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#120901 01/22/04 08:40 PM
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""Nit," said Hetty. "It ain't him. You're up against real life now. I believe you said your hero friend had money and automobiles. This is a poor skeezicks that's got nothing to eat but an onion. But he's easy-spoken and not a freshy. I imagine he's been a gentleman, he's so low down now. And we need the onion. Shall I bring him in? I'll guarantee his behavior."

A trivia question. How many members ever read the Uncle Wiggly stories, and remember the villains who were trying
to eat a portion of his anatomy. The Skeezix was one of
them, who were the other two, and what was it they wanted
to eat? We had a thread about this a long time ago, but
I'll bet nobody remembers it.


#120902 01/24/04 07:14 PM
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Skillery-Skallery Alligator....

wwh, I never read these stories, but I tried googling to learn what I could and simply failed in digging up much information other than that alligator who appears to be a contender for one of your two other villains.


#120903 01/24/04 07:18 PM
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never read those stories, but skeezix is a word of endearment used by my father towards his grandchildren. I find myself calling my boys, "skeezix" occasionally.
makes me smile.



formerly known as etaoin...
#120904 01/24/04 07:25 PM
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Ah! Ain't Google grand! I've now determined that Skillery-Skallery Alligator was trying to eat Uncle Wiggly's ears!

If I do find the other villain, I won't post it here so those who have really read the story can post.

But ain't Google grand!


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So, the Skeezix,the Pipsissewa, and the Skillery-Scallery Alligator wanted to eat Uncle Wiggily's "souse" = pickled ears. I used to bring home big white rabbits used for safety testing of intravenous fluids made at MA Biologic Labs. I used to dress them, but the kids wouldn't eat it
until my wife told them it was "Danish chicken". One night I got home much too late to dress them, and put them in a big cage I had made for that contingency. Stray dogs tipped cage over, and you never heard such a frenzied barking as they chased the rabbits through the neighborhood. Luckily the neighbors never pinned it on me. They were in a mood to
"dress" the perpetrator if they could find out who was to blame.


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Reminds me of the woman who raises rabbits in Flint in Michael Moore's film Roger and Me asks her customers: Pets or meat?

Souse is a great word: related to sal 'salt' and salad.


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In reply to:

Pets or meat?


Ha!

What's the root meaning that connects souse, salt and salad? Very interesting--but I'd love to know what the common denominator might be.


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WW-- The root's *sal 'salt'. Souse is from MFr souser, OFr soucir 'to pickle' from sous, souz 'pickled meat' from OHG sulza 'brine, jelly, jellied or pickled meat' from *sal-d- 'salt'. Salad is ultimately from Late Latin salata feminine past participle of salo 'to salt'. You've also got salary and salami in there, too.

http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE441.html



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Joke on me. So many sausages are named after city where
they originated, I thought "salami" came from Salamis, where Greek navy defeated Persian Navy. Scientific American a few years ago had a story about Greek navy having a secret weapon - waxed pads under butts of oarsment, which greatly lenthened their stroke, and made their ships faster,
and more maneuverable.



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