Lexicon

A Lexicon of (Dad's) English Usage

A

A-O.K.

fine

What's it going to take, an act of Congress?
Ah, look at those cute little hands (kissing baby's hands)

All day every day.
All fouled up.

messed up; broken

All goofed up.

messed up; disorganized; broken

All wrapped up with joy and enthusiasm.

very happy

Any rate

Are we man enough to get this [sheep's head stew] past our pallets
without a lot of pomp and ceremony so we don't offend these folks?

Aren't you smart enough to come in out of the rain?

Asleep at the switch.

not paying attention; daydreaming

B

Barking machine

dog

Barn

destination. Usage: Now she's headin' for the barn. (Now it's [e.g. wire] is going where it should.)

Beatin' iron.

hammer

(You make a) Better door than a window

Used when you were standing in his line of sight (e.g., in front of the television)

Bonnet

hat

Boogered up

stripped. Example: The threads are all boogered up.

Borrow a look.

look at

Bucket of bolts.

clattering vehicle

Build (a cake).

make; bake. Example: Enclosed please find the list she built in my notebook.

We finally got the bull by the horns.

Bull-headed

stubborn

Bum

defective, malfunction, ill. Example: I've got a bum leg. (My leg is bad.) He gave me a bum steer. (bad directions)

(It's time to) bundle up this project.

Let's go home; it is time to put things away and go home.

Bungalow

house

Business end of a hammer.

hammer head

It's enough to make you want to drink a good grade of
buttermilk

It could drive you to drink

C

Cabbage leaf

dollar bill

Chase the broom around.

sweep the floor

Chase this into the (waste basket).

Put this into the

(Erline, how would you like to) chase some of that equipment onto my plate.

Please pass the

Chobble.

chew

Chomping at the bit.

impatient

Choppers

teeth

Clattering and banging

see Hammering and banging

Climb into your uniform.

get dressed; change clothes

Climb in bed.

go to bed

Clobbered up.

messy

Come-along

tool

Commotion.

Confucius say: Boy with job, him busy; boy without job, him busy too.

Now we're cooking with gas.

Cook up

improvise

Conglomeration

concoction; mess

Cute little

small

D

Deal.

thing

... of some description

of any kind

(to a child) Did you do your job?

did you defecate?

Did you hear that discouraging word?

Do you suppose you could fit this into your program, Erline?

Would you do this for me, Erline?]

Does this pass your inspecting eye?

Do you approve? Is this good enough for you?

Draw me a picture, Erline.

Explain what you mean

(This is ready for a) drink of river water.

This is worn out.

Driveway

way. Example: That's right, stand in my driveway (You're in my way)

Drowning (angle) worms

fishing

E

Elbow room

room to work

Elbow grease

hard work

Embark

Equipment.

something; thing; (foreign) matter

(sneeze) Sad day, I got equipment all over my tie. Erline, could you please dish me up a bowl of that equipment?

Eyeball.

vb. to look at something to make sure it is straight

Eyes.

Humorous quote (in justification of installing conduit meticulously level in a potato cellar): "Remember that even though folks rarely come here, this place is full of eyes."

F

Be sure to wash your face, neck and ears.

Fine and dandy.

good

Fine, thanks, and you?

Fire wagon red

bright red

Fist full

hand full. Example: "This _____ cost a whole fist full of nickels."

Fit to be hobbled and hogtied.

perplexed; angry

Floppin' 'n danglin'

loose; defective

Flying machine

Any bug with wings

Folks.

people

Fumble rags.

gloves

G

Gang up

work together. Example: "Saturday three of us ganged up on basements."

Gee willickers

Get back here, junior!

exclaimed when a tool drops or a part rolls away

Give the one-finger.

to flip the bird

Gives off a foul (pleasant, good) odor

Good, fine, and desirable

Good, high quality, inexpensively priced

Goober

mucous, snot

Gookem

Lan Lay (brand of hair tonic). See also Goober.

Gookem pucky

Roof sealant for sealing exhaust fan flashing. Dielectric grease (noalox)

Gospel, parentage, birthright

Stop grinding your nose; use a handkerchief.

Gripe, groan, grumble, grunt.

complain

Grumbled off

angry

Grunt

n. feces; v. defecate

H

Hammering and banging

clattering, of a poorly functioning engine, etc.

Hankerin'

craving, appetite for

Happy day!

wonderful

May you have health, faith and courage, and joy in the service of the Lord.

Instead of working they just stood around heaving clods (at spud harvest time).

Hello, hello.

hello

Helping hand

assistance. Example: "How about loaning me a helping hand?"

