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Pooh-Bah
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A quick Googling reveals that this direction predominates over the other three, though the north forty yields a fair showing
I was appalled not to find the expression in the usual dictionaries; slang, idiom, or otherwise. To my understanding, the term is used to denote any area of vacant land adjacent a home or ranch, regardless of its size and usu its direction from the house
All further input welcome--thanks guys
and gals
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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huh. up here it's the north forty pretty regular like.
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Quote:
huh. up here it's the north forty pretty regular like.
agreed, from even moreso -- indicating a certain pejorativeness, like it's the last plot to be
plowed (spring or winter), and used allusively.
edit: and not just up here..
Willie Nelson's 33rd Annual 4th of July Picnic - Fort Worth ...
... in the early afternoon, joining up with Marty Dread and Los Maui Boys
on the south stage of the North Forty concert venue in the Fort Worth Stockyards. 
edit[2]:
Did you ever notice how Timmie would talk to Lassie? "Lassie, Lassie, go get Mom and Dad and tell them I'm down by the beaver pond and I'm stuck under a pine tree. It's a loblolly pine tree, not the long-leaf variety. They are on the north forty, Lassie. Not the south forty, the north forty, on the red tractor." And Lassie would take off. "Woof!" That would be all Lassie would say, "Oh my God, Paul. Timmy is down by the beaver pond stuck under a loblolly pine tree." 
Last edited by tsuwm; 05/30/06 08:32 PM.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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When I was growing up in Atlanta, I heard both "south forty" and "back forty."
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Anna: Pertinent. Did they mean the same thing
Thanks
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yep. As you pointed out, it's not an exact measurement. Folks use both terms mostly to mean the back yard. Have you ever seen this? I worked for them as a researcher in college back in the 1970s: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/dare/
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addict
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addict
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...Lassie...
Actually, a well-trained ear could discern that Lassie did have a remarkable vocabulary of at least four words. 
ÅΓª╥┐↕§
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Carpal Tunnel
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I seem to remember a lot of family farms being 120 acres. And, 40 acres is a convenient division (1/16) of a section: 1 section equals 1 square mile equals 640 acres. 36 sections (6 x 6) equals a township. (See here.)
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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> Homestead fwiw, my great-great-great-something-or-other was the Father of the Homestead Act
formerly known as etaoin...
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
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Anna: Thank you for confirming that
dalehileman
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Good Lord, eta--there's a strong family resemblance! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Where I grew up, our front yard was picture perfect, manicured, all for show. In contrast, the back yard, with the exception of the patio and a little grass, was invested totally in fruit trees and vines and a vegetable garden. My dad always referred to that part of the back yard which was food producting as "the south forty" ... even 'tho it was on the west side of our property.
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Carpal Tunnel
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