Tomisms and other Family Frazes

When Tom & I first began to spend time together, I noticed that he had some very colorful vocabulary. By colorful, I don't mean blue language...but rather idioms unique to him/his family and/or American Cowboy dialect. My kids had never heard many of these phrases, so we began a project called Tom's Dictionary. It's a living document, as we are still finding,adding and creating words & phrases to write in it. It began with Tomisms but we're getting many entries that didn't originate with Tom.

It's not in alphabetical order. Every family unit creates some phrases of their own unique to them. Feel free to share. I'd love to see them!

And we begin....drum roll....cymbals...silence...microphone buzz....

Nunya: 1) Nothing or none of your business. What you you mean what color are my under wear! That's nunya! How many? Nunya!

In there like a hair in a biscuit: 1) Very closely associated with 2) tightly situated, difficult to remove. They really like his work at that company, he's in there like a hair in a biscuit.

Colder'n a wedge: (colder than a wedge) 1) very cold. I need my long johns, it's colder'n a wedge out there.

That's a pain in the Tom: 1) difficult or unwelcome task or situation. It's time to clean the gutters again. That's a pain in the Tom. Hey, somebody used my toothbruth to clean the tile in the bathroom! "What a pain in the Tom!"

Temporary Joy: ...."Hey Tom, what are those rabbits doing? Paco's experiencing temporary joy, I think he's had enough, why don't you send him back to his own cage. ref. Heather's rabbit.

Butt Crack of Dawn: Very early in the morning. The sun wasn't hardly up, they got up at the butt-crack of dawn. (And weren't very thrilled)

Daylight in the Swamp: Time to get up in the morning. The sun is high enough to get into the low part of the valley. "What time is it?" "It's daylight in the swamp - roll out of bed!"

Bazooms: (bossoms) 1) female protuberances. My, her dress was a bit low, her bazooms were falling out all over the place.

Swammich: 1) a dish prepared with food (usually meat) between two slices of bread. " I had a turkey swammich for lunch."

Since Hector was a Pup: 1) a long time ago. "I haven't been there since Hector was a pup. (1980)

MR: 1) Them Are 2) They Are) MR ducks, MR not ducks. OSMR. CM Wangs.

OSMR: "Oh yes, them are."

Degredients: 1) items joined together to make a finished products. ex. ingredients to make a cake. I need to buy degredients to make a cheese cake.

It's cold enought to freeze the balls off a brass monkey: 1) It's extremely cold. Back when they had cannon balls on the ships, they stored the canon balls on a plate with divits for the balls to rest in. It was a triangle shaped plate bolted to the deck near the canon. the balls stack pyramid style. The plate was called a monkey. In cold weather, the monkey would contact and the balls would roll off. they discovered that if they used brass to build the monkey, it didn't contract as much. so, only in the most extreme cold weather, was it cold enough to "freeze the balls off a brass monkey."

Itch: 1) alternate for 'to scratch'. "Itch my back!"

Smiles: 1) substitution for the word mile. How many miles 'til we get there dad? 50 more smiles!

More bird: 1) a request for 2nds at holiday time, specifically TURKEY. Aren't you full yet? Heck no, more bird! More bird: Oh no, I'm too full. OK more bird!

Hysterical sites: 1) historical sites. 2) places of interest with historically significant events/places/people associated with it/them. On our next trip, we plan to stop by and visit several important hysterical sites.

Destructions: 1)alternative word for instruction. 2) a 'how to' list. 3) On christmas Eve, dad is sittin' in the family room with a pile of toys still in the boxes, each with their own destructions to help him put them together. Hey mom, how do I get this thing put together? I don't know, maybe the destructions will help.

Tonies: 1) alternative word for pony (small horse) While driving in the car - looking out the window - Hey, look at all them tonies!

mookies: 1) short for Moo-cow or cow. Look at all them mookies out in the field!

turn right: example; "Hachtel left." Turn right at the next corner, no, your other right. I turned left, I mean a Hachtel right.

turn left: example Hachtel right; Turn left up there at the next light. OK, let's try again when we drive around the block. No, your other left! We didn't need to go there anyway, did we? Note: The origin of this idiom is disputed and under discussion. Grandpa Hachtel claims that it was imported down stream in his line...

Steep as a cow's face: 1) extremely steep. A cow's face is close to straight up & down. If you don't understand it, just look at a cow. Self explanatory.

Mountain Cows: 1) cows that are specially bred with short legs on the left and long legs on the right so they can graze on the face of the mountain and not fall off. "That can't be true daddy, there's cow's facing both ways on that mountain! What you see there children are left handed mountain cows and right-handed mountain cows. It's very important to have equal numbers of each, so the grass gets trimmed going both ways......Oh.

Bull Goose: 1) the head goose. When looking at geese flying in the V formation in the sky, the bull goose is the one at the point of the V - in charge of the rest. They all follow him. Look at that bull goose flying up there. He won't stay long, the drag of the other geese will tire him out soon.

Dang (darn) Yahoo: (courtesy of Grandma Betty) A yahoo is a worthless young man hanging around trying to date your daughter. A dang/darn yahoo is a yahoo who was particularly objectionable or persistent. "That darned yahoo showed up when you were't here last night. Why don't you tell him to get lost?"

Description of a Yahoo: sloppily dressed, poor manners, blue language.

Big Ben, Parliment, Tower of London - repeat...repeat...: 1) a term used to describe repeated missed turns, so you see the same sights repeatedly, ref. National Lampoon's European Vacation. Driving 'round in circles, trying to figure out where to turn to get to where you're going. Look Kids, Big Ben, Parliment, Tower of London - repeat...repeat...:

Giant Marshmallows: 1) large white objects left in the fields in Oregon when the farmer is done harvesting his hay. "Look kids, giant marshmallows!" Those aren't marshmallows, they're too big. That's why we call them GIANT Marshmellows. The farmer hauls them to the marshmallow factory where they get chopped into bite sized pieces & sealed in plastic bags & sold in the stores as treats. Roberson import.

If you don't stop that you're going to be walking around the a hand on the top of you head with a knot underneath. (Pat Douthit's dad Bill)
self explanatory.

You're breeding a scab on the end of your nose: reference to any activity likely to cause damage to ones' body or face. To a child, climbing on top of the swing set. "You're breeding a scab on the end of your nose!"

What part of NO don't you understand? You don't have to explain yourself. No is a complete sentence. No.

Off like a heard of turtles: 1) moving very slowly. 2) late getting started 3) behind scheduled activities 4) reference to chronic procrastination. Roberson import

A Diller a Dollar a ten o'clock scholar what makes you come so soon, you used to come at ten o'clock and now you come at noon.

Grat'is the Gift 'at God 'er geist, to see ur silves uz others seeist: Grandpa Ralph (Sandi's paternal grandfather), Scottish ancestry. He would say this with a thick Scottish brogue at many an opportune moment... (Great is the gift that God has given us, to see ourselves as others see us.)


No rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need it: Grandma Colleen (Sandi's mom) 1) sitting down on a work day is a no win situation, 2) Get up and get moving No you can't take a nap, there's no rest for the wicked and the righteous don't need it. Implication, if you're living/eating right, you'll have the strength to make it through the day without napping. i.e. What have you been doing that you need a nap?