(w)ringer

[Tom Zurinskas]

> Used to be, you got your "tit in a wringer" but your "ass in a sling." - meaning trouble.


As transposed "ass in a wringer" makes more sense to mean trouble than "tits in a sling".  They usually are in slings.  That is before the bra burners.  In that sense the tits in slings would mean less trouble.


Tom Zurinskas, Conn 20 yrs, Tenn 3, NJ 33, now Fl 9.
See how English spelling links to sounds at http://justpaste.it/ayk





>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: (w)ringer
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Used to be, you got your "tit in a wringer" but your "ass in a sling."
>
> Both mean that you wound up in trouble, not that you made a mistake (which
> might have only trivial consequnces).
>
> Both expressions evidently go back at least to WW2, but "ass in a sling"
> was long adumbrated by "eye in a sling," lit. an injured, bandaged eye
>
> JL
>
> On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 8:49 AM, Tom Zurinskas <truespel at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster: Tom Zurinskas <truespel at HOTMAIL.COM>
> > Subject: Re: (w)ringer
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > That "ass in a ringer" is a spin-off of the phrase "tit in a wringer"
> > refering to washing clothes in a "wringer washer". Those machines had
> > rollers atop an open wash tub. After clothes were washed the woman (of
> > course) swivled the two-roller wringer over the tub and lifted the clothes
> > into the wringer hand cranking them through the two rollers (prior to
> > electricity doing it) to screed off excess water before hanging clothes to
> > dry. Dangerous getting hair or own clothes caught in an electrified
> > wringer. We actual had one when first married.
> >
> >
> > From the Urban Dictionary "tit in a wringer"
> > Bothered, bent out of shape, upset, angry. Dates back to wringer clothes
> > washers. Undoubtedly, getting one's tit caught in the wringer would have
> > been quite upsetting.
> > Yes, dear, so I lost a hundred bucks playing poker. Don't get your tit in
> > a wringer.
> >
> >
> >
> > Tom Zurinskas, Conn 20 yrs, Tenn 3, NJ 33, now Fl 9.
> > See how English spelling links to sounds at http://justpaste.it/ayk
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > > Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster: Michael Everson <everson at EVERTYPE.COM>
> > > Subject: (w)ringer
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > A friend made an error, and said "I got my ass in a ringer". I don't
> > know this expression. Google gives 62,700 hits for "ass in a ringer", and
> > 11,600 hits for "ass in a wringer".
> > >
> > > What is it?
> > >
> > > Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/
> > >
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>
> --
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