[Ads-l] new alligator proverb

[Jesse Sheidlower]

No, since the context is a journalist commenting on expressions used in the military:

'If a man gets in hot water, he's in "deep trouble." If he's in real deep trouble, he's "up to his ears in alligators."'

On Sat, Jul 08, 2023 at 10:26:36AM -0400, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> In Vietnam, could that have referred to actual alligators? (Or crocodiles?)
> 
> On Sat, Jul 8, 2023, 10:10 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:
> 
> > There's an entry for this in HDAS, with a first example from 1964, in a
> > military (not specifically Navy) context in Vietnam.
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 08, 2023 at 02:02:23PM +0000, Peter Reitan wrote:
> > > When I was in the Navy, it was frequently said during stressful or
> > complicated, difficult situations, that we were "up to our asses in
> > alligators."
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> > Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 5:18:40 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Subject: new alligator proverb
> > >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > > Subject:      new alligator proverb
> > >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > CNN This morning:
> > >
> > > "There's a saying in the military: 'You focus on the closest alligator to
> > > the boat.'"
> > >
> > > JL
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > truth."
> > >
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> >
> 
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