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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
English in UK
Boiled as an (old) owl
My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter the above on the rare hot summer days we have in this country. I never did get around to asking him the origin of the phrase; my grandmother surmised that it was something he picked up when he was in the RAF during the war (or, subsequently, in the Arnheim PoW camp after he was shot down in '42 or '43), but I'm not sure I buy into that.
I don't know much about his origins, I'm not even sure where he was born (though I reckon it was Kingston-upon-Thames).
The thing is, the only meaning I know of for the phrase (without the old) is as a euphemism for '*** as a newt'.
Has anyone else come across it being used in this context (i.e. to mean 'extremely hot')?
Having said that, I'm not sure why it should be a euphemism for 'drunk' either...
Thanks for any enlightenment.
Sarah
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/
I don't know much about his origins, I'm not even sure where he was born (though I reckon it was Kingston-upon-Thames).
The thing is, the only meaning I know of for the phrase (without the old) is as a euphemism for '*** as a newt'.
Has anyone else come across it being used in this context (i.e. to mean 'extremely hot')?
Having said that, I'm not sure why it should be a euphemism for 'drunk' either...
Thanks for any enlightenment.
Sarah
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/
Top answer
[nq:1]My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter the above on the rare hot summer days we have ... hot')? Having said that, I'm not sure why it should be a euphemism for 'drunk' either...
- [nq:1]My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter the above on the rare hot summer days we have ...
- hot')?
- Having said that, I'm not sure why it should be a euphemism for 'drunk' either...
- [/nq] I haven't noticed the expression.
- Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s).
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16 Answers
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[nq:1]My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter the above on the rare hot summer days we have ... hot')? Having said that, I'm not sure why it should be a euphemism for 'drunk' either... Thanks for any enlightenment.[/nq]
I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes a suggestion that it may be
I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes a suggestion that it may be
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[nq:1]I wonder if two images have become confused - owl and fowl. An old fowl would need a lot of boiling to edible[/nq]
Any connection to the Scottish 'fou' meaning drunk, or could it be a spoonerism for 'oiled bowel'?
Paul Burke
Any connection to the Scottish 'fou' meaning drunk, or could it be a spoonerism for 'oiled bowel'?
Paul Burke
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[nq:2]I wonder if two images have become confused - owl and fowl. An old fowl would need a lot of boiling to edible[/nq]
[nq:1]Any connection to the Scottish 'fou' meaning drunk, or could it be a spoonerism for 'oiled bowel'?[/nq]
I believe the Scots word is "fu'" (sc. "full"), although the apostrophe is sometimes omitted.
Odysseus
[nq:1]Any connection to the Scottish 'fou' meaning drunk, or could it be a spoonerism for 'oiled bowel'?[/nq]
I believe the Scots word is "fu'" (sc. "full"), although the apostrophe is sometimes omitted.
Odysseus
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[nq:2]My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter ... be a euphemism for 'drunk' either... Thanks for any enlightenment.[/nq]
[nq:1]I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes ... many bizarre expressions for drunkenness (including comparisons to animals) that I wonder if they're deliberately m
[nq:1]I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes ... many bizarre expressions for drunkenness (including comparisons to animals) that I wonder if they're deliberately m
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[nq:2]My dearly departed maternal grandfather was oft heard to utter ... be a euphemism for 'drunk' either... Thanks for any enlightenment.[/nq]
[nq:1]I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes ... many bizarre expressions for drunkenness (including comparisons to animals) that I wonder if they're deliberately m
[nq:1]I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as a boiled owl" (early 1880s). The origin's uncertain but he quotes ... many bizarre expressions for drunkenness (including comparisons to animals) that I wonder if they're deliberately m
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[nq:2]I haven't noticed the expression. Partridge gives "Drunk as aboiled ... that I wonder if they're deliberately madeup to be impenetrable.[/nq]
[nq:1]Perhaps they're made up by people too drunk to know what they're saying? OED contributes: "boiled: c. Intoxicated. slang. Also ... synonymous with or circumlocutory for 'drunk', boiled. 1940 'H. Pentecost' 24th Horse (1951) v. 45 He's boiled
[nq:1]Perhaps they're made up by people too drunk to know what they're saying? OED contributes: "boiled: c. Intoxicated. slang. Also ... synonymous with or circumlocutory for 'drunk', boiled. 1940 'H. Pentecost' 24th Horse (1951) v. 45 He's boiled
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[nq:1]And somewhere in Stalky Kipling gives us "as screwed as an owl". I wonder why owls, in a competitive strand of somethingography so wise, are also incapable? As it were: "Dash it, Pongo, you owl! That was my bally foot!"[/nq]
I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it.
Owls were considered wise because the Little Owl nested in the temple of Athene, goddess of
I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it.
Owls were considered wise because the Little Owl nested in the temple of Athene, goddess of
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[nq:2]And somewhere in Stalky Kipling gives us "as ... "Dash it, Pongo, you owl! That was my bally foot!"[/nq]
[nq:1]I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it. Owls were considered wise because the ... write Little Owl or little owl for the species. Neither seems satisfactory.) Owls aren't actually very bright as birds go.[/nq]
Well, dur. Owl couldn't even master the s
[nq:1]I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it. Owls were considered wise because the ... write Little Owl or little owl for the species. Neither seems satisfactory.) Owls aren't actually very bright as birds go.[/nq]
Well, dur. Owl couldn't even master the s
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[nq:2]And somewhere in Stalky Kipling gives us "as ... were: "Dash it, Pongo, you owl! That wasmy bally foot!"[/nq]
[nq:1]I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it.[/nq]
I think it must predate Billy B, who's a 20C character. But Partridge's earliest meaning is "prostitute", and he doesn't give the "silly clot" meaning.
Mike.
[nq:1]I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something to do with it.[/nq]
I think it must predate Billy B, who's a 20C character. But Partridge's earliest meaning is "prostitute", and he doesn't give the "silly clot" meaning.
Mike.
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[nq:2]I expect the Fat Owl of the Remove had something ... seems satisfactory.) Owls aren't actually very bright as birds go.[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, dur. Owl couldn't even master the simple notice, such as: PLES RING IF AN RNSER IS REQIRD PLEZ CNOKE IF AN RNSR IS NOT REQID which had to be written out by Christopher Robin. Owl could only manage "Wol".[/nq]
A canard. Bthuthdy. CDB
[nq:1]Well, dur. Owl couldn't even master the simple notice, such as: PLES RING IF AN RNSER IS REQIRD PLEZ CNOKE IF AN RNSR IS NOT REQID which had to be written out by Christopher Robin. Owl could only manage "Wol".[/nq]
A canard. Bthuthdy. CDB
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