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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread What's your beef with meat? #87533 11/22/2002 12:27 AM Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia hev addict hev addict Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 477 Sydney, Australia No, this isn't an invitation to have an idealogical debate about vegetarianism... although that's how this matter came up for me. Where did the phrase "what's your beef" come from? How did it get from being 'the flesh of a slaughtered full-grown steer, bull, ox, or cow' to being something which is obviously an "issue"? I'm un-motivated to go looking for answers elsewhere, so I thought I'd pose this to y'all wise and learned ones from all over the world. So sue me. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87534 11/22/2002 12:45 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 "Beef" meaning to complain is very old. Site below says 1880. No idea how it originated. http://www.panikon.com/phurba/alteng/b.html Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87535 11/22/2002 12:43 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 1,055 Berlin belligerentyouth old hand belligerentyouth old hand Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 1,055 Berlin > No idea how it originated. That really beeves me, Bill. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87536 11/23/2002 3:07 AM Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada modestgoddess old hand modestgoddess old hand Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada Site below says 1880. but not for "beef" as a "complaint" - only for "beef" as "yell". The former meaning is given as dating back only as far as 1950. Been racking my brains, trying to think up where/how it might have arisen....Because Wendy's (hamburger chain, for those who haven't heard of it) had that famous "Where's the beef?" ad far more recently than the '50s - otherwise that might have been the answer. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87537 11/23/2002 12:39 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 not for "beef" as a "complaint" - only for "beef" as "yell" That was Beef - 5, Beef - 6 is given as "To Complain." Recorded back to 1880. OED Supplement gives an 1888 citation: He'll beef and kick like a steer an' let on he won't never wear 'em for its definition, to complain, grumble, protest. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87538 11/25/2002 1:58 PM Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada modestgoddess old hand modestgoddess old hand Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 833 Eastern Ontario, Canada I sit kerreckted. Thanks Faldage - sorry Bill! We are still no closer to how it arose, though, are we? [scratching-head e] Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: What's your beef with meat? #87539 11/25/2002 2:02 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory Alex Williams Pooh-Bah Alex Williams Pooh-Bah Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,819 Spam Factory There's actually lots of funny expressions for complaining, and I tend to picture a hard-nosed father-figure (like a football coach or a drill sargent) saying most of them, like "Stop yer bellyachin'!" Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter 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 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 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

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