evil knievel (?)

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soorek@googlemail.com - 04 Jan 2007 22:55 GMT

Hi there,
I have just heared the expression that sounded like "evil knievel",
sorry for any spelling mistakes. The thing is that when I spell it like
that google comes out with lots of link that do not seem to be of much
use in the context of a reply/expression I think I heared it used.

Any ideas?

Regards
Soorek

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HVS - 04 Jan 2007 23:01 GMT

On 04 Jan 2007, soorek@googlemail.com wrote

> Hi there,
> I have just heared the expression that sounded like "evil
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Any ideas?

Almost impossible to guess without some context.

Where did you hear this? What was the person who used the phrase
talking about?

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Cheers, Harvey

Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van

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soorek@googlemail.com - 04 Jan 2007 23:06 GMT

> Almost impossible to guess without some context.
>
> Where did you hear this? What was the person who used the phrase
> talking about?

Thanks Harvey,
Don't remember it exactly, I think it was used as a kind of response in
a kind of sarcastic tone. Sorry, it's not much of help - this thing
has been killing me for some time, though.

I was hoping this would ring some bells ;(

--
Regards
Soorek

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HVS - 04 Jan 2007 23:08 GMT

On 04 Jan 2007, soorek@googlemail.com wrote

>> Almost impossible to guess without some context.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Don't remember it exactly, I think it was used as a kind of
> response in a kind of sarcastic tone.

Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal, playing on a
well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon, and Evil Knieval was
hugely and sufficiently popular in his day to work for this sort of
mocking and dismissive conversation:

     "I think he's crazy."
     "Crazy? Crazy shmazy; I think he's evil."
     "Evil? Evil Knieval -- he's just crazy.

(Not precisely that, of course, but I'm sure you know what I mean.)

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Cheers, Harvey

Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van

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soorek@googlemail.com - 04 Jan 2007 23:16 GMT

> Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal, playing on a
> well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon, and Evil Knieval was
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> (Not precisely that, of course, but I'm sure you know what I mean.)

Hi again!
Well that makes sense. Thanks alot!!!

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Roland Hutchinson - 05 Jan 2007 06:25 GMT

>> Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal, playing on a
>> well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon, and Evil Knieval was
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Hi again!
> Well that makes sense. Thanks alot!!!

I still can't help thinking that perhaps you've got Mr. Knieval confused
with his cousin, Mr. Evil Schmieval.

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Roland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food.

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tinwhistler - 04 Jan 2007 23:18 GMT

> Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal, playing on a
> well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon, and Evil Knieval was
> hugely and sufficiently popular in his day to work for this sort of
> mocking and dismissive conversation:

[snip]

The man ("Evel Knievel") was hugely popular in the US as a daredevil
stuntsman; see

http://www.evelknievel.com/bio.html

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HVS - 04 Jan 2007 23:25 GMT

On 04 Jan 2007, tinwhistler wrote

>> Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal,
>> playing on a well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> The man ("Evel Knievel") was hugely popular in the US as a
> daredevil stuntsman; see

Yes, I should have checked the spelling.

> http://www.evelknievel.com/bio.html

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Cheers, Harvey

Canadian and British English, indiscriminately mixed
For e-mail, change harvey.news to harvey.van

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Robert Bannister - 05 Jan 2007 22:36 GMT

>>Are you sure it wasn't just a sort of rhyming dismissal, playing on a
>>well-known phrase or name? That's not uncommon, and Evil Knieval was
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> The man ("Evel Knievel") was hugely popular in the US as a daredevil
> stuntsman; see

I had never heard of him until I saw the film. After that time, he
appeared several times on television (mainly in the news).

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Rob Bannister

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Don Phillipson - 05 Jan 2007 01:34 GMT

> I have just heared the expression that sounded like "evil knievel",
> sorry for any spelling mistakes. The thing is that when I spell it like
> that google comes out with lots of link that do not seem to be of much
> use in the context of a reply/expression I think I heared it used.

Search for name Eval Knievel (or perhaps he spelled
his first name Evel). He is/was an American stunt
rider of motorcycles who specialized in leaping over
large obstacles. Towards the end of his career he
planned to jump across the Grand Canyon (or some
similar feature) on a "rocket-assisted" motorcycle.
His public career was in the 1970s I think.

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

evil knievel (?)