Where do you suppose she hides her keys (mixing bowl, etc.)?

High flutin'

pretentious

High quality inexpensive.

High, wide, and happy.

scattered all over

His nose is all plugged up with goober.

goober = mucous

Hobbled 'n hogtied.

puzzled, perplexed, angry

How are we stackin' up?

How could we be so lucky?

why did this happen to us?

How many nickles is . . . . . worth?

What's the price of . . . . ?

How much is she (baby) worth?

Huffin' and puffin'

out of breath

I

I don't mind the smell, but it burns my eyes.

I'd never be guilty of putting a price on the little urchin's head. Some days I'd be of a mind to give him away, though.

I'm doing well for the condition I'm in.

I think, I hope, I guess.

perhaps

I would say (pause) yes.

probably

I'm in the middle of a battle, and the battle's still raging.

Things are not going well for me.

Is it about time to take these cats for a ride (in the country), would you perdict?

Is it time to get rid of these cats?

Is that a command or an order?

It looks like it's getting to be hair-cutting time around here. Who wants to go first?

Item.

thing

It gets the job done.

It takes a mighty good walk to beat a ride in this old jalopy.

It was engineered and designed that way.

I've got the world by the tail with a downhill pull.

Things are going well for me

J

Jeepers

Jeepers, folks

Jillion.

very large number

Jitney

car. Example: Be careful as you back the jitney out of the driveway, now.

It gives me the jitters to walk that close to the edge.

Jowels.

jaws

Jump in the jitney.

get into the car

Jump in the tub.

take a bath

K

Keep lookin' 'til you find it.

Keep your feet on the (tricycle) pedals when you go downhill.

Killy-wiggle trap

Jumbled mess of wires

L

Let's stake a post and see if we're moving.

when Mom's at the wheel, driving slowly

-like

used in place of the adverbial suffix -ly. Example: "Drive nice and careful-like, now."

Loan me a helping hand, please.

Please help me

M

May I make a suggestion in a friendly sort of way?

Does that meet with your approval? Yes it meets with my approval. Did you ask your mother if it meets with her approval?

Mexican dragline

shovel (He referred to a steam shovel as a dragline.)

Million-dollar

good-for-nothing

Miss Mary.

Mary Sowby Whipple

We've got this monkey by the day monkey by the tail

We've got this all figured out.

Mumble-jumble

Unclear utterance

My hand sprung a leak

My hand is bleeding

My patience is wearing tissue paper thin.

My tapeworm says

I'm hungry

My thinkin' machine seems to be all goofed up lately.

My memory is failing

N

What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Never force it, just use a bigger hammer!

Nickels; nickels and dimes

money

Noise box

radio

Now she's headin' for the barn.

Now it is working correctly; now it is pointing in the right direction

O

Okum dokum.

okay

One boy (on the job) = a whole boy; two boys = half a boy; three boys = no boys at all.

One thing and another

etc.

P

Your mother is chomping at the bit to get this parade on the road.

Pardon me, I got my wires crossed.

Sorry, I must be mistaken

Park our coats

hang our coats. Example: "Where should we park our coats?"

Park your lid.

take off your hat

Does this pass your inspecting eye?

Perdict.

say; express an opinion

Persuader.

hammer

Picture frame

toilet seat

Piece of equipment.

thing

Piece of hardware

thing

Pile of boards

anything built of wood

We've got orders piled sky-high

Please, thanks.

Yes, please

Are you playing dead?

Wake up!

Plumb (good, rotten, etc)

very, completely, totally

(this deal) is pointin' off towards the moon.

this is crooked

Without a lot of pomp and ceremony

now

Program.

agenda, thing. "What's on your program for this afternoon?"

Proposition.

thing

Pull the choker.

Flush the toilet

Pull the string.

Flush the toilet

Q

(You boys) quit tantalizing each other.

quit fighting

R

Are we goint to the races? Where is the race?

(Spoken if the driver is driving too fast.)

Rake up

father, assemble, raise funds.

Rattlin' and bangin'

floppin' and danglin'

Ready and rarin' to go

all set to begin

Relax, Erline.

That's a revolting development!

That is an unexpected or unfortunate turn of events!

Rig, rig up

Right

quite

Robin-egg blue

sky blue

Roll over (and go to sleep)

Roll of Northern Fluff

toilet paper

Roll out of bed

Do you have room for one more hamburger?

Round Up

Find, collect, prepare "Should we see if we can round up a bowl of beans?" (Should we try to find something to eat?)

... ever so many ruffled cars

[description of an accident]

Rum-dumb

tired at the wheel

S

Sad day!

used instead of any expletive

Sad sorrowful (day)

good-for-nothing (day); see Sad day!

Sandwich clamp

hand

Save up your nickles and dimes.

Say hello.

vb. to protrude, e.g., a nail in an unwanted place

Scare the daylights out of.

Scare up.

find. e.g. something to eat

Scattered all over the creation.

messed up. cf. Clobbered up; high, wide, and happy

Screeching halt

abrupt stop

Scribe a line

draw a (straight) line

The little shaver hollered for all he was worth.

(of a temperamental person) She's got a different mood for every day of the week.

Shuffle along.

get going

(Do you need to) sit on the throne (for a few minutes?)

Do you need to use the rest room?

(just) sitting down to a bowl of beans.

Just beginning to eat.

Sitting on pins and needles

anxious

Sky blue

light blue

Prices are sky-high.

We'd do well to have a sky-hook at this station. Hang it on a sky-hook.

a place for miscellaneous items which do not have a particular place where they belong.

Slickum

wire lubricant

Slipping and sliding.

Smells like a wet dog.

stinks - used to describe someone wearing perfume or cologne

Sour buttermilk

Used in place of expletive

Square away

to complete; pay off. Are you squared away? (Are you taken care of?} The debt's been squared away (paid off)

Spark up the jitney.

start the car

Sparkin' right along, thanks.

I am doing fine, thanks

Spring a leak

to leak, drip

(a wee little) sprinkling of

a little bit of (liquid)

Square away

to complete; pay off. "Are you squared away?" (Are you taken care of?] All their debts have been squared away (paid off).

Squirrel tail

Bench brush. (small broom)

Station.

place, location

Stop acting soft.

Storming and steaming

angry

Straighten up and fly right.

behave yourself

Stuff and things

Swing a deal.

get/accomplish the job. "I think we could swing the deal."

T

Take a little and leave a little.

instructions to the barber; advice to his sons at a smorgasbord

Take one and leave one.

Don't take more than your share of food at the table

Tantalize

Tease. Are you tantalizing your brother?

Ten gallon hat

putty

Thank you, thank you.

thank you

Thanks muchly.

Thank you very much

Thanks Walt

Standard signature at supply houses, on bills, etc.

That grumbles me off so bad that I can't see straight.

I'm quite annoyed

That hamburger hit my stomach like a rock.

That would be a step in the right direction.

that would be the right thing to do

That'll teach 'em where their nickels and dimes come from.

a statement extolling the virtues of his sons' working

That's right: stand in my driveway!

move out of my way!

That sounds like a winning idea.

They just had ______'s funeral.

_____ died

Pardon me for being so thick-headed.

My thinking machine seems to be fouled up lately.

This breeze is blowing over an iceberg on its way to Idaho Falls.

It's cold

Who wants to trade haircuts?

Let's have a haircut.

Throne

toilet

Could you find room for this in your tool box?

Tool up a date.

make an appointment; make arrangements to do something

Tricycle motor

kid/baby

Twisting wires

doing electrical work.

U

Uniform.

clothes. Which uniform would you suggest I wear, Erline?

Unit.

thing

(poor little) urchin.

baby; child

Use your Danish ingenuity.

figure it out yourself

V

Valley.

this part of the earth

I suppose we could fit one more boy in our van.

Vineyard.

the earth; the world

W

Wallop the daylights (tar) out of.

spank severely

(telephone greeting) Walt Whipple, the electrician.

Waltz the broom around

sweep

Waltz this out to the garbage

take this to the garbage

(Let's) waltz this water heater (into place)

Wee little (sprinkling of)

small amount of, esp. liquid

Went to school four years and can't even read a blueprint (spoken of engineers).

He/she is incompetent

We're back to 1015 North Boulevard.

we're home

We're the Whipple boys. We've got the tools to do the job, and we're the boys who know how to do it.

(Pardon us) We got our wires crossed.

What's happening?

What's it going to take, an act of Congress?

Why make such a big issue of it?

What's it worth to you?

What's on your program?

While I was laboring in (or, as a), it fell my lot (or, was my assignment to)

used to introduce a story about his mission or some event in his life

Who's been heaving clods?

clods = mudballs

(sniff, sniff) Who's been poppin' off?

who flatulated? Smells like you need to go sit on the throne for a minute.

Wide awake.

alert, intelligent, capable

I think we could work that into our busy schedule.

Would it be o.k. by you if I . . .

Would it meet with your approval if?

Time to wrap up this job.

Y

You tell me and we'll both know.

I don't know.

You'd better believe it!

yes

Other

Mannerism: extending the blade of his steel measuring tape to point to things