Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
22 comments on this post.
Search us!
Ask a Question!
Puzzled by Posh?
Confounded by Cattycorner?
Baffled by Balderdash?
Flummoxed by Flabbergast?
Perplexed by Pandemonium?
Nonplussed by... Nonplussed?
Annoyed by Alliteration?
Don't be shy!
Send in your question!
Holger:
August 26th, 2011 at 4:27 am
In German, we have the phrase “sich die Radieschen von unten ansehen”, literally, “to look at the radishes from below”. The closest translation would be “to be pushing up the daisies”, and the rationale for the phrase seems obvious: If you’re dead and buried, you can (sort of) look at radishes and other plants from below (or push them up, or tickle their roots, or whatever).
I’d say that when you’re six feet under, you’re definitely in big trouble, so the meaning seems to fit. Maybe the radish metaphor somehow took the leap from German to English, or perhaps someone up in New England just had the same idea.
Just a thought.
Adam Adamson:
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Just a speculation, but I had a mental image of a plate of food (including salad) with a nice big radish on it (not little slices). Having been served plates like this, I have the distinct impression that radish eating is often the object of procrastination. I know, some people actually like radishes, but I think most probably endure them politely. So when one actually has eaten the radish, then one is thoroughly finished with the meal. Thus, “I’m afraid Aunt Matilda had the radish when she heard Uncle Jeff bought the farm,” came to mean she was “finished.”
Anna:
February 12th, 2012 at 9:47 am
I just used the phrase this morning: I moved a chair in our living room and noticed the fabric is heavily faded and threadbare, and said, “I think that chair’s finally had the radish.” And then thought, “I wonder where that phrase came from?” I’ve used it all my life, but you are right: searching brought up little–though I would offer one clarification. While it could have a sense of “I’m in trouble/there’s impending doom,” it’s more in a resigned, final, or accepting way; less so in the pork reference/action still happening/caught red-handed sense. But always in the sense of “it’s done/finished/kaput.”
Interestingly, I live and grew up in Vermont, and the majority of questions or first-hand references that I found on the web were cited from here (including the one above).
For my money, I like Holger’s explanation above–it makes sense.
Thanks for exploring this!
Ziggy2Times:
April 18th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
My Dad, born and raised in Northern Vermont, told me the origin related to poisoning radishes and positioning them around your garden that is being raided by wild rabbits. When the offending rabbit has had the radish, he is done for. For all I know he was pulling my leg, but a colorful explanation none the less.
Don Worth:
August 9th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Thank God I found someone that knows what this means. Beginning to think I made it up as a kid.
Kathy S.:
December 7th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
I also used the phrase where something has ‘been through the radish’ – meaning it was worn. I guess my mother used to say this- I’m not sure – it just came out one time to explain something worn out. My friend had never heard of it so I googled it. Funny thing- I also grew up in Vermont.
Chris:
February 16th, 2013 at 10:51 am
Perhaps it has to do with the widespread belief that wild radish (shepherdspurse) is toxic to sheep. The saying seems to be localized in Vermont, where I am a lifelong resident, and where keeping sheep was a widespread way of life 150 years ago. Seems likely that farmers may have described sick or dying sheep as having “had the radish” If it was known to or even thought to make livestock sick.
ProfMark:
March 25th, 2013 at 4:49 pm
I recently used this expression around several Virginians for whom the expression “had the radish” was new. Though I have no hard evidence, I am from recent German immigrant stock with no small exposure to the culture of Great Lakes and NE Jewish communities and the expression was widely used. So I am intrigued by Holger’s speculation, though my guess–I was pressed by my southern friends to explain the origin and meaning of the phrase–was to wonder if it wasn’t a corruption of the Yiddish equivalent of to “have the kaddish,” or the son’s prayer for the dead father. The sarcasm of immigrants and the anti-semitism of the host language could easily explain why a humorous mishearing might stick and propagate. Unfortunately, I do not have the Yiddish to go farther.
Jason A. Wark:
August 16th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
August 16, 2013
I am an 81 year old native Vermonter.
I have no more knowledge of the idea of the origin of “had the radish” than any of the other people who went through Google looking for the answer, several of which make sense in the context given.
All I can say is that since I was a child I have used the expression “I’ve had the radish”
to convey the meaning that I was all worn out after putting in a goodly number of hours at hard physical labor and have used this expression to convey the same thought about any number of things that had reached a similar state of affairs- all worn out.
I must have picked it up from my parents and/or from people with whom I worked while growing up here in Vermont. Like most rural kids in those years as throughout most of the good o’l USA we were no strangers to hard labor.
Of all the answers given on Google I liked the one about the old country German expression of looking up at the radishes after one’s burial which could be a logical choice for the origin of our current modified uses of “had the radish”. After all, let us not forget we all started out from our Old World ancestors and God knows many of them ended up looking up at the radishes, German or not.
Some of the answers imply the origin may be a Vermont concoction. Then again maybe not.
