shit fire and save matches

Wordsmith.org

171 hits but meaning not apparent. Could this be one of those all-purpose phrases that the user drops anywhere he thinks it conceivably fit? How long has it been around

From Amerispeak, expressions of our American ancestors:

THEY SAID: Shit fire and save your matches

WE SAY: Wow!

From Texas Slang II:

Shit (or shoot) fire and save the matches. ("I'll be darn)

I've never heard this expression. Where'd you run across it, Dale?

it's a new one for me, too.

I've heard "shit fire" but nothing about saving matches. It was never said in an intonation that would suggest that "shit" was a transitive verb with "fire" the object. The emphasis was always on the "shit".

Con, I think I encountered it on PF

I came across it in the novel "Cold Mountain". The book is vastly superior to the movie, even if the movie DOES have Donald Sutherland in it.

Donald Sutherland played the role of Mister Bennett in this year's movie version of "Pride and Prejudice" and did it wonderfully.

DS does seem to be improving with age -- or maybe it's just the comparison to Kiefer...

Quote:

DS does seem to be improving with age -- or maybe it's just the comparison to Kiefer...

So what are we, pate?

DS is hilarious in his screen debut(?) in Little Murders.

Kiefer Sutherland is cute! His father's just weird-looking...

Thanks guys but to get back to the thread....

Sorry, Dale; I was just trying to be cute again. You may be interested in something here:
list

J: No need to apologize. Thank you for the leads, which I have eensconced in my Favorites folder

Quote:

Donald Sutherland played the role of Mister Bennett in this year's movie version of "Pride and Prejudice" and did it wonderfully.

It was an interesting take on the role of Mr. Bennett -- a little more melancholy than I had ever imagined him. But I enjoyed the film a lot. If I were king there would be a new version to enjoy each year.