Half a pair of buttoxes

[Laurence Horn]

At 10:31 AM -0500 2/14/08, Dennis R. Preston wrote:
>Why go for them French guys when there are good examples in AmerEng?

I note dInIs's use of the sex-neutral referential "guy" here, since
as we all know the single-buttocked character in Candide was of the
female persuasion.  (Did she have a name, or was she just "la
Vielle"?)  I recall the tale of her lost buttock was a rip-roarer,
but the details elude me.  Ah well, I have a copy of the book on some
shelf or other.

LH

>If you are as old as me Or close to it), you will remember the
>politically incorrect "Little Moron" jokes. One went like this:
>
>Q: Why did the Little Moron saw his toilet seat in two?
>
>A: 'Cause he heard his half-assed relatives were coming to town.
>
>Sigh! Our lost humor.
>
>dInIs
>
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>Subject:      Re: Half a pair of buttoxes
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Why, yes.  Did you think my proscriptivist decrees arbitrary?
>>
>>   JL
>>
>>
>>
>>Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
>>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>>Sender: American Dialect Society
>>Poster: Charles Doyle
>>Subject: Half a pair of buttoxes
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Like that character in _Candide_.
>>
>>--Charlie
>>_____________________________________________________________
>>
>>---- Original message ----
>>>Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:46:15 -0800
>>>From: Jonathan Lighter
>>>Subject: Re: crunk
>>>
>>>  And Grant, won't you help us protect the precision of our English
>>>language by restricting the use of "half-assed" to describe persons
>>>having but one buttox?
>>>
>>>  JL
>>
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>
>--
>Dennis R. Preston
>University Distinguished Professor
>Department of English
>15C Morrill Hall
>Michigan State University
>East Lansing, MI 48824
>517-353-4736
>preston at msu.edu
>
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