my friend Rose, who heard the (intentionally butchered, I'm sure) phrase "go to the mattress" in some bullshit flick (Godfather or something) and kept crying foul when I would say "go to the mat," like a normal person.
I think "Go The mattress" is a legit saying. I think its mob slang.
Yeah, you may be right.
At the time of the aformentioned beef, every person I asked about it who was familiar with the phrase 1) defined it exactly as one would define "going to the mat" (that is, as "going all the way" or "going all out"), 2) couldn't give any plausible origin (a la "go to the mat"'s obvious origin in wrestling), and 3) qualified their definition with, "You know, like they say in The Godfather." Because of this, I maintained that "go to the mattress" was really more of a movie quote than it was a legitimate saying. I'm just cranky like that.
Upon quick interweb research just now, though, it appears that the saying does have some legitimacy: "going to the mattress" was a mob thing implying that you had called in out-of-town reinforcements for whom you'd provided beds, implying that you were ready for a long fight.
My apologies, Rose, wherever you are. You can keep the fin.
had to call a 90 something year old southern man the other day. his wife picks up the phone and i overhear her calling him 'daddy' when she's letting him know about the call. Thought it was cute.
When I was in junior high, I had two friends I'd call a lot: Todd and Lance (odd that I don't really know any Todds or Lances now--where'd they all go?).
Todd's dad was from deep East Texas and would say things like, "No, Ross, Todd went to the movin' pictures." He'd also use expressions like, "Well, whoopie-tye!" Or, "That's my favorite thing, right next to an ice water enema."
Whereas my friend Lance's mom had the all-time classic response to "Is Lance home?":
More so a regional thing than an old-timey one, I talk with a lot of folks in the upper Midwestern states (Iowa, the Dakotas and Minnesota), who always use:
The woman I work with is from Newfoundland (a much ridiculed but actually rad East coast province)and is a cross between a truck-driver/construction foreperson/pot-cookie baking grandmother. She was asked to approve picking up the tab for something the other day and her response was, "No way! They're asking me to buy a pig in a poke!" Huh?
Comments
kit n kaboodle (as in "the whole")
hogwash
colored fella
Yeah, you may be right.
At the time of the aformentioned beef, every person I asked about it who was familiar with the phrase 1) defined it exactly as one would define "going to the mat" (that is, as "going all the way" or "going all out"), 2) couldn't give any plausible origin (a la "go to the mat"'s obvious origin in wrestling), and 3) qualified their definition with, "You know, like they say in The Godfather." Because of this, I maintained that "go to the mattress" was really more of a movie quote than it was a legitimate saying. I'm just cranky like that.
Upon quick interweb research just now, though, it appears that the saying does have some legitimacy: "going to the mattress" was a mob thing implying that you had called in out-of-town reinforcements for whom you'd provided beds, implying that you were ready for a long fight.
My apologies, Rose, wherever you are. You can keep the fin.
6 to 1, half dozen of the other
slow as molasses in february
tomayto, tomahto
tarnation
heavens to betsy
I think a google search of Montgomery Burns dialogue from the simpsons would yield a lot of cool results.
6 of[/b] 1, half dozen of the other.
I have my own modified version of this:
jackassery
as in "His tomfoolery is a perfect example of male jackassery"
"23 skidoo!"
"I'm really enjoying this so-called iced cream."
Your teeth may grit
But this ___________
You'll never never get"
Todd's dad was from deep East Texas and would say things like, "No, Ross, Todd went to the movin' pictures." He'd also use expressions like, "Well, whoopie-tye!" Or, "That's my favorite thing, right next to an ice water enema."
Whereas my friend Lance's mom had the all-time classic response to "Is Lance home?":
"No, hun...he went to do skateboards."
as in "how you doin'" response, "fair-to-midlin'"
my fave.
Bully!
Capitol!
Huzzah!
You betcha
What's that supposed to mean?
"Haulin Ass..."
"Pin Joint..."
"Nookie..."
"Mamajamma.."
Only thing is, that thick Southern accent he had made it come out like "coating." It was years before it dawned on me what he meant.
"Gimmie my Propers..."
much like the others, an exclamation of excellence... though I'm not sure if it spelled with the 'a', or the 'o'.
"My good sir, shall we adjourn to the bar room for several rounds of tipple?"
"Indeed, sir. Capitol idea!"
malodorous
gobbeldy-gook
rapscallion (a personal favorite)
(worth) a pretty penny
pleb and underling