/1901
...fie is drunk an .1 lord, driink as a BOILED OWL, drunk :is a liddler'd bitch..
Bluefield, West Virginia   Sunday, May 19, 1901  372 k

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HOGAN'S GOAT

HOGAN'S GOAT--1,890 Google hits,  2,760 Google Groups hits

http://www.warlockltd.com/ess_thgt/downhome.html
F$#&ed up as Hogan's goat (In a very bad way)

   DARE has 1955 (Funk _Heavens to Betsy_) for "Hogan's goat."

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
WASHINGTON BEST AT NEW ORLEANS, SAYS COLLYER; Gus R. Called Sleeper in Second St. Donard Nominated as a Good Hazard Play in Third. Expert Picks The Beau as Juicy Morsel of Fourth Race.
By BERT E. COLLYER.. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Dec 2, 1925. p. 18 (1 page):
   WASHINGTON--George, the Father of His COuntry, never told a lie, according to historians.  Johnny Hogan is training the chestnut son of Ballot.  So confident is Hogan of victory, however, that he wired the inhabitants of San Juan Hill to wager the sands on the hill and adds: "Don't forget my bit."  Hogan claims to have won $325,000 on Saturday and hoped to make a cool million when the David representative gets home in front.  Regardless of what Mr. Hogan--not Hogan's goat--thinks about the fifth spasm at Jefferson Park, I'll tell the world that this racer is a running fool in his present form and if he fails to collect the coin it will be time to throw the dope books out of the window for the remainder of the season.

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
Sheboygan Press - 1/8/1932
...Pupils of third and fourth grades. Old HOGAN'S GOAT Boys of fifth and sixth grades..
Sheboygan, Wisconsin   Friday, January 08, 1932  779 k
Pg. 6, col. 2:
   Old Hogan's Goat--Boys of fifth and sixth grades.
   2. The Once Over; Business Opportunity
By H.I. Phillips. The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Apr 9, 1940. p. 11 (1 page):
   "The fans will love it.  They don't know a thoroughbred from Hogan's goat. ..."