Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 10:05:48 -0600

From: Katherine Catmull kate[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]BGA.COM

Subject: Re: Anodyne Expletives



My great aunt (b. late 19th c., SW Louisiana) had a handful of

charming expressions of surprise that she used in situations where

a (less refined) speaker today might more likely say "Holy S***!" or

"Jesus Christ!". Her favorites were "For Garden Seed!" and "Mother

of Pearl!" as well as the more common "Heavenly Days!". I wonder



My mother always says what used to sound to me like "succapuppyay!" to

express extreme displeasure, frustration or anger. I later discovered she

had picked it up from the nuns who taught her as a child in Minneapolis in

the late 30s and early 40s. At the time she thought it was some horrific

nun curse, but it turns out to be "sac-a-papier," French for "paper sack."

She and the nuns find it particularly satisfying and venomous-sounding to

pronounce, however. I have no idea how widespread this is--not very, I

would imagine.



My mother also says "son-of-a-moose!", which I believe she picked up while

working in Yellowstone circa 1947.



Kate Catmull kate[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]bga.com