Cow paths and cow pats
The living language is like a cow-path: it is the creation of the cows themselves, who, having created it, follow it or depart from it according to their whims or their needs. From daily use, the path undergoes change. A cow is under no obligation to stay. -E.B. White, writer (1899-1985)
A nice quote from today’s wordsmith. However, it does make you think “The living language is like a cow pat…”
Anyone care to continue?
As a child, one of our regular questions to newcomers was “Which would you rather do, jump a stile, run a mile or eat a country pancake?” Any response was cause for merriment. Anyone chosing the first two options would be asked to demonstrate and if anyone naively chose the third, we would collapse helpless wih laughter. I think perhaps kids are more sophisticated these days.
A nice quote from today’s wordsmith. However, it does make you think “The living language is like a cow pat…”
Anyone care to continue?
As a child, one of our regular questions to newcomers was “Which would you rather do, jump a stile, run a mile or eat a country pancake?” Any response was cause for merriment. Anyone chosing the first two options would be asked to demonstrate and if anyone naively chose the third, we would collapse helpless wih laughter. I think perhaps kids are more sophisticated these days.
posted by Kay @ 2:16 PM
6 Comments:
At November 30, 2006 8:37 PM,
Anonymous said…
Cow pat raffles are popular in some small West Australian towns, apparently. A field is chosen and marked into squares. People 'buy' a square for a few dollars. Then a cow is let loose in the field and everyone watches. Whichever square the first cow pat drops in is the winning square and the winner scoops the kitty, so to speak.
At November 30, 2006 8:38 PM,
Anonymous said…
Then of course there's the 'postman pat'. This is a technical term used to describe the panicked reaction of a postman to an angry dog....
At December 03, 2006 6:03 AM,
Anonymous said…
There is somewhere in Uk (can't remember the details) also a cowpat flinging contest.
At December 08, 2006 5:38 AM,
Anonymous said…
Linden, I think it's the House of Commons
At January 09, 2007 9:08 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hi Kay,
Mum wondered if you had any memory of losing your shoe in a cow pat, when you were about ?5 years old? Dad told you not to step in it but...........
I wonder where the expression 'putting your foot in it' comes from?
At January 11, 2007 8:03 PM,
Kay said…
I don’t remember getting my shoe stuck in a cow pat.. unless it was maybe at Saundersfoot. I can remember being sent to Mr Follet’s the cobbler (BTW I believe his son is Ken Follet the world famous author) to collect some shoes and pay for them and being told to come straight back but I took the long way home so I could play on the bars outside the local primary school ( I went to the Catholic school miles away of course, ) and lost all the change. It was about 15 shillings I think. Mum was not amused.
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