McCarthy: they've done lit a shuck
Marius Hancu
I'm not getting
"they've done lit a shuck"
They seem to have run away.
---
They walked through the rooms. What do you think, Sheriff?
I believe they've done lit a shuck.
I do too.
Kindly in a hurry about it, too.
Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men, p. 93
---
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu "
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
From this:
http://www.louislamour.com/collection/free.html
....
So I lit a shuck for New Mexico, and the folks.
That's an expression common down Texas way, for when a man left his
camp to walk to a neighbor's, he would dip a corn shuck into the
flames to light his path, and he would do the same when he started
back. Folks came to speak of anybody who was leaving for somewhere
as "lighting a shuck."
....
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)
tony cooper
<marius...@gmail.com> wrote:
They left during the night. "Shucks" are the husk of a corn ear.
Dried and lit they were flashlights before flashlights were invented.
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
Marius Hancu
wrote:
> >I'm not getting
> >"they've done lit a shuck"
>
> >They seem to have run away.
>
> >---
> >They walked through the rooms. What do you think, Sheriff?
>
> >I believe they've done lit a shuck.
>
> >I do too.
>
> >Kindly in a hurry about it, too.
> From this:http://www.louislamour.com/collection/free.html
>
> ....
> So I lit a shuck for New Mexico, and the folks.
>
> That's an expression common down Texas way, for when a man left his
> camp to walk to a neighbor's, he would dip a corn shuck into the
> flames to light his path, and he would do the same when he started
> back. Folks came to speak of anybody who was leaving for somewhere
> as "lighting a shuck."
Oh, that's a great explanation:-)
Thank you both.
Marius Hancu
Pat Durkin
"Marius Hancu" <marius...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f37c73cc-adac-4bf2...@g11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...
> Hello:
>
> I'm not getting
> "they've done lit a shuck"
>
> They seem to have run away.
That's what is meant. "They lit (on) out of there" means they got out
of there as fast as they could, usually with the intention of escape,
rather than hurrying to a destination. I don't know why the longer
expression is used or what its origin is, though I have heard it used.
I can only speculate that the image is of young boys lighting a
smoldering fire (corn shucks, or husks) to scare or trouble someone,
and then running so as not to be caught in their prank. (One
prank--not totally limited to Halloween--involves filling a paper bag
with dog poop and lighting it as they drop it on someone's front
stoop, ring the doorbell, and then running to hide. The unsuspecting
resident opens the door and stamps on the smoldering bag to put out
the fire, consequently getting shoes liberally coated with the mess.
It could be the shucks in question were used to handle the dog poop,
and remained in the bag as kindling.
James Hogg
But it doesn't quite explain why the recorded examples of the expression
always mean "to leave in a hurry", rather than "visit a neighbour's
camp at night".
--
James
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
"Flashlight" in that sense is AmE. In BrE it would be a "torch" or an
"electric torch".
The burning shuck would have been a (non-electric) torch.
OED:
torch, n.
1. a. A light to be carried in the hand, consisting of a stick of
resinous wood, or of twisted hemp or similar material soaked with
tallow, resin, or other inflammable substance. Also applied to a
lamp carried on a pole or similar appliance, and now also = electric
torch
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
wrote:
Yes. I was wondering whether there were undertones of "lit out", from
"light out" to leave in a hurry.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/light+out
Main Entry: light out
Function: intransitive verb
Etymology: 6light
Date: 1866
1 : to leave in a hurry <lit out for home at once>
2 : set off
tony cooper
wrote:
>Marius Hancu wrote:
I'll go with the "left in the night" explanation for why it is used to
mean "leave in a hurry". They needed the shuck because they needed
the light to guide them, and when you leave a place during the night
its usually because you are skedaddling out.
CDB
> Marius Hancu <marius...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I'm not getting
>> "they've done lit a shuck"
>>
>> They seem to have run away.
>>
>> ---
>> They walked through the rooms. What do you think, Sheriff?
>>
>> I believe they've done lit a shuck.
>>
>> I do too.
>>
>> Kindly in a hurry about it, too.
>>
>> Cormac McCarthy, No Country for Old Men, p. 93
>> ---
>
> From this:
> http://www.louislamour.com/collection/free.html
>
> ....
> So I lit a shuck for New Mexico, and the folks.
>
> That's an expression common down Texas way, for when a man left
> his camp to walk to a neighbor's, he would dip a corn shuck into
> the flames to light his path, and he would do the same when he
> started back. Folks came to speak of anybody who was leaving for
> somewhere as "lighting a shuck."
> ....
Mark Brader
>> ...before flashlights were invented.
Peter Duncanson:
> "Flashlight" in that sense is AmE. In BrE it would be a "torch" or an
> "electric torch".
I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but sometime in the last few
years I read an explanation -- this would have been in "Invention &
Technology" magazine -- of the term "flashlight".
If the writer is correct, the term arose because the early battery
technology was not up to the job of keeping an incandescent bulb
lit for more than a few minutes, so the first flashlights had
momentary-contact switches -- the light only stayed on as long as
you kept pressing the switch. Unlike a flame-based light like a
candle or torch, you used these electric lights in brief flashes.
(Today, of course, we have LED mini-lights that run off a wristwatch
battery -- leading to the same limitation and the same solution.
I have one attached to the keys in my pocket right now. Wonderful
invention.)
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Do right; have fun; make money."
m...@vex.net --Ian Darwin on Yuri Rubinsky (1952-96)
My text in this article is in the public domain.
Peter Duncanson (BrE)
>Tony Cooper:
>>> ...before flashlights were invented.
>
>Peter Duncanson:
>> "Flashlight" in that sense is AmE. In BrE it would be a "torch" or an
>> "electric torch".
>
>I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but sometime in the last few
>years I read an explanation -- this would have been in "Invention &
>Technology" magazine -- of the term "flashlight".
>
>If the writer is correct, the term arose because the early battery
>technology was not up to the job of keeping an incandescent bulb
>lit for more than a few minutes, so the first flashlights had
>momentary-contact switches -- the light only stayed on as long as
>you kept pressing the switch. Unlike a flame-based light like a
>candle or torch, you used these electric lights in brief flashes.
>
Ah yes. That makes sense.
I have an old electric torch that has a slider to switch it on and off.
Set into the slider is a button that can be pressed for momentary-on.
>(Today, of course, we have LED mini-lights that run off a wristwatch
>battery -- leading to the same limitation and the same solution.
>I have one attached to the keys in my pocket right now. Wonderful
>invention.)
--