FW: Doing the Laundry
Towse
my.cache at GMAIL.COM
Tue Jul 25 20:25:46 UTC 2006
"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
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