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Subject:
Origins of language and phrases
Category: Reference, Education and News > Teaching and Research Asked by: blinker-ga List Price: $3.00 |
Posted:
25 Jan 2003 04:15 PST
Expires: 24 Feb 2003 04:15 PST Question ID: 148337 |
What is the derivation of the phrase "unshirted hell", as in the statement "George W. Bush caught unshirted hell from France and Germany for his policies on Iraq." |
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There is no answer at this time. |
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Subject:
Re: Origins of language and phrases
From: skermit-ga on 25 Jan 2003 05:12 PST |
I found this on a discussion about phrase etymology: " UNSHIRTED HELL noun, U.S., Serious trouble; a bad time. 1932. H. Kissinger: Ive been catching unshirted hell every half-hour from the President who says were not tough enough. (1979). The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang by John Ayto and John Simpson (Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, 1996). " But sadly I don't see an etymology for it. I don't know how they came up with a year of 1932, but it is an old phrase. Some users on the forum speculated that it had to do with the British slang to get shirty (or annoyed) at somebody, but nothing concrete or definite. The earliest quote I could find using the phrase was from William Mumford Tuck in 1946: " If the union leaders try to cut the lights out in Virginia, I'll salivate them. I'll give them unshirted hell! " Weird choice of words there too. *shrug* Search Strategy: "unshirted hell" on google: ://www.google.com/search?q=%22unshirted+hell%22 phrase dictionary on google: ://www.google.com/search?q=phrase+dictionary Additional Links: "unshirted hell" discussion on Phrase Finder: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/6/messages/837.html William Mumford Tuck quote: http://www.wm.edu/tlsc/resources/1999/rtw.htm I'm posting this as a comment because it's not exactly what you're looking for, but if it's acceptable, lemmie know. skermit-ga |
Subject:
Re: Origins of language and phrases
From: jumpingjoe-ga on 26 Jan 2003 03:00 PST |
Interesting question, and good research by skermit-ga. Something that strikes me is that if you're about to fight someone, you take your shirt off. If something's become serious then "the gloves have come off". Angry = naked. So... you could give someone hell, but if you really meant business then hell would have taken its shirt off. Pure speculation, but it's a good phrase, don't you think? |
Subject:
Re: Origins of language and phrases
From: fsw-ga on 26 Jan 2003 04:41 PST |
Blinker, Perhaps it is a play on words, using both the meaning suggested by skermit-ga combined with the last shirt expression of protest in Germany. Some Germans are literally sending their shirts to their chancellor's office. You may read more about it in the links below. Chain email might provide Chancellor Schroeder with thousands of shirts http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=13939 With pop song in hearts and shirts off their backs, Germans skewer leader http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/2002/11/27/news/world/4613386.htm Perhaps it means that the German-French position caused Bush much difficulty, yet he was not subjected to same level of voter frustration at home. Just a guess, fsw Google Answers Researcher |
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