There was a German prisoner of war camp in Stark, NH where the German prisoners were brought in to be wood cutters for the paper mills in that area toward the end of WWII and a year or so thereafter. Lord knows that was hard labor and maybe they passed that expression on to the local population re-enforcing it, but then again there were many German settlers of this country long before WWII and “having the radish” may have been here from the very beginning of the USA with subsequent modification in it’s application.
It seems to me the origin of “had the radish” is buried in the sands of time and is itself now, as Holder said above, “sich die Radieschen von unten ansehen”, literally, “to look at the radishes from below”.
Lee Lavictoire:
January 19th, 2014 at 10:08 am
I am from Rutland, Vermont, and have used the phrase, “I have had the radish,” all my life. I am now in my 60’s. I use it in the context that I am tired, finished with this. I can’t cope with this anymore.
I lived in Georgia for a period of time, and people there have not heard of the phrase.
However, regarding the origin of the word, I do not know.
John M:
August 3rd, 2014 at 7:30 pm
The first time I head this expression I was at a friends house in southeastern CT in the late 1970’s While there, I noticed that he had a dead rabbit draped over the branch of an apple tree. This being rather unusual (as is my friend), I asked “what happened to your rabbit”, to which he replied “he’s had the radish”. I have used that expression from time to time since then and it always gets odd looks. However, judging from the condition of the rabbit in the apple tree, I clearly know what it means. As far as I know, my friend had not spent much time in Northern Vermont but you never know how these phrases propagate. It’s a great phrase, long may it live and spread in the language.
JM
Shelly:
May 15th, 2015 at 11:56 pm
My Grandmother who lived in upstate New York often used this phrase. I presently live in Montana and used this phrase at work recently. One of my co-workers said her mother and grandmother used the phrase. I asked if her family was from the east coast. Nope, her family has been born and raised in Montana for many generations. We don’t know it’s origin either.
Cathy:
June 11th, 2015 at 12:53 pm
I first heard the phrase “had the radish” from a friend from Vermont. He always used it to mean something akin to “I’m whupped”… i.e. “I have been working all day and if I have to lift one more bale of hay, I will collapse… I’ve had the radish” or “that’s finished”… as in if a leg falls off a chair and you’ve repaired it a couple of times and no further repairs are possible… then that chair has “had the radish”. I love the explanation posted about the German phrase “sich die Radieschen von unten ansehen”, literally, “to look at the radishes from below” … that seems to most closely fit the usage that I’ve heard.
Coleen carlson:
June 30th, 2015 at 9:15 pm
My boyfriend has said this for years, to my amazement! His work boots recently had the radish, the sawzall likewise has had the radish, the tractor had the radish just last month!! Holy cow! Enjoy the expression, as for me? Never?
Rick:
November 16th, 2015 at 7:21 pm
I’m also from Rutland, Vermont and am familiar with the phrase. I’ve always thought it meant something worn out or dilapidated but not dead. My wife has lived in California, Virginia and Iowa and had never heard it until I used it yesterday. We lived in New Hampshire for several years and neither one of us heard it used there. To me, it sounds like something a Mainer would have originated.
Anonymous:
June 12th, 2016 at 5:23 pm
I definitely think that the phrase is of alpine or german origin. “eating the radish from below” is an idiomatic phrase in the ancient language of the people of carnia (on the italian alps). the language is a mix of latin and celtic dialects and it has remained virtually the same since the middle ages.
Connie DeWitt:
September 30th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
I thought “having the radish” referee to clensing the pallet after a meal: the absolutely last thing after many courses of foods.
Rego:
October 3rd, 2016 at 6:55 pm
I to learned that phrase from a weird Uncle from New England. He used it at the end of a long hard day. I have used it from time to time and nobody gets it. I will continue to use it until it catches on.
Heather R.:
November 2nd, 2017 at 9:29 am
I just used the expression “had the radish” when telling a co-worker that my personal office space heater had died. She didn’t know what I meant. Interesting enough, we are in Vermont! :)
Clint:
July 5th, 2019 at 4:37 pm
Great topic. My wife and I were just talking about this and laughing at what a simple expression it is but it’s so perfect. We both grew up in VT as well. Tonight we were wondering the origin and found this site.
Another expression we used for something that broke, but was usually repairable” ie. had not had the radish yet, was that it “calved out” or “cav’d out.” Not sure on the spelling as it was always spoken. “Snowmobile calved out coming back from Spaulding, can you come pick me up?” Anyone else ever use this?
Rixk:
December 9th, 2020 at 5:28 pm
Yes, Clint (he said 18 months later), I knew people around Rutland who used that term without the “out”, “The snowmobile calved over on Birdseye.”
And I think I found the origin of “had the radish”. There is an English phrase “had the Richard”, meaning to be broken beyond repair. Richard in this case referencing King Richard III, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The Brits have something called “rhyming slang”, which they think is quite witty and uses a word in a sort-of code to mean something else; in this case Richard rhymes (sort of) with bird. So your snowmobile has had the bird. I can see Richard eventually changing to radish, and of course it would seem to us to just be another odd Vermont expression.
Georgie:
February 19th, 2021 at 3:05 pm
I was born in Vermont in 1979 and I have used the phrase “had the radish” all my life with the meaning that others have ascribed to it above.