[Ads-l] pickle was Re: monkey in the middle (1952)

[Amy West]

On 1/28/20 00:00, ADS-L automatic digest system wrote:
> Date:    Mon, 27 Jan 2020 21:01:29 -0500
> From:    ADSGarson O'Toole<adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: monkey in the middle (1952)
>
> Great work BZ and everyone. It is natural to wonder why  "piggy in the
> middle" became "monkey in the middle". Perhaps the change was
> influenced by the name of another scenario called a "monkey chase"
> from the domain of baseball.
>
> [Begin Wikipedia excerpt]
> A rundown, informally known as a pickle or the hotbox, is a situation
> in the game of baseball that occurs when the baserunner is stranded
> between two bases, also known as no-man's land, and is in jeopardy of
> being tagged out.
> [End Wikipedia excerpt]


Here in Worcester my boys learned a game called "pickle" that I had 
never learned. It seemed to me to be kind of a dodgeball/Red Rover 
variant with one player against a line of others and a tennis ball was 
used. I'll have to ask them about it.

And now there's an entirely different game of "pickleball" which is a 
racquet/paddle sport . . .

---Amy West

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