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Jobb Posted 22 years ago
Grammar

Bald as a badger

Context:
Hairless *** petting could
leave you bald as a badger
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/waiwai/

But a badger has a heavy, grizzled coat. How can you say "bald as a badger"?
  

Top answer

Jobb, I believe a badger's head has a white spot on it which can make it look like the animal is bald. That may be the origin of the expression. As you know from the article, this headline is just saying that if you pet a cat affected by this disease (or a dog or other pet), you can catch the disease, and it could make you bald.

  • Jobb, I believe a badger's head has a white spot on it which can make it look like the animal is bald.
  • That may be the origin of the expression.
  • As you know from the article, this headline is just saying that if you pet a cat affected by this disease (or a dog or other pet), you can catch the disease, and it could make you bald.
  • Jim
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9 Answers
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Jobb,
I believe a badger's head has a white spot on it which can make it look like the animal is bald. That may be the origin of the expression.
As you know from the article, this headline is just saying that if you pet a cat affected by this disease (or a dog or other pet), you can catch the disease, and it could make you bald.
Jim
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Hi CalifJim,

Interesting title for an article. I suspect it was deliberate.

MountainHiker
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Could be, but the article itself is a bore!
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I came across this explanation of expression's origin:

Barbers use talcum powder, applied with a barber's soft brush, to loosen hair and make it easier to remove from a client's neck. The finest of brushes are made from badger hair, hence came the expression, 'Bald as a badger'.
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Very interesting!
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I know it's a little late (3 years! LOL) but this is the true meaning of the phrase.

Bald has more than one meaning - it can also mean marked or streaked with white, hence bald as a Badger or Bald as a Coot!
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The original term was “as bald as a badger’s backside”. In times gone by, barbers used shaving brushes, and brushes to dust cut hair off the customer, that were made from badger hair. The brush makers used to trap badgers and remove the hair from their backside then set them free to grow more for next time.

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