Date:  Wed, 23 Nov 1994 10:59:51 -0400

From:  TPRATT[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UPEI.CA

Subject: Offensive sayings "from" PEI -- POST ONE



Many, many thanks (personal to follow) to all who helped me clarify a

list of potential sayings for my Prince Edward Island collection. I

am encouraged to ask for this List's help again, in a similar way.



I have in my files, but not yet edited into an Appendix, about 100

sayings certain to be offensive to one element or another of my chief

targeted audience, the folks of PEI, on grounds mostly of their taboo

words, but also occasionally for their racism or sexism (most of

these pretty mild compared to items often discussed on this List).

I wish this Appendix would go away but it won't; it's life, even in

the land of Anne.



It seems highly possible, however, that I can cut down on the number

I need to include, if they are recognized, as some of the previous

group were, by the subscribers to this List, as occurring outside my

broad catchment area of the Atlantic provinces or the New England

states. It is clear from the DARE volumes already published that a

lot of compounds and expressions that use 'ass,' 'cunt,' and 'fuck'

are not regional in the United States but national, or they would be

in that dictionary (such is my true faith in that wonderful work).

The same principle (I sniff a paper here) could apply.



So I propose to list about twenty-five of these sayings every other

day for the next week, with the above heading changed to POST TWO,

THREE, and FOUR, so you'll know what's coming. And I ask that you

write to me if you know any of them as being OUTSIDE THAT NORTH

ATLANTIC REGION. Just refer to them by number if you wish, for a

quick response, and remember that dead-easy address:



tpratt[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]upei.ca



I would consider anyone writing to have the authority of print, which

is what I use to reject ANY saying, and then I would be off the hook

for the ones you tell me. Thanks in advance; acknowledgement in form

also coming.



READY? HERE GOES POST ONE:



1. from arsehole to appetite (of persons, 'completely')

2. up to their arse in clover

3. The arse has gone out of the market.

4. It's not up your arse or you'd feel it. (nonsense reply)

5. They know as much about that as my asshole knows about soapblowing.

6. as useless as balls on a heifer

7. to beat the snot out of [someone]

8. a bee up one's ass (busy mood)

9. better out than an eye (excuse for fart)

10. better out than in (ditto)

11. better to burp and taste it than fart and waste it

12. black as arse (dark night)

13. Bring that up after supper and we'll vote on it. (burp)

14. busy as a fart in a mitten

15. busy as a hen picking flyshit out of pepper

16. They could charm the pants off a nun.

17. so cheap they wouldn't give you the smell off last year's shit

18. to choke the chicken (male: either masturbate or urinate)

19. just the cock for Dolly (something fits)

20. to have cowshit on their boots (new to town)

21. up at crow piss (early in the morning)

22. There's a difference between scratching your arse and tearing it

(overdoing something)

23. If that dog hadn't stopped to shit, he would've caught the fox.

(lazy)

24. Wouldn't that make an old doy piss on her pups! (I'll be darned)

25. like dogshit, everywhere you go (someone hanging around)

26. Don't let the door hit your arse. (Farewell, so long.)