Whitleather, tough as

April 19th, 2010 by admin

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Posted in April 2010, columns | 7 comments

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7 comments on this post.

  1. Harold Russell:

    November 6th, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    This will betray the large gaps in my literary education – but I am not familiar with the Robert Browning anecdote mentioned above. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me?

  2. admin:

    November 8th, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Sure, but I should warn folks that the answer is “not safe for work,” i.e., contains content that some may find offensive.

    See Wikipedia and Language Log.

  3. cyranorox:

    May 13th, 2010 at 3:50 pm

    is it not the root of the other euphemism, ‘pussy’, via Cockney rhyming slang? ie, ‘T—, T—, pussy cat’?compare Fork, Fork, Duke of York ; fork= hand ,and Duke becomes the word for hand or usually fist.

  4. TEDD CARMICHAEL:

    March 28th, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    I AM 87 YEARS OLD, AND MY MAMA USED THIS TERM EVERY TIME WE HAD MEAT FOR DINNER THAT WAS NOT TO HER LIKING. I NEVER KNEW WHAT IT MEANT, AND I DOUBT MAMA DID EITHER. BUT TODAY, AT LAST, WHEN THE TERM CAME TO MIND, I LOOKED IT UP. NOW MY MIND’S AT EASE.

  5. JO ETTA JOHNSON:

    November 26th, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Yep! Heard this term all my life (I’m 67), but never knew its origin until today. Thanks!!!

  6. Bonnie bibbee:

    March 29th, 2013 at 8:33 pm

    My grandmother used this term quite often. I never really knew what it meant . Thanks

  7. Paul Pegelow:

    April 13th, 2013 at 4:30 pm

    The only difference between TEDD CARMICHAEL’S comments on March 28, 2012 and mine is that I’m 79.
    April 13 2013

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