"The Pooka MacPhellimey, a member of the devil class, sat in his hut in the middle of a firwood meditating on the nature of the numerals and segregating in his mind the odd ones from the even. He was seated at his diptych or ancient two-leaved hinged writing-table with inner sides waxed."
~ Flann O'Brien
~ Flann O'Brien
Pictures!
de Selby
Rorschach
Better Stuff
"I think that may be the saddest comment on Democratic Party failure yet, even including the advancement of the Cheney torture regime. Not because it's worse morally, but because the opportunity to educate people and obtain their support for progressive economics was practically laid at their feet and they whiffed."Digby's Hullabaloo
"...one can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, burning the crockery, setting the kitchen on fire, firebombing the restaurant and summarily executing the survivors."
~Fafblog!
My new favorite!
~Hyperbole and a Half!
Any Random Blog
Agonist
Axis of Evel Knievel
BlackBoxVoting
Black Commentator
Bouphonia
By Neddie Jingo!
Chase me ladies,
Creek Running North
I Blame the Patriarchy
If Charlie Parker...
Mahablog
Opinions You Should Have
Sisyphus Shrugged
(alas...)
Memory Hole
nonist, the
Pops' Bucket
More of the same
Older Stuff
Search Diptych
Subscribe
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Malapropism alert! -- [UPDATE! -- Not!]
It has come to my attention that some few lefty bloggers have been writing "going to the mattresses" when they mean to say that someone is doggedly contesting something.
That's just silly.
The idiom they are searching for is "going to the mat", which is a metaphor for putting one's body and reputation on the line in a wrestling contest.
"Going to the mattresses" would seem to refer to having several nice naps, or possibly having sex in more than one bed.
Those would be useful idioms sometimes, but I don't think they're intended.
UPDATE:
A kind commenter has clued me that I'm wrong on this. Apparently "go to the mattresses" is of Italian origin, and is much older (though less well known) than the mat version. I looked it up and darned if it isn't so. They even said it in The Godfather.
I do hate to spout off like that and be proven wrong, but (sad to say) I'm getting used to it.
- posted by de Selby @ 7:45 PM
Comments:
<< Home
Actually, I think what they are saying is fine. "Going to the mattresses" is an old Mafia expression that refers to a major organized crime war. It was an expression I used to hear growing up in Upstate NY. It may be rooted in the expression you mention, but it has taken on a life of its own.
Post a Comment
# posted by 
: 2:53 PM
: 2:53 PM<< Home
