Date: Sat, 7 Jan 1995 22:06:48 -0500

From: Robert Howren howren[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]EMAIL.UNC.EDU

Subject: Re: Put-downs



On Sat, 7 Jan 1995, Chris Brooks wrote:

I have been noticing "put-downs" which consist of a sentence implying

that a person is,euphemistically, "a little off"; i.e., addled, crazy,

loony, demented. . . . or just slightly slow. They seem to be similar

in form. So far, these are what I have collected.

He's/She's got one wheel in the sand.

He's/She's two sandwiches short of a picnic (from a British colleague)

His/her elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor.

---ETC.---



How about:

He's/she's a brick shy of a full load.

He/she hasn't got both oars in the water.

He/she isn't playing with a full deck.

--Bob



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Robert Howren Dept. of Linguistics

howren[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]isisb.oit.unc.edu University of North Carolina

OR: Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3155

r_howren[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]unc.edu

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