off the hook

[Hugh Lawson]

"You're trying to get the south off the hook!"

This has been said here several times.

When I first heard this expression, I wasn't sure the origin of the
metaphor, "on the hook". I imagined it to be a meat hook with a
tortured human figure hanging from it. I don't use the expression
myself, and I have never heard it used in living speech.

But as I looked around the term seems to refer to someone trapped in a
troubling debt. E.g., "He's on the hook for $40,000.00 that I can't
pay."

Apparently one who objects to "letting the South off the hook" imagine
himself a prosecutor who has "the South" before the grand jury, and
doesn't intend to let them off.

I have trouble imagining that state of mind. I don't think about social
groups in that way. But if I understand it, there are people who enjoy
the feeling of observing (in their imagination) the south caught on a
hook.

We need much more study of non-southerners (aka northerners).

[A.Lu...@who-knows-where.com]

On Sat, 05 May 2012 21:56:39 -0400, Hugh Lawson <hu.l...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>"You're trying to get the south off the hook!"
>
>This has been said here several times.
>
>When I first heard this expression, I wasn't sure the origin of the
>metaphor, "on the hook". I imagined it to be a meat hook with a
>tortured human figure hanging from it. I don't use the expression
>myself, and I have never heard it used in living speech.

You've never heard this expression used? You've led a sheltered
life, Hugh! It comes from fishing, of course. A fish tries to get
off the hook, and an angler who isn't careful, plain doesn't care
about catching the fish, may let a fish off the hook.

[Hugh Lawson]

A.Lu...@who-knows-where.com writes:

> On Sat, 05 May 2012 21:56:39 -0400, Hugh Lawson <hu.l...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"You're trying to get the south off the hook!"
>>
>>This has been said here several times.
>>
>>When I first heard this expression, I wasn't sure the origin of the
>>metaphor, "on the hook". I imagined it to be a meat hook with a
>>tortured human figure hanging from it. I don't use the expression
>>myself, and I have never heard it used in living speech.
>
> You've never heard this expression used?

Correct.

> You've led a sheltered
> life, Hugh!

I have been spared much by providence.

> It comes from fishing, of course. A fish tries to get
> off the hook, and an angler who isn't careful, plain doesn't care
> about catching the fish, may let a fish off the hook.

I don't see this metaphor as having much application to the South. The
fish is tempted and goes for the angler's bait. I assume the South is
the fish; but who is the angler? What is the bait? How can a third
party get the fish of the hook? Why doesn't everybody sympathize with
the fish? He is the one tricked and trapped?

There is something uhh fishy about the application of this metaphor to
the South. ;-)

hl