AW: [sw-l] Chicken Scratch

[CWren at DOE.K12.GA.US]

The (American) South is full of really bizarre idioms.  Since I have moved 
here, I have started collecting them.   I think my favorite is "That room 
is so small you couldn't cuss a cat in it without getting hair in your 
teeth."

---------------------------------
Cherie Wren
GSD Staff Interpreter
232 Perry Farm Rd
Cave Spring, GA 30124
706-777-2328
706-766-0766 Cell

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"Neil Bauman" <neil at HEARINGLOSSHELP.COM> 
Sent by: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
01/04/2007 09:30 AM
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Subject
Re: AW: [sw-l] Chicken Scratch






Hi Cherie:

>I always heard that referred to as "chicken feed"  ::grin::   I get 
>paid 'chicken feed' to work here at GSD.  I also heard the idiom 
>derived from the old days where employers might pay the workers in 
>barter... so they might actually get paid in =real= chicken feed, 
>(as opposed to cow feed, which would be worth more?). Today it just 
>means 'pay next to nothing'.

Just shows how things change over time and from one part of the 
country to another. I heard this where I grew up in western Canada. 
The chickens scratch to get their food--so either works.

Another thing, we wouldn't have said "chicken scratch" for slopping 
writing, we'd have said "chicken tracks". Again slight differences in 
different parts of the country.

But they all mean basically the same. Such is the diversity and 
richness (and confusion) of English.

Regards

                                         Neil


Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
Center for Hearing Loss Help
49 Piston Court
Stewartstown, PA 17363
Phone: (717) 993-8555
FAX: (717) 993-6661
Email: neil at hearinglosshelp.com
Website: http://www.hearinglosshelp.com





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