"CH. MH." (Was: "There's a sucker born every minute" (1883))

[Wilson Gray]

WTH = "what the hell?"  CH = can't hurt"  MH = "might help"

-Wilson

On May 30, 2005, at 12:49 PM, Mark A. Mandel wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mark A. Mandel" <mamandel at LDC.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      "CH. MH." (Was: "There's a sucker born every minute"
> (1883))
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> Wilson writes:
>>>>>>
> This may be of no interest or use, but WTH? CH. MH. The first time
> that I ran across this saying, it was in the form, "There's one born
> every minute." It was embedded in a context which made it clear that
> "one" referred to "a sucker."
>  <<<<<
>
> WTF? These two-letter initialisms are opaque to me.
>
> -- Mark
> [This text prepared with Dragon NaturallySpeaking.]
>
> Lest we forget:
> In Flanders Fields
>
> In Flanders fields the poppies blow
> Between the crosses, row on row,
> That mark our place: and in the sky
> The larks, still bravely singing, fly
> Scarce heard amid the guns below.
>
> We are the Dead. Short days ago
> We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
> Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
> In Flanders fields.
>
> Take up our quarrel with the foe:
> To you from failing hands we throw
> The torch: be yours to hold it high.
> If ye break faith with us who die
> We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
> In Flanders fields.
>
> by John Macrae [1872-1918]
>