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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009He piddled his money away!
I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money away'! :-D I was amused cos in England 'to piddle' means 'to spend a penny'! Nick from England >I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV >yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Nick from England As it does here. The sentence could be written "My grand uncle pissed away all his money", but "piddled" is the cleaned-up version.  SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida On 10 Jul 2009, tony cooper wrote >> I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on >> TV yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > pissed away all his money", but "piddled" is the cleaned-up > version. I was going to post the same, but I think what tickled Nick wasn't that "piddling/pissing money" was related to urination, but that it's mirrored by a description of urination that refers to money. (That is, the two metaphors sort of swap places -- pissing money for spending, and spending money for pissing.) SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed HVS <usenet@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk>'s wild thoughts were released on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:08:16 +0100 bearing the following fruit: >On 10 Jul 2009, tony cooper wrote > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] >is, the two metaphors sort of swap places -- pissing money for >spending, and spending money for pissing.) Ah! The penny drops. I couldn't see what the OP found funny. -- Jan Hyde > On 10 Jul 2009, tony cooper wrote > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > -- ~ <g> When I put 'spending a penny' I was just trying to be polite and hadn't realised the link. Nick from England On 11 Jul 2009, Nick wrote >> On 10 Jul 2009, tony cooper wrote >> [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >and > hadn't realised the link. Aha; I'll know to give you less credit next time, then! <g> SignatureCheers, Harvey CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed > On 11 Jul 2009, Nick wrote > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > -- ~ <g> Nick from England >>I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV >>yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > As it does here. The sentence could be written "My grand uncle pissed > away all his money", but "piddled" is the cleaned-up version. I've always thought the difference was ...er different. To me, "piddled away" means slowly, in dribs and drabs, whereas "pissed away" tends to mean spent like there's no tomorrow. SignatureLes (BrE) >>>I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV >>>yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >away" means slowly, in dribs and drabs, whereas "pissed away" tends to >mean spent like there's no tomorrow. At my age, the "dribs-and-drabs" *does* describe pissing. SignatureTony Cooper - Orlando, Florida [...] >>> As it does here. The sentence could be written "My grand uncle pissed >>> away all his money", but "piddled" is the cleaned-up version. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > At my age, the "dribs-and-drabs" *does* describe pissing. AOL. Despite the fact that there might be no tomorrow. SignatureLes (BrE) > >>I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV > >>yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > away" means slowly, in dribs and drabs, whereas "pissed away" tends to > mean spent like there's no tomorrow. OED traces "1d. trans. to piddle away: to waste, squander (time, money, etc.); to fritter away" to 1743 and "2. intr. and trans. (refl.). colloq. To urinate" only to 1784. SignatureJohn Varela Trade NEWlamps for OLDlamps for email >> >>I was watching 'It's in the Bag!' (1945) starring Fred Allen on TV >> >>yesterday and a lawyer said his 'grand uncle' 'piddled his money [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> > As it does here. The sentence could be written "My grand uncle pissed >> > away all his money", but "piddled" is the cleaned-up version. Based on what John says below, I think piddle is the origlnal and pissed is the vulgarized version. There seems to be a trend that I can see in the last 45 years that I know of, of vulgarizing everyday expressions. Some people of college age can't say anything without putting some vulgar word the sentence. So I would be very reluctant to assume that a vulgar version came first and a clean version later. >> I've always thought the difference was ...er different. To me, "piddled >> away" means slowly, in dribs and drabs, whereas "pissed away" tends to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >money, etc.); to fritter away" to 1743 and "2. intr. and trans. >(refl.). colloq. To urinate" only to 1784. SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I have lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 10 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years > On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:36:32 -0700 (PDT), Nick > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > -- ~ LOL - quite racy for 1945! Nick from England >> On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:36:32 -0700 (PDT), Nick >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Nick from England Do you want them from the Blue Book, Lady? SignatureJohn Dean Oxford > >> On Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:36:32 -0700 (PDT), Nick > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Do you want them from the Blue Book, Lady? > -- ~ <g> Max Miller - I wonder if Americans have heard of him? Nick from England |
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