"brim for a fight"

[Wilson Gray]

"Yo' ass is grass and I'm the lawnmower!" was spoken by the character
of an Army sergeant from the South, played by Murray Hamilton, in a
movie from back in the day, ca.1961. I'd look it up, but I have a
doctor's appointment that I havee to get to. Hamilton also appeared in
an episode of The Untouchables in which he was unable to Northernize
his speech fully. He stayed addresssing Ness as "Elyit" [El'jit].

-Wilson

On 4/17/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "brim for a fight"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 6:19 AM -0700 4/17/07, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >"Hastening for a chastening" ?  "Fishin' for demolotion" ?
> >"Jumpin' for a thumpin'" ? "Seekin' for a tweakin'" ?
> >
> >   Aw, I guess I just made these up.
> >
> >   Larry ?  Vharlie ?
> >
> >   JL
>
> Farmin' for a harmin'?
> Huntin' for a confrontin'?
> Bidin' for a hidin'?
> More distantly related:  Yer ass is grass.
>
> LH
>
> >
> >Jim Parish <jparish at SIUE.EDU> wrote:
> >   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender: American Dialect Society
> >Poster: Jim Parish
> >Subject: Re: "brim for a fight"
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Bill Mullins wrote:
> >>  But were they cruisin' for a bruisin'?
> >
> >I believe the followup involves the phrase "achin' for a breakin'".
> >
> >Jim Parish
> >
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                                      -Sam'l Clemens

"Experience" is the ability to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

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