LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.05.20 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.05.19 (11) [A/E]

Jonny, Elsie,

this is probably the old adage that I hated most during my entire childhood
(and still do). Whenever I didn't like what was on my plate, my mother,
grandmother, older sister and various other relatives would chant in unison:
"Wenn's Mäuschen satt ist, schmeckt das Mehl bitter". I found that quite
offensive because, at those occasions, I was usually very hungry, and
nothing but icky stuff on my plate!

And no, I wasn't aaall that picky. I ate most vegetables just fine, but
simply couldn't stand any fatty meat (still can't) or cheese (we usually had
camembert, and I still can't stand that "pure and raw" because it reeks of
ammonia) - that would trigger my gagging reflexes. Interesting, since I
found out in my mid-thirties that I have a hereditary disease called
"familial hypertriglyceridemia" and am not even allowed to eat fat meat, or
lots of cheese!

Ugh, this brings back awful memories of that traditional dish from Hannover:
Braunkohl und Brägenwurst! This is curly kale and brain sausage / boerenkool
en breinworst / Grünkohl und Hirnwurst.

I can proudly say that they never, ever succeeded in making me try even one
bite of that sausage!

Gabriele Kahn

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2005.05.19 (11) [A/E]

From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: "Idiomatica" [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Idiomatica
>
> Sandy (above):
>
> > Ay, like, "Kitchen? I'll kitchen you in a meenit!"  :)
>
> So what's the meaning of that then?  A threat I suppose.  Or is it too
> naughty to explain?

It's a completely facetious threat, substitute any noun, especially if it
sounds like something you could actually do as a verb:

Tattoo? I'll tattoo you in a meenit!
Books? I'll book you in a meenit!
Fitba? I'll fitba you in a meenit!
Etc ad nauseam? I'll ad nauseam you in a meenit!

A "meenit" is a "minute", the usual way of saing "in a moment" in Scots.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org/

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Idiomatica

Sandy:

> Tattoo? I'll tattoo you in a meenit!
> Books? I'll book you in a meenit!
> Fitba? I'll fitba you in a meenit!
> Etc ad nauseam? I'll ad nauseam you in a meenit!

My mother-in-law brought a more "sophisticated" split version of this from
her native area of northeastern Alabama and northwestern Georgia:

Television?! I'll tele *your* vision (in a minute)!
Football?! I'll foot *your* ball (in a minute)!
Lipstick?! I'll lip *your* stick (in a minute)!
Tattoo?! I'll tat *your* too (in a minute)!
Milkbar?! I'll milk *your* bar (in a minute)!
Icecream?! I'll ice *your* cream (in a minute)!

You get the drift.  Obviously you need at least two syllables for this, and
even in that case it doesn't work most of the time (e.g., "piz-za").

We laughed about it when Mom was old (and we were adults).  But when they
were young this was one of the last warnings for her children to stop
pestering her.  Very naughty children were handed a knife, had to step
outside to cut a switch (i.e., a very thin, flexible young twig) from the
tree-of-heaven (_Ailanthus altissima_)  that grew next to the front door,
and then they were (lightly) beaten with this on their naked legs, which
would make them dance a jig.  Apparently it didn't hurt very much, but the
humiliation (in part because they had to provide their own torture
instrument) together with the "stink" the green switch would give off would
make them cry, scream and carry on.

So, if ever you "hear" me use that formula, watch out!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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