An old idiom (off color?)
kurt63
things and being told “You get what Paddy shot at.â€
Unfortunately, he never knew what Paddy shot at. When his father
was dying, my dad asked him what Paddy shot at, and he
replied, “What are you trying to do, pollute the kid?†he asked
pointing at my brother.
I know that that is a cribbage expression, but considering his
response when asked about it, I assume that it must have had
another meaning, one less . . . genteel. Does anyone have any
ideas?
Kurt.
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Geoff Butler
>My father is now 75, he still remembers asking his father for
>things and being told “You get what Paddy shot at.â€
>Unfortunately, he never knew what Paddy shot at. When his father
>was dying, my dad asked him what Paddy shot at, and he
>replied, “What are you trying to do, pollute the kid?†he asked
>pointing at my brother.
>
>I know that that is a cribbage expression,
I've never heard the expression in any context, and I've played a lot of
crib (cribbage, if you prefer). In fact, crib expressions are rare apart
from those that relate directly to the game.
-ler
kurt63
a lot of
>crib (cribbage, if you prefer). In fact, crib expressions are
rare apart
>from those that relate directly to the game.
Please see, How to play Cribbage:
http://www.appcomp.utas.edu.au/students/dpurton/crib/terms.html
Ted H.
> >I've never heard the expression in any context, and I've played
> a lot of
> >crib (cribbage, if you prefer). In fact, crib expressions are
> rare apart
> >from those that relate directly to the game.
>
> Please see, How to play Cribbage:
> http://www.appcomp.utas.edu.au/students/dpurton/crib/terms.html
I've played cribbage for many years--my mother taught me when
I was young. The expression in our family (also via my grandfather)
was, "I got what the little boy shot at." I've never heard any
other use of the phrase.
Ted
--
Theodore W. Heise <the...@netins.net> West Lafayette, IN, USA
PGP fingerprint = 5B C5 B4 54 3C 30 E3 2C A2 FA 81 1C 39 06 B8 25
kurt63
that his understanding of the idiom had anything to do with
Cribbage.
Do you know anything else about the expression?
kurt63
was young.
>The expression in our family (also via my grandfather) was, "I
got what the
>little boy shot at." I've never heard any other use of the
phrase.
I apologize for reacting to your answer too quickly. In your
usage, does the expression also mean something useless?
Ted H.
>
> I apologize for reacting to your answer too quickly. In your
> usage, does the expression also mean something useless?
No apology needed. The phrase was always used to describe a hand
worth no points. My sense of the phrase was that there was a little
sin involved--after all, a young boy probably had something targeted
but was not willing to admit what it might have been.
Geoff Butler
>[he didn't say this, but -ler wrote]
>>I've never heard the expression in any context, and I've played
>a lot of
>>crib (cribbage, if you prefer). In fact, crib expressions are
>rare apart
>>from those that relate directly to the game.
>
>Please see, How to play Cribbage:
>http://www.appcomp.utas.edu.au/students/dpurton/crib/terms.html
It'd be helpful if you gave me a clue what to look for when I look
there, or why I should bother. I do, after all, know How to play
Cribbage.
-ler
kurt63
look there, or
>why I should bother. I do, after all, know How to play
Cribbage.
You stated that you had never heard of the expression, that link
gives you a list of Cribbage terms.
Truly Donovan
> The phrase was always used to describe a hand
>worth no points.
Oh, a nineteen-pointer.
--
Truly Donovan
tr...@lunemere.com
*Chandler's Daughter* [Write Way Publishing, Jan 2000]
Ted H.
> On 3 Apr 2000 20:31:01 GMT, the...@netins.net (Ted H.) wrote:
>
> > The phrase was always used to describe a hand
> >worth no points.
>
> Oh, a nineteen-pointer.
That's right! I'd forgotten that one. :)
Geoff Butler
>>It'd be helpful if you gave me a clue what to look for when I
>look there, or
>>why I should bother. I do, after all, know How to play
>Cribbage.
>
>You stated that you had never heard of the expression, that link
>gives you a list of Cribbage terms.
Well, "What Paddy shot at" is there as the name for a hand that scores
zero. Elsewhere, under scoring, it says that "Nineteen" is the name for
a hand that scores zero. I know the latter, but have never heard the
former. Furthermore, it seems that these are the only nicknames in the
list, bearing in mind that terms like "One for his nob" are the real
names for the score, not nicknames.
The page itself uses American spelling ("Center") and American
terminology ("Run - see Straight") but is on a .au site. So, on balance,
as a Brit, I feel no shame at never having heard "What Paddy shot at" at
all, at all.
-ler
kurt63
heard "What Paddy
>shot at" at all, at all.
No one said that you should feel ashamed. I merely asked if
anyone had heard of the expression.
Geoff Butler
>>So, on balance, as a Brit, I feel no shame at never having
>heard "What Paddy
>>shot at" at all, at all.
>
>No one said that you should feel ashamed. I merely asked if
>anyone had heard of the expression.
Irony, old bean, irony. And wordplay.
-ler
mrtu...@gmail.com
> My father is now 75, he still remembers asking his father for
> was dying, my dad asked him what Paddy shot at, and he
> pointing at my brother.
>
> response when asked about it, I assume that it must have had
> another meaning, one less . . . genteel. Does anyone have any
> ideas?
>
> Kurt.
>
> The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
Peter Moylan
> On Thursday, March 30, 2000 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, kurt63 wrote:
>> My father is now 75, he still remembers asking his father for
>> was dying, my dad asked him what Paddy shot at, and he
>>
>> I know that that is a cribbage expression, but considering his
>> response when asked about it, I assume that it must have had
>> another meaning, one less . . . genteel. Does anyone have any
>> ideas?
>
>>
>> Kurt.
>>
>> * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
>> The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
> My Dad used that expression a lot, this way: I got what the little boy shot at...nothing! He ,also had other "little boy" sayings. I'm from Louisiana
--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
c.von...@gmail.com
My grandfather also used the phrase, "what the little boy shot at," to mean a cribbage hand with no points.
I know of no other meaning.
Joy Beeson
shot at when she was exhausted or unwell.
--
Joy Beeson, U.S.A., mostly central Hoosier,
some Northern Indiana, Upstate New York, Florida, and Hawaii
joy beeson at comcast dot net http://wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/
The above message is a Usenet post.
I don't recall having given anyone permission to use it on a Web
forum.