Duane's little web log

A friend of mine said during an IM conversation that they would "I want it done right out of the shoot."

Being the pedantic soul that I am, I had to correct her and say that it's "chute" It made we wonder where it came from, and I found this. In the process I also found this site which I found very intriguing. No wonder the English language is so hard to learn. It's filled with sayings that on the surface make very little sense. It reminds me of a Star Trek episode where the inhabitants of the foreign world only communicated by referring to stories. A language based on something akin to the ultimate inside joke(s) - yet another euphemism.

ANYWAY, The other thought that came out of this - which would come as no surprise to the English majors in my vast readership - but it surprised me. Sir Walter Scott coined several common English euphemisms. If you ever get the feeling that no one person, (unless they are the son of god) can amount to much, take a look at how much the writing of this one person has affected the things you and I say on a regular basis. If Sir Walter Scott decided to be a taxidermist, giving someone the "Cold Shoulder" would involve an ice pack.

Cheers,
Duane