OLD-WORDS-L Archives
Archiver > OLD-WORDS > 2000-04 > 0955233333
From: <>
Subject: [OLDWORDS] Re: OLD-WORDS-D Digest V00 #55
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 18:35:33 EDT
"Root hog or die" is/was definitely an expression of rural America and
probably other places as well.
One of my aunts said that my maternal grandfather used that expression when
referring to her desire to leave home and live and work for a more affluent
family during the depression.
They were a southern family who had moved north to south Chicago shortly
before the depression.
I think that my grandfather was aptly stating a fact, in his country fashion.
Also, the "yellow-bellied" expression may not mean cowardly in England, but
during and after the Civil War/War Between the States, southerners did refer
to Yankees as "Yellow-bellied Yankees" and "Ah do declare", I think that it
was stated derisively.
Who knows maybe the Yankees referred to the Rebels with some other expression
equally obnoxious.
I did enjoy whoever said that, "If BS had been bullets (in reference to the
Civil War), we'd be eating grits, rather than bagels in NYC today.
Political as this may be. I like it and reserve the right to make such
statements, as we all should. Remember the first amendment, we in America can
and do have a guaranteed right to criticize our government, in any forum.
AMEN, heh, heh.
Emily Patc
This thread: