Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

Like my grandfather. In those pre-auto days you could be a shitkicker in NYC as well, literally if not figuratively.

  JL

Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Dennis Preston

Subject: Re: Whiz (UNCLASSIFIED)
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Us shit-kickers always "saw a man about a dog."

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender: American Dialect Society
>Poster: Wilson Gray
>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 wrote:
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>> Sender: American Dialect Society
>> Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
>> 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
>> > >Poster: Wilson Gray
>> > >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 wrote:
>> > >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > >>-----------------------
>> > >> Sender: American Dialect Society
>> > >> Poster: Charles Doyle
>> > >> 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
>> > >> _____________________________________________________________
>> > >>
>> > >> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > >> 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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