Red Ass (from East Texas?)

Thu Mar 29 18:11:46 UTC 2007

I'm familiar with "give / get the ass" among black East Texans.
Needless to say, the absence of "red" is unsurprising.

[Anecdote follows]

At Harris Junior College, in the fall of 1954, the first public school
to be desegregated in the City of Saint Louis, a black guy and a white
guy are engaged in a heated discussion about something now lost in the
mists of time. Finally, the white kid, exasperated, expostulates,

"Oh, kiss my ROSY-RED ass!"

To which thee black kid replies,

"Naw! YOU kiss my CHARCOAL-GREY ass!"

The story spread through the school like chickenpox and did much to
alleviate some of the tension between the two groups of students.

-Wilson

On 3/29/07, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Red Ass (from East Texas?)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Red ass" is not in DARE and not in the OED. HDAS?
> ...
> Anybody from Texas use this term? It's said to be from East Texas.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/red_ass/_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/red_ass/)=20
> ...
> =20
> Red Ass
> =20
> "Red ass=E2=80=9D means to show great anger or passion. A Texas A&M Aggie wh=
> o  goes=20
> out of the way to show Aggie spirit is another definition of =E2=80=9Cred as=
> s.=E2=80=9D =20
>
>
> _Urban  Dictionary_=20
> (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=3Dred+ass&defid=3D1119732) =20
> Red Ass=20
> In Texas: one who is beyond being a bad  ass, one who will do whatever it=20
> takes to get the job done and will shoot first  and ask questions later.=20
> Don=E2=80=99t mess with Johnny, he=E2=80=99s red ass, you  know.=20
> by Gil Jan 12, 2005=20
>
> _Urban  Dictionary_=20
> (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=3Da+case+of+the+red+ass) =20
> a case of the red ass=20
> classic phrase to be heard  from the very very old people in the south,=20
> generally.=20
> to mean pissed off.  angry.=20
> yo mawma sho got hahsayelf a cayas of da rayed ayss t=E2=80=99day. =20
> your momma sure got herself a case of the red ass today.=20
> by  rachelgirlwonder denver, co Sep 23, 2005=20
>
> _Red Ass Apparel Co._ (http://www.redassapparel.com/isell/) =20
> We Texans  are a proud bunch who are passionate about our great state and ou=
> r=20
> heritage. =20
>
> Red Ass Apparel Co. was formed to complement the pride and passion we  have=20
> for this place we love, our home=E2=80=A6 TEXAS!=20
>
> The term =E2=80=9CRed Ass=E2=80=9D is one  used to express extreme passion,=20=
> enthusiasm,=20
> motivation, or even anger and rage.  =E2=80=9CRed Ass=E2=80=9D is a term whi=
> ch is as diverse as=20
> the great state from which it  originates.=20
> Here at Red Ass Apparel Co., we show our ass every day and we  hope you and=20
> your folks will do the same. Enjoy your visit to this website and  please se=
> nd=20
> it along to those you think might be interested.=20
>
> _Wikipedia:  Traditions of Texas A&M University_=20
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditions_of_Texas_A&M_University) =20
> Red-ass - A term for an Aggie  that goes out of their way to show their Aggi=
> e=20
> spirit.=20
>
> _Google  Books_=20
> (http://books.google.com/books?vid=3DISBN0965842304&id=3Dor_9f4D7NXEC&pg=3DP=
> A79&lpg=3DPA79&ots=3Dk2Ln-bag5i&dq=3D"red+ass"+texas&ie=3DISO-8859-1&sig=3Do=
> GzIL
> FMUZztiSLpoIl7FLbKtNPU) =20
> Mosca: A Factual Fiction=20
> by Richard Miller=20
> DFI  Books, Dada Foundation=20
> 1997=20
> Pg. 79:=20
> Thomas loved thrusting the song  into this military milieu where, to use a=20
> Texas expression, it would give plenty  of Rebels the red ass.=20
>
> _Google  Books_=20
> (http://books.google.com/books?vid=3DISBN1413427138&id=3DU_V2Mc6cvvwC&pg=3DP=
> A250&lpg=3DPA250&ots=3DfmH1_JX4_h&dq=3D"red+ass"+texas&ie=3DISO-8859-1&sig=
> =3DUzJ
> Ot3ZPw--w5_qAUVnkH4e8D0w) =20
> Brown Shoe Black Shoe:=20
> Memories of Two Air Forces,  Two Wars and One Military Occupation=20
> by Troy Thompson=20
> Xlibris  Corporation=20
> 2004=20
> Pg. 250:=20
> RED ASS=E2=80=94Frequently =E2=80=9CThe RA=E2=80=99s=E2=80=9D. A term used =20=
> by subordinates for a situation=20
> where someone superior to them seems to be  especially irritated with them o=
> r=20
> even with the world itself.=20
>
> 5 April  1981, Syracuse (NY) Herald Journal, pg. B1:=20
> =E2=80=9CAs a player, I was a  red-ass. Well, let=E2=80=99s just say I had a=
>  temper. I was=20
> intense,=E2=80=9D said Humphreys, a  righthanded relief pitcher in his young=
> er days,=20
> who spent parts of nine years in  The Show.=20
>
> =20
>
>
>
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> .
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