Soupy Salesmanship - Wordsmith.org

Wordsmith.org

Over in "demented dictionary", ZDub cited this pair:

Engine block enlargement: Sup-up your motor

I believe it's a form of what we say 'Soup-up' (or even 'hop-up'). An earlier form? a later form? one from 'nother country? I really don't give a **** ***... go start a thread in Q+A about it

... it was, however, an inspiration to create this food-word thread.

You *guys are all apples of my eye.

Haven't ever had to write it, but it could be from super. Maybe not? Could also be from soup as a slang word for nitro(glycerene)?

Chalk it up to not understanding the etymology. I have seen the form "sup up" written on the internet a number of times and never really had the occasion to question it. I guess that's what makes this place so much fun It seems people who use this form are under the impression that basically means "super charged"; however it appears they (and I) may be mistaken:

http://www.etymonline.com/s9etym.htm
soup (2) - "increase the horsepower of an engine," 1921, probably from soup (1) in slang sense of "narcotic injected into horses to make them run faster," influenced by supercharge which suggests "sup up" may not be completely incorrect; however there isn't much other argument for "sup" (v.), which is first attested 1876.

http://www.tes.co.uk/staffroom/thread.asp?staffroomSearchStr=&id=18112&threadPage=1&threadID=697577&messagePage=3
"To soup up" an engine relates to increasing its horsepower, and is thought to relate to the practice of injecting narcotics into a horse to increase its speed for a race.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=soup up
Main Entry: soup up
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: soup (drug injected into a racehorse to improve its performance)
: to increase the power or efficiency of <soup up an engine>

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate� Dictionary & Thesaurus
Main Entry: soup up
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: soup (drug injected into a racehorse to improve its performance)
Date: circa 1933
: to increase the power or efficiency of
NB: Soup is also a term for nitroglycerin. Certain race cars are fueled with "nitro" fuels and are therefore souped up.

American Heritage College Dictionary 4th Edition
Soup up � phrasal verb: Slang. To modify (something) so as to increase its capacity to perform or satisfy, esp. to add horsepower to (a vehicle).

Z-Dub

Sometimes a cigar is just a banana.

Not to be over(t)ly aplhabetical...

Now I get it...

It's a good thing I draw a celery for looking this stuff up.

Z-Dub

That really was a dilly of a pun Z-Dub, I will endiver to do as well.

orange you guys ever gonna tire of threads that are filled with lame puns?

puns are turnuping everywhere...
and now a food thread full of puns... well, i am working hard to ketchup!

but seriously... do we have a resident cheesecake? or a beefcake for that matter? napform comes to mind when describing my figure.. unless you want to go with pudding bag-- my sister had a narrow waist, and full breasts.. some might have said she had an hourglass figure.. but the term that 'stuck' was when someone said she had a figure like a sack of potatoes, tied in the middle! she never was as smooth or evenly shaped as an hourglass.. and sack of potatoes tied in the middle was much more evocative of how she looked!

That would be Nitrous oxide. It's a substitute for air and makes the fuel burn hotter. Creates more power, the race vehicle goes faster, but very poor MPGs (KPGs) result, not that that's a concern for race folk, (or HUMMER drivers).

I falafel about my error. I know the puns might be gratin y�all�s nerves, but so far y�all seem game. I could hash out s�more, but I don�t want to be accused of being a ham.

Z-Dub

the puns might be gratin y�all�s nerves

I got nothin gainst puns. I've even known, e.g., Rhuby to come up with one from time to time.
When y'all get on with whatever it's called that y'all are doin in this thread I normally give it a pass.
There might be a pun in here somewhere but cost benefit ratio and all, you understand.

I didn't nesecelery intend this to be punful.

No problems, musick - this thread hasn't been full of puns! As Faldage so sagely says, these are not, strictly speaking, puns. A true pun relies utterly on homophonious ambiguity. Where you have to mis-spell or mispronounce words, it ain't a pun, not really. (Dunno what it should be called - any ideas?)
There are some mispronunciations that really do have a humorous effect, but mostly, they just give puns a bad name.

A play-on-words?

Does anyone here not know who Soupy Sales is?

Never 'eard of 'im.

Does anyone here not know who Soupy Sales is?

he used to be my neighbor.. he lived in little neck (part of queens) NY for many years.--after he retired

Ah, memories! Here in Detroit in the late 50s, all us kids had lunch in front of the TV with Soupy and his cast of characters, White Fang, Black Tooth and Pookie.... Soupy wore a black pullover and a polka-dot bow tie.

Here's a bio: http://amdest.com/stars/ssales.html It seems to give his stint in Detroit short shrift, but I will always think of him as a local personality. Those were the simpler times!

I almost remember him....

>he used to be my neighbor.. he lived in little neck (part of queens)

What a coincidence! Paul Reubens (as Pee Wee Herman) had a summer home just up the road from us, near Pencil Neck Creek, WI.

The Lone Haranguer

I almost remember him....

Well, AnnaS, I'm much older than you. Or I just have a better memory (NOT)

That oughta keep the little bastards happy for another week.

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/radio/uncledon.htm

fun read, thanks.

Yup. He's the guy who told the TV viewing kids to "...go upstairs and take your daddy's wallet out and find the piece of paper with the picture of Abraham Lincoln on it and send it to Soupy Sales C/O WABC..." or whatever the station was. My older brother (12 at the time) and I thought that the show was sooo hip and risqu�. Fur instance: The answer to one of his "riddles" was FiretrucK. (Pretty funny to the 9 year old altar boy, not so funny now, but it was our salvation at the time) He was a panelist What's My Line later on.
How about Sandy Becker? - The Big Professor among other characters.