[Ads-l] highwaters

[Jeff Prucher]

On Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:36 PM, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM> wrote:


> Urban Dictionary (https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flood%20pants 
> <https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flood%20pants>) has flood pants. Wiktionary has “flood 
> pants” as a synonym of highwaters, but no entry for it. The Oxford Living Dictionaries don’t have “flood 
> pants”. BB

I only ever heard this shorted to "floods," back in my youth (which UD also has, but not GDOS; not near my non-virtual dictionaries to check HDAS, et al.).

Jeff Prucher

> On 18 Nov 2017, at 19:39, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Green’s Dictionary of Slang has a pertinent entry.
> https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/gucfzhy
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> highwater adj.
> [mid-19C+] (US) too short, usu. of trousers, occas. of other clothing
> or hair; thus highwaters n., trousers that are too short.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> JL's Historical Dictionary of American Slang has an entry with the
> following initial citations.
> 
> [Begin excerpt; check for typos]
> [1856 "M. Twain," in DARE: Then some soldiers with bob-tailed tin
> coats on (high water coats we used to call 'em in Keokuk) come in,
> them some gals (with high water dresses on).]
> 
> 1902 in DARE: High-water-pants boys, who take their college education
> and make some follow's business hum with it.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> I've heard the following related expression
> 
> [Begin Urban dictionary excerpt]
> flood pants
> Pants that fall around the ankle. Often called high-waters/ high
> waters as well. This refers to the fact that you can wear them when
> there is a flood, or "high waters."
> Wow, those flood pants are so cute, but your ankles must get cold
> during the winter...
> by Maderaverde April 29, 2005
> [End Urban dictionary excerpt]
> 
> Green’s Dictionary of Slang has a pertinent entry. (I cannot see the citations.)
> https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/ltvacui
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> flood-pants n.
> [such trousers are ideal for walking through a flood – the legs are
> too short to get wet]
> [20C+] (orig. W.I.) trousers that are too short and narrow.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> Garson
> 
> 
> On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 9:28 PM, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/highwaters <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/highwaters>, informal) has this word but it’s not in the English Oxford Living Dictionaries.
>> 
>> Ken Cannon uses the word at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1fQbLQx6w <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh1fQbLQx6w>, about 2:19 in.
>> 
>> I was surprised to learn this is still in use.
>> 
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org