Common phrase slights the South

Sometimes people write or say something that is insulting to others and don’t realize it. One of those phrases is “it went south.” That implies that something was bad, broken or not good.

Well, folks, I am from the South, and I am proud of it. There is nothing bad about the South. I realize that some African-Americans don’t care for the South, but I am an English-German-American, and I love it.

So please show a little respect for the South.

J.R. Ramsey
Belton

Comments

[Smarter Than You]

"Irregardless"(speaking of offensive words to those who had at least a year of remedial English). If this was intended sarcasm, Pub, my advanced apology.

Is it possible that our enlightened author from Belton considers "North" to be the n-word people get upset about?

[TinaMcG]

Two from Great Britain, used here in recent years:

"At the end of the day"
"Been there, done that" -- we added the "got the t-shirt" part.

[solomon]

Sometimes people write or say something that is insulting to others and don't realize it. One of those phrases is "can of worms". That implies that something is dangerous or holds hidden peril.

Well folks, I've put worms in a can before and I'm proud of it. There is nothing dangerous about a can of worms. I realize that some lure lovers don't care for a can of worms, but I am a worm using American and I love them.

So please, show a little respect for the worms.

[Kate]

If you will . . .

[solomon]

"can of worms?"

[Kate]

Sol, I’m wondering where “holds water” comes from. But I’m leery of delving too deeply into that can of worms. So instead, I’ve taken a few sentences from today’s thread, and improved them with catchphrases:

“I thought hardworking Americans only ate food in the car on their way to kids' soccer games, if you will."

“JHO, what do African Americans have to do with directions on a compass in a post-9/11 world?

And my favorite: “JHO, moonpies . . . in these tough economic times!”

[solomon]

Kate,

Although the phrase does go back to the Civil War, the fact that J.R. threw in the crack about his heritage and blacks disliking the south(which I'm sure is news to the millions who choose to live there), no one uses the phrase as a slam on the south. The comment had nothing to do with blacks/whites in 1860, it had to do with the leanings of Army officers when the Union split. Now the phrase just means going in a negative direction, having nothing to do with the Civil War or the southern states.

My comment about JR being a kook also holds water, so I'll stand by it too.

Ever wonder where the phrase "stand by my coments" cones from? :-)

[Stifled Freedom]

I never saw the phrase having anything to do with a Mason-Dixon line.

[Stifled Freedom]

I think the "going south" started as a stock market phrase refering to a stock's price on a chart going down....or south on a map.

[TinaMcG]

"zero sum game"

"put food on the table"

(What table? I thought Americans only ate food in the car on their way to kids' soccer games. Or is that just Johnson County?)

[Pub 17]

Hardworking Americans
Hard-earned dollars

[TinaMcG]

"in these tough economic times"
"worst economic crisis since the Great Depression"
"used weapons of mass destruction on his own people"
"if you will"
"we are where we are"
"pre-9-11"
"post-9-11 world"
"groupthink"
"if you will"
"if you will"
"if you will"
"if you will"
"if you will"
"if you will"

I wish I had written them all down as I was cussingunder my breath. There are hundreds more. I've weaned myself off cable news to escape them.

[Kate]

I see where you’re coming from, Sol, but my comments hold water, so I stand beside them.

Nice use of one of my new favorite phrases, “JHO”. I’m wondering how it would sound when used in conjunction with media’s new favorite, “in these tough economic times” (a phrase that seems to fit nicely at the end of nearly every sentence).

[Pub 17]

Irregardless, solomon...

[solomon]

Jesus H Obama, Kate....none of us here intended to make heartless jaded remarks.

[Pub 17]

I possibly cannot imagine where in the world, of all places, you could have gotten an idea like that from, at.

[Kate]

Some of these jaded remarks are heartless. Sure, the letter-writer could continue to go with the flow, but he chose to take a stand against a wounding phrase. And since canning metaphors is a pet project of mine, I applaud his decision. The only way to reverse the tide of slipshod speech is to put these shopworn phrases on the shelf and march on. And I believe that if we all get behind it, this trend is sure to gain a foothold in the public eye.

[TinaMcG]

"There is nothing bad about the South."

Then I guess you don't know about red clay or kudzu.

[Pub 17]

Frankly, and I speak the truth (warrior crouches and draws back loincloth, indicating sincerity of speech), I always thought the phrase meant that something had closed up shop and gone to Florida for vacation, not available, in the history books.

[TinaMcG]

I'm lefthanded, but I don't throw a wobbly when someone uses terms like "outin left field" or "lefthanded compliment". Yeesh.