Wordsmith.org
Posted By: BranShea Dog lime - 04/11/16 09:03 PM
Dear native speakers

In this part of a poem by William Carlos Williams I read
"dog lime". I have no clue what it means and cannot find it by means of internet search. Could anyone know?
Thanks a lot.


"And no one knows
Whether we think good
Or evil.
Then again,
The old man who goes about
Gathering dog lime
Walks in the gutter
Without looking up
And his tread
Is more majestic than
That of the Episcopal minister
Approaching the pulpit
Of a Sunday.
These things
Astonish me beyond words."
Posted By: wofahulicodoc euphemism for Dog Poop ? - 04/11/16 10:41 PM

I've never seen it before, but I would hazard a guess that it means that white residue left after a dog's feces has dried and bleached, and the lawn under it is a bit burned from chemical reactions (therefore "lime")...
Posted By: BranShea Re: euphemism for Dog Poop ? - 04/12/16 06:14 PM
Thank you, could be. I'm no dog owner and never observed the finer details. Yes, could be.
Posted By: BranShea Re: No shit - 04/14/16 09:38 AM
Today I received a different possible interpretation from the person who sent me the poem.

N.B.:

"About the "dog lime, at first I could find nothing either,
but by googling I got to a possible explanation:

Antics of a dog, who thinking to catch a quick yummy bite,
by accident bites a piece of lemon/lime lying (often molded) in the street somewhere.
In this poem: Someone who tries to find something to eat in the garbage. "


© Wordsmith.org