afoot or horseback

[meirman]

He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.

How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant comments?
(Or non-relevant?)

s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.

Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 17 years

[Eric Walker]

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 17:24:29 -0500, meirman wrote:

>He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.
>
>How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant
>comments? (Or non-relevant?)

It is unknown to me, but appears to be characteristically
southern U.S.: "The fool's so lost he don't know if he's afoot
or on horseback":

http://www.usadeepsouth.com/article1019.html

An August 1900 magazine article (in "Ainslee's Magazine, 6") by
a Will M. Clemens about "Mark Twain" (presumably Will was a
relative) includes the remark "One never knows whether Mark is
afoot or on horseback" referring to Twain's frequent changes of
attitude on a subject. I am unfamiliar with "Ainslee's", but
the page appears on a University of Virginia site:

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/railton/onstage/willcrev.html

The statement "Doesn't know if he's afoot or on horseback"
appears in a miscellaneous collection of insults:

http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/fulldeck.html

But the Clemens use suggests to me that that meaning--
"undecided"--is more the original sense than "stupid". There
is also this contemporary use, in a religious rant: " When the
Plan started working, the son didn't know if he was afoot or on
horseback" (that is, was befuddled), which is about mid-way
between the other two senses.

http://www.artsit.unimelb.edu.au/~miracle/digest_archives/
digests_99/dlog_digests/October/cimdlog1999Oct14%2372

Google is your friend.

--
Cordially,
Eric Walker
My opinions on English are available at
http://owlcroft.com/english/

[John Dean]

meirman wrote:
> He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.
>
> How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant comments?
> (Or non-relevant?)
>

I've heard it as 'on foot or horseback'. It was used in the North of England
as one of many phrases indicating a person who was flummoxed. My favourite
of that genre is 'Doesn't know if he's on this Earth or Fuller's'
--
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply

[Harvey Van Sickle]

On 11 Nov 2003, John Dean wrote

I grew up with "Doesn't know whether to shit or wind his watch".

--
Cheers, Harvey

Ottawa/Toronto/Edmonton for 30 years;
Southern England for the past 21 years.
(for e-mail, change harvey to whhvs)

[Pat Durkin]

"Eric Walker" <ewa...@owlcroft.com> wrote in message
news:rjnyxrebjypebsgpb...@news.individual.net...

> On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 17:24:29 -0500, meirman wrote:
>
> >He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.
> >
> >How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant
> >comments? (Or non-relevant?)
>
> It is unknown to me, but appears to be characteristically
> southern U.S.: "The fool's so lost he don't know if he's afoot
> or on horseback":

Oh, I have heard riots of laughter when the expression "He doesn't know if
he's afoot or ahorse" comes out in some speech. It may be a cliche among
toastmasters, and the like, but I think of it whenever I see the word
"afoot".

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and Robinson Smith - Robinson Smith ...
... But however I find myself, raised or fallen, afoot or ahorse, I shall
ever be
at your service and that of my lady the duchess, your worthy consort, true
...
www.metrostate.edu/cgi-bin/troxy/lproxy.cgi/URL-www.press.jhu.edu/journals/h
opscotch/v002/2.3smith.html -

[Brian Wickham]

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 23:31:17 GMT, Harvey Van Sickle
<harve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>On 11 Nov 2003, John Dean wrote
>
>> meirman wrote:
>>> He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.
>>>
>>> How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant
>>> comments? (Or non-relevant?)
>>>
>>
>> I've heard it as 'on foot or horseback'. It was used in the North
>> of England as one of many phrases indicating a person who was
>> flummoxed. My favourite of that genre is 'Doesn't know if he's on
>> this Earth or Fuller's'
>
>I grew up with "Doesn't know whether to shit or wind his watch".

Or "Doesn't know whether to shit or go blind."

[meirman]

In alt.english.usage on Tue, 11 Nov 2003 18:51:34 -0600 "Pat Durkin"
<durk...@nothome.com> posted:

>
>"Eric Walker" <ewa...@owlcroft.com> wrote in message
>news:rjnyxrebjypebsgpb...@news.individual.net...
>> On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 17:24:29 -0500, meirman wrote:
>>
>> >He doesn't know if he is afoot or horseback.

You reminded me. It was "... or on horseback" Forgot the "on".

>> >
>> >How many of you recognize this phrase? Any other relevant
>> >comments? (Or non-relevant?)
>>
>> It is unknown to me, but appears to be characteristically
>> southern U.S.: "The fool's so lost he don't know if he's afoot
>> or on horseback":
>
>
>Oh, I have heard riots of laughter when the expression "He doesn't know if
>he's afoot or ahorse" comes out in some speech. It may be a cliche among
>toastmasters, and the like, but I think of it whenever I see the word
>"afoot".

Thank you, you guys.

>
> Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and Robinson Smith - Robinson Smith ...
>... But however I find myself, raised or fallen, afoot or ahorse, I shall
>ever be
>at your service and that of my lady the duchess, your worthy consort, true
>...
>www.metrostate.edu/cgi-bin/troxy/lproxy.cgi/URL-www.press.jhu.edu/journals/h
>opscotch/v002/2.3smith.html -
>