[Ads-l] new alligator proverb

[Jonathan Lighter]

An elaboration:

1971 _Plain Dealer_ (Cleveland, O.) (Feb. 1) 27: When you're up to your
ears in alligators...It's hard to remember your idea was to drain the swamp.

The joke that spawned the expression is on record from as far back as 1945:

1945 _Okmulgee [Okla.] Daily Times_ (Oct. 18) 8:  "But you should care what
the male alligator does," the drunk declared. "If he didn't eat those 999
eggs you'd be up to your ears in alligators."

JL

On Sat, Jul 8, 2023 at 11:40 AM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

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


-- 
"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