[Ads-l] new alligator proverb

[Jonathan Lighter]

More idiomatically, "ass."

JL

On Sat, Jul 8, 2023 at 10:53 AM Jesse Sheidlower <jester at panix.com> wrote:

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


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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