[Ads-l] "to come right down to the brass" 1858

[Stephen Goranson]

1858, Nov. 6 Chicago Press and Tribune [ProQuest] p. 2 col. 2, "A Word to Messrs Greeley & Co.":
We have no desire to make fresh sores...but we owe it to the Republican party...to exchange a word with certain people....Let us come down to the "brass" of the thing.
________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 5:44 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] "to come right down to the brass" 1858

The first quote is clearly boat related, but what does it mean? The only
thing I can think of is filling the boat so it is so low in the water that
the water reaches the (ornamental) brass.

The second quote may use the same imagery -- if the boat is "down to the
brass" there is no way to escape without getting wet.

How to confirm that "down to the brass" refers to a sinking boat? And does
this have anything to do with brass tacks??

DanG

On Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 12:33 PM, Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at mst.edu>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at MST.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "to come right down to the brass" 1858
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Peter Reitan has written on "get/come to brass tacks" and just sent the
> fol=
> lowing additional
> examples of "down to the brass" to Stephen, Garson and me.
> Gerald Cohen
> ________________________________
> From: Peter Reitan [pjreitan at hotmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 11:25 AM
> To: Cohen, Gerald Leonard; goranson at duke.edu; adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com
> Subject: RE: "to come right down to the brass" 1858
>
> <snip>
> Two more examples of, "Down to the Brass."
>
> The Planters=92 Banner, June 30, 1853, page 2<
> http://chroniclingamerica.loc=
>
> .gov/lccn/sn86053688/1853-06-30/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=3D1836&index=3D0&rows=3D2=
>
> 0&searchType=3Dadvanced&language=3D&sequence=3D0&words=3Dbrass+down&proxdis=
>
> tance=3D5&date2=3D1864&ortext=3D&proxtext=3D&phrasetext=3Ddown+to+the+brass=
> &andtext=3D&dateFilterType=3Dy>.  It often happens that meetings of this
> ki=
> nd are holden, at which the stereotype phrase =93I move, Mr. Chairman,
> that=
>  Mr. =96 be appointed,=94 falls thick and fast on the President=92s ears
> un=
> til the assessment roll is nearly exhausted, and enough delegates are
> appoi=
> nted to crowd a Mississippi steamer =93down to the brass,=94 after which
> th=
> e meeting breaks up under the flattering delusion that the Parish has
> secur=
> ed an efficient representation in the forthcoming Convention.
>
> The Ashland Union (Ohio), May 12, 1858, page 2<
> http://chroniclingamerica.lo=
> c.gov/lccn/sn83035173/1858-05-12/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=3D1836&index=3D11&rows=
>
> =3D20&searchType=3Dadvanced&language=3D&sequence=3D0&words=3Dbrass+down&pro=
>
> xdistance=3D5&date2=3D1864&ortext=3D&proxtext=3D&phrasetext=3Ddown+to+the+b=
> rass&andtext=3D&dateFilterType=3D>.The =93object=94 of this writer is
> clear=
> .  He is determined, as the intelligent reader will observe, to bring us =
> =93right down to the brass,=94 and to shut up every avenue of escape.
> Bein=
> g thus driven into a corner, we are compelled to admit that we didn=92t
> vot=
> e for that bill as approved by our old friend and respected fellow
> citizen,=
>  George Washington, &c.  Therefore, touching this point, don=92t shoot
> agai=
> n, but consider us down.
>
>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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