End of ADS-L Digest - 5 Jan 1995 to 6 Jan 1995

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There are 10 messages totalling 265 lines in this issue.



Topics of the day:



 1. Put-downs (4)

 2. Euphonizing (?) proper names (4)

 3. Variation on Gallicisms

 4. (Fwd) Re: Euphonizing (?) proper names



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Date:  Sat, 7 Jan 1995 16:13:04 -0300

From:  Chris Brooks <chris[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]HSCC.KUNIV.EDU.KW>

Subject: Put-downs



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.

His/her roof is missin a few shingles.

(He's/she's) not quite the full shilling, that one. (from an Irish colleague)



It seems that these oblique references to a person's sanity or competence

often use a "height" metaphor (#3 and #4); this makes sense since our

brains, the organ in question, are located at the top or highest point

of our bodies.



Any more of these from ADS-ers? And what would you call them?



Chris Brooks / Kuwait University