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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Red-headed stepchild #29462 05/17/2001 4:39 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 328 Eastern Pennsylvania Rapunzel enthusiast Rapunzel enthusiast Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 328 Eastern Pennsylvania I first heard this phrase last night, when a radio DJ was giving a sports update. He said that the Sixers were treating some other basketball team "like a red-headed stepchild." Any ideas on the origin of this phrase? I googled it, but didn't come up with much in the way of explanation or derivation. It did show up on the Board once, in a post by slovovoi in the AWAD in Schools section. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Red-headed stepchild #29463 05/17/2001 5:55 PM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass tsuwm Carpal Tunnel tsuwm Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 10,542 this too shall pass stepchildren are often singled out for abuse by the step-parent; red-heads are even more apt to be, due to the usually obvious differences in appearance. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Red-headed stepchild #29464 05/17/2001 5:57 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 I knew a chubby red-head in a family of willowy blondes. She wasn't a stepchild; her daughters looked exactly like their aunts Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Red-headed stepchild #29465 05/20/2001 10:11 AM Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia Bridget addict Bridget addict Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia I have a red-headed stepchild. I thank all the powers that be (and any that don't be, just to be safe) that I have never heard this phrase before. I hope he (my red-headed stepshild) hasn't heard it either! ...this being Australia, he gets strangers calling him Bluey. Apparently this is also the reasoning behind the 'Virgin Blue' brand in Australia - Branson's Virgin is associated with red and the Aussies call red things blue. (I'd better go before I get really confused! ) Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: Red-headed stepchild #29466 05/21/2001 8:56 AM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 1,055 Berlin belligerentyouth old hand belligerentyouth old hand Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 1,055 Berlin > I'd better go before I get really confused! This might help Bridget: http://wordsmith.org/board/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=11971&page=&view=&sb=&vc=1#Post11971 Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,263 Members9,208 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard 9,208 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 26 A C Bowden 7 John Flex 1 handymanhome 1 JerryC 1 Wood Delivery 1 Trusted Roofing 1 John Fox 1 Tony Hood 1 Forix Richard 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,123 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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