Q: "oil the dog's wig"?

[Wilson Gray]

I remember it from "around," perhaps from my days in the Army.

You make an excellent point, re non-standard speakers, dInIs. ;-)

-Wilson

On Jan 22, 2008 8:42 AM, Dennis Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Q:  "oil the dog's wig"?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Danged if I don't remember "wax your ass" too (Southern Illinois,
> Indiana, Louisville area - 1950's). The homophony of "whacks" and
> "wax" for many nonstandard speakers makes me wonder about some
> historical contamination.
>
> dInIs
>
>
> >---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >-----------------------
> >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> >Subject:      Re: Q:  "oil the dog's wig"?
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >I am reminded (somehow) of an expression prevalent in my youth in
> >Texas in the 1960s: to "wax (someone's) ass," meaning 'administer a
> >sound beating'. It's probably in HDAS, but I own only one copy
> >(alas), which is at home, where I am not . . . .
> >
> >--Charlie
> >_____________________________________________________________
> >
> >---- Original message ----
> >>Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:18:42 -0800
> >>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> >>Subject: Re: Q:  "oil the dog's wig"?
> >>
> >>"Dog" undoubtedly = S.O.B.  To "oil his wig" might mean to beat him
> >>on the head, possibly till blood flowed.
> >>
> >>   JL
> >>
> >>"Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET> wrote:
> >>
> >>Is this of any interest, and how is it explained?
> >>
> >>In the 1784 _The Whimsical Jester: or, Rochester in High Glee_,
> >>there is a bit on jargon that allegedly "flew about" on the
> >>occasion of a boxing-match. One item is from the barber's speech:
> >>"oil the dog's wig for him".
> >>
> >>Joel
> >
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>
> --
> 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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All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
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