I Will Beat You With a Stick and Sell You to the Gypsies
We parents have our own special language don’t we? I often threaten to beat my kids with a stick. And of course, it’s only funny because I haven’t so much as spanked them since they were toddlers.
My mom used to tell me all the time she was going to sell me to the gypsies. I’d never heard anyone else say that – ever – until a few weeks ago when I found this. Now, if you don’t know Dooce, you’re supposed to. I didn’t know I was supposed to like her, but how could I not? Gypsy selling and all.
In case you don’t know it, I’m a big geek for knowing how expressions, idioms, and other odd sayings originated. If you can help me trace the beginnings of threatening selling kids to gypsies, I’ll be forever in your debt!
PS – If I have a choice, I want to be sold to Johnny Depp. He’s a gypsy, right?
by Lela Davidson on May 12, 2008
in Uncategorized
My mom used to always tell us if we misbehaved we would have to sell “The Grit”. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it was a little newspaper sold door-to-door in small towns. It had news, comics, stories and stuff in it. It always seemed there was some poor, pitiful looking kid selling it. After they left our door, my mom would look at my sister and I and shake her head, saying, “See? That child has been bad. He/she probably even broke something that belonged to his/her mother.” I lived in fear of having to sell the Grit, I tell ya!
Oh Sister… I will sell MYSELF to Johnny Depp!
Big Dooce fan! She says all the dirty little things we are thinking. But of course, a BIG Lela fan, too!
So, beat me with a stick and sell me to the gypsies!
My grandmother used to tell me when I was grumpy that I looked like I