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stranger
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stranger
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Does anyone have insight into the origin of the phrase "red-headed stepchild"?
pdummitt
pdummitt
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,891
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hello Pam. Welcome to the Board.
I've never heard that expression before. What does it mean?
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Welcome aBoard, Pam! Hmm--our previous discussion didn't get as far as I'd thought it had: http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=27664; nor did the link included in it. I've always thought it had to do with the obviousness of having a different parentage. There is a song which I'm not remembering much of right now including the title, but I believe it was about a red-headed child, and Papa had been absent for a while; I do remember one line clearly: "...And the milkman had red hair". Why don't you try going to Information and Announcements and looking in Max's Useful Language Links? I'm sure there are some word and phrase origin sites listed there.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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member
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member
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I remember being told by a WWII vet that in some European country where he had spent some time a red-haired child was always given away by its parents, someone else had to raise it. But it could be grandparents or other family members, and he didn't notice red-haired adults being treated poorly.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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A sincere welcome to another foodie on this board. Now, if Pam had only served in the Navy, she would be the perfect addition!
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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foodie. Noun. Colloquial. A lover of food and of a wide variety of foods, a food enthusiast, a diner with refined tastes, a student of cookbooks, a frequenter of restaurants, a preparer of excellent dishes. Synonyms: epicure, gastronome, gourmet.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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ah. and you picked that up from cooking in her profile? very impressive. welcome, Pam!
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Nobody does a better job than Jackie of welcoming newbies to this board, but I am inspired by her example and attempt to approximate it, in my own, more-limited way.
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