|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
It's a grey day here ... dark enough to require turning on lamps ... so I'd like to throw this out for comment.
Here in New England we look for a patch of blue in an overcast sky as an indication the weather might clear. We say we are looking for "the Dutchman's Pants" meaning that we want to find a patch of blue sky about the size of a pair of old fashioned (traditional costume) Dutchman's Pants.
You have anything similar?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,773 |
I've never heard the expression, wow, even though we have plenty of reason to gaze hopefully at the gray in mid-Michigan. OTOH, we say, "if you don't like the weather, just wait a few days," since nothing stays the same around here for long. Oh, sure, its been raining for days here, but I know tomorrow will be different: we'll have hail!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear wow: I never heard the term "Dutchman's Pants" for a break in overcast hinting impending improvement in weather. But entering those words in Yahoo Search box brought up some attractive pictures of flowers so named.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
We are talking a BIG patch of blue ... think of Paul Bunyan in a pair of Dutch pants of the traditional variety ... loose and full from waist to ankle.
I Googled "Dutchman's Britches" and found a picture and lots of info on the flower which is quite lovely. Thanks wwh.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 53
journeyman
|
|
journeyman
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 53 |
I come from northern California and we say, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes." It can often change from sun to rain (with a rainbow!) to hail and back to sun again in the space of 20 minutes or so. I don't think we have a saying to compare to Dutchman's Pants though. We just say, "a patch of blue."
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
"If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."
You guys stole that from New England!
Perhaps the only case where something started here and went west instead of the other way around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,094 |
Perhaps the only case where something started here and went west instead of the other way around!
Well, the people out there on the west coast didn't just magically appear. Where do you suppose they came from?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 771 |
My mom always said "There's enough blue to make a shirt." Obviously I come from a long line of seamstresses... 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
the people out there on the west coast didn't just magically appear.
They didn't?
Where do you suppose they came from?
I've wondered about that myself.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
|
the people out there on the west coast didn't just magically appear.
They didn't?
Where do you suppose they came from?
I've wondered about that myself.Okay, okay, i can't resist. The truth is, we descended from Olympus.
(*duh!!*)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609 |
"If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."
You guys stole that from New England!
In Ye Olde England there is the expression "If you can't see the hills, it's raining; and if you can see the hills, it's just about to rain!"
and an old expression "enough blue to make a sailor's pair of trousers." seems equivalent to the Dutchman's pants.
Rod
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
"If you don't like the weather, wait a minute."
We use that in Newfoundland too, along with "If you don't like what you see out the front door, go look out the back door" or something to that effect.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
|
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
an old expression "enough blue to make a sailor's pair of trousers." seems equivalent to the Dutchman's pants.
Yes, Rod, my Mum used the same expression, but she also used to say " .... a Dutchman a pair of britches," as well, almost as often. So, to me, the expressions are definitely interchangeable.
If those of you who've been following thew "keeping the Dutch from the English" thread think that us Brits are a bit hooked on the Dutch, you should bear in mind that we only fought them for about twenty years or so - most of the time we have co-operated with them and traded with them. The drainage of the flat country of Eastern England was mostly done by Dutch experts, for instance. And, of course, they provided us with a King when we were in need of a new one (William III, married to Mary Stuart after her brother James was deposed - 1687-88.)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609 |
fought the Dutch
An interesting trivia question. At which airport was a sea battle fought? The answer (of course) is Schiphol, between the Spanish and Dutch fleets. I can't remember who won, 'cos there was something better on the other TV channel.
Rod
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
I heard of "eyes as blue as dutchman's britches" (and as "shiny as the seat of a police sargent's trouser!" ) -- as left handed compliments-- but never about the weather or sky. Aside from the Dutch reformed church-- a many place name, the dutch influence in NY is very slight.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
In reply to:
William III, married to Mary Stuart after her brother James was deposed - 1687-88
Surely Mary Stuart and William of Orange were married long before James II was deposed. That's why he was (sort of) next in line.
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609
addict
|
|
addict
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 609 |
Surely Mary Stuart and William of Orange were married long before James II was deposed.
Yep. 1677 (We got a day of school for it!). William and Mary "ascended the throne" together in 1689 to rule jointly, as King William III and Queen Mary II. UK had had Queens before, so why the insistence on a King? And why jointly? They were first cousins, both having Charles I as grandfather. Apparently parliament wanted Mary as Queen, Mary wanted her husband as King, and William wanted the throne by inheritance. Crowning them both seemed an acceptable compromise.
Rod
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Okay, okay, i can't resist.
The truth is, we descended from Olympus.
Funny, I thought the larger part of them ascended from the Mexican border ...
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
In reply to:
I thought the larger part of them ascended from the Mexican border
Is this an admission that moving northwards is moving upwards?
And anyway, wasn't it the border that moved south?
Bingley
Bingley
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
Is this an admission that moving northwards is moving upwards?No, it just means that Mexicans are would-be yuppies. And anyway, wasn't it the border that moved south?And that Mexicans will steal anything ...
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
" And that Mexicans will steal anything ... "
What the gringos took by force, the latinos are repossessing by ignoring immigration laws.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
NY has had a large influx of Mexicans-- 15 years ago, most of the "Latino" population didn't exist-- we had Hispanics (which was just an other name for PR)-- now -- columbians (nice ones, not just drug war lords) peruvians, mexicans, Salvadorians (a report in the NY times said Salvadorians living in US sent back 100X more money than US relief funds did after the most recent disaster--)
an other NY time report said illegal immigrant workers on Long Island (mexicans, in this case) were getting paid $15 an hour! (of course, no SS, no benefits, no sick leave, and for most not even steady work)-- but still $15 an hour! This is of course attracting more immigration!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,156 |
My in-laws, who are originally from Norway, are visiting, and on Saturday it was patchy sun and cloud kind of weather. We walked out of Chapters and my mother-in-law looked at the sky and said "There's enough blue to make a skirt!". A week ago I would have had NO CLUE what she was talking about, but of course I got what she was saying. I explained the "Dutchman's pants" thing and she told me that where she comes from, they talk about making a skirt instead. (Which brings us full circle - because weren't we talking about the Scandinavian origins of "sk" words a while ago?)
Serendipitous!
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,340
Members9,182
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
646
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
