Today's word (4/24) was extirpate. In the definition was the phrase "pull out by the roots". Anyone know how this common phrase came to be? One cannot pull something out by the roots, which are below and usually embedded in something...soil or a scalp etc. One pulls something out by the top and the roots come along for the ride. It always makes me wonder when I hear this phrase being used.

Dear Sandy O. Since I'm on the gardening track this morning I want to give you the gardener's point of vieuw.
As for pulling plants out by the root, pulling any plant out by the top is NO GOOD. To make sure you have the whole root system out you got to take a spade; dig under the estimated root mass and heave the whole plant out of the earth.
1)To make sure you got all the roots out.
2)To keep the roots undamaged; you might want to replant.
Most roots do not come willingly 'along for the ride'.

I agree the expression is ambiguous. Better maybe to say: 'Take out by the roots'.
(not in their best interest)

While I've known the phrase 'pull out by the roots' I've never thought about actually grabbing the roots and pulling. I know that you have to go down as low as possible to pull something out by the roots but I've always just thought of the phrase as meaning that you pull it out roots and all.

There's also two potential meanings of 'by the roots'. It could be an instrumental thing, 'by means of the roots' or it could be more of a locative thing, 'by, i.e., in the vicinity of, the roots.'

To pull up by the roots.
What do you suggest could be pulled up by means of the roots?
What do you suggest could be of interest in the vicinity of the roots?
Two potentional mysteries.

The roots as a tool?
A treasure hidden near the roots?

The phrase reminds me of calling a redheaded person, "carrot top".

Pulled from the clay upsidownia?

I suppose "pull up with the roots" would be more logically consistent.

-joe (prepositions 'Я us) friday

That would be as SandyO suggested, grabbing hold of the roots to pull the plant out of the ground; difficult in the best of circumstances.



What would be of interest in the vicinity of the roots would be that part of the stem closest to the ground; the point one usually goes to when trying to pull something up by the roots. The phrase sounds a little awkward to the modern ear but who knows what was common when the phrase originated?

Thanks so much for the most interesting feed-back. It's probably one of those old phrases that was bastardized along the way. And I agree..since carrot tops are green and not red, it should be 'carrot-colored top'. Oh the mysteries of the English language ;^)

Makes sense to me. The 'top' refers to their head, not the carrot's. In typical Aussie perversity, Australian slang nicknames someone with red hair 'Blue' or 'Bluey' since blue is opposite to orange.

I'm siding with Pook... that's what I always thought, too! :0)

Have you ever used a digging fork? (I need to get familiar with mine again.) As you might visualize, the tines can straddle some of the roots. It's a handy tool for removing plants you don't intend to save.

Many ways to say it right, I think. 'Pull up roots and all.'
Seems like the only thing that is a bit weird is 'pull out by the the roots'.

'Carrot hair' or 'red' we call the orange haired people. I always envied them their riotous color. Fire hair.