It seems likely to me that this is a corruption of “pot lickings”, used to refer to the small bits of food left over after preparation or serving of a dish. In other words, the stuff you feed the dog. It fits that same sense of salvaging something otherwise discarded.
admin:
March 10th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
And it seems entirely possible that you’re right. It certainly does fit the sense of “polikens.” I doubt that we’ll ever be able to prove it’s the source, but it really strikes me as likely.
Leave a comment
Search us!
Search The Word Detective and our family of websites:
This is the easiest way to find a column on a particular word or phrase.
To search for a specific phrase, put it between quotation marks. (note: JavaScript must be turned on in your browser to view results.)
Ask a Question!
Puzzled by Posh?
Confounded by Cattycorner?
Baffled by Balderdash?
Flummoxed by Flabbergast?
Perplexed by Pandemonium?
Nonplussed by... Nonplussed?
Annoyed by Alliteration?
Simon:
March 9th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
It seems likely to me that this is a corruption of “pot lickings”, used to refer to the small bits of food left over after preparation or serving of a dish. In other words, the stuff you feed the dog. It fits that same sense of salvaging something otherwise discarded.
admin:
March 10th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
And it seems entirely possible that you’re right. It certainly does fit the sense of “polikens.” I doubt that we’ll ever be able to prove it’s the source, but it really strikes me as likely.