FW: Doing the Laundry

[Towse]

"pert" is probably a take on the "sassy, high-spirited" definition of
"pert," as in "pert and saucy" to describe a Scarlet O'Hara.

Seems to me Grandma's advising that if the wind is kicking up and
breezy, be sure you set your fire downwind to avoid the smoke.

--
Sal

Ye olde swarm of links: thousands of links for writers, researchers
and the terminally curious <http://www.internet-resources.com/writers>

On 7/25/06, Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at ohio.edu> wrote:
>
>  I got this from a niece, presumably copied exactly from an old scrapbook of
> advice to young'uns.  It's full of wonderful regional
> pronunciation-spellings (boilin, hole=whole, lie=lye, britches, pore=pour,
> smooth=smoothe, and of course wrench=rinse).  But "pert" (in "if wind is
> pert") puzzles me.  I'm familiar with "pert near"=pretty near; but "pert" as
> an adjective = ?  Anything in DARE?
>
>  P.S.   My  grandmothers used to follow this "recipe" outdoors, and my
> mother did much the same indoors!
>  Beverly
>
>
>
>  ' Washing Clothes Recipe'  -- imagine having a recipe for this ! ! ! Years
> ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:
>
>  This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook - with
> spelling errors and all.
>
>
>  WASHING CLOTHES
>
>  Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont
> blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin
> water.
>
>  Sort things, make 3 piles
>  1 pile white,
>  1 pile colored,
>  1 pile work britches and rags. To make starch, stir flour in cool water to
> smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
>
>  Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub
> colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
>
>  Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
>
>  Hang old rags on fence.
>
>  Spread tea towels on grass.
>
>  Give the kids a good scrubdown in the wrench water tub.
>
>  Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn
> tubs upside down.
>
>  Put hot dogs on sticks for the kids to roast over the ashes.
>
>  Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit
> and rock a spell and count your blessings.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org