Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Dennis Preston]

Us shit-kickers always "saw a man about a dog."

dInIs

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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Somehow, even though I'm from regions where the mule was the equine of
>choice, except in the city of Saint Louis, where only horses were
>used, I've always heard this expression as "see a man about a
>_horse_." So far, I've never heard a woman use either version and,
>with luck, I never will. Ugh! :-)
>
>-Wilson
>
>On 9/28/07, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC <Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:
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>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>>  Subject:      Re: Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>  Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  Caveats: NONE
>>
>>  A lady (and I use the word in its best sense) I used to work with once
>>  told me she "had to go see a man about a mule".  It took a while for me
>>  to figure out that she went to the bathroom.
>>
>>
>>  >
>>  > What! Wilson surely you go back to "powder my nose" (if not
>>  > "straighten the seams on my stockings").
>>  >
>>  > dInIs
>>  >
>>  > >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  > >-----------------------
>>  > >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > >Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>>  > >Subject:      Re: Whiz
>>  > >-------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > ----------
>>  > >--------
>>  > >
>>  > >I once heard a woman say, "take a dump." It sounded gross.
>>  > >Fortunately, I've not had the displeasure of hearing a woman
>>  > use any of
>>  > >the other forms. That may seem a little prissy, but, once
>>  > upon a time,
>>  > >even hearing a woman say, "I have to go to the bathroom,"
>>  > >grossed me out. The only proper usage for women for me, at one time,
>>  > >was, "Excuse me."
>>  > >
>>  > >-Wilson
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >On 9/26/07, Charles Doyle <cdoyle at uga.edu> wrote:
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>>  > >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  > >>  Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
>>  > >>  Subject:      Re: Whiz
>>  > >>
>>  > >>------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > ----------
>>  > >>---------
>>  > >>
>>  > >>  OK, a person (at least a male; do the same expressions commonly
>>  > >>refer to female activities of the corresponding sort?) can
>>  > "take a X";
>>  > >>X can be "whiz" or "leak" or "piss" or "pee" or "shit" or "dump" or
>>  > >>"dooky" or possibly other eliminations of a nether sort--but NOT
>>  > >>*"turd" or *"urine."
>>  > >>
>>  > >>  The object of "take" designates an action (an act of X-ing), not
>>  > >>just the substance deposited. Even though the permissible X's are
>>  > >>clearly nouns (preceded by the definite article), the allowable X
>>  > >>words can, in other environments, function as verbs, whereas "turd"
>>  > >>and "urine" can't.
>>  > >>
>>  > >>  There must be exceptions or outright contradictions to
>>  > this little
>>  > >>hypothesis!
>>  > >>
>>  > >>  And then there are upper-body eliminations: We can't
>>  > *"take a spit"
>>  > >>or *"take a vomit." In our expressions, "take" seems to imply
>>  > >>premeditation, deliberation, perhaps even a certain formality.
>>  > >>
>>  > >>  --Charlie
>>  > >>  _____________________________________________________________
>>  > >>
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>>  > >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  > >>
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >--
>>  > >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
>>  > >
>>  > >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > --
>>  > Dennis R. Preston
>>  > University Distinguished Professor
>>  > Department of English
>>  > Morrill Hall 15-C
>>  > Michigan State University
>>  > East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>>  >
>>  > ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>  >
>>  Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
>>  Caveats: NONE
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>--
>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
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48864 USA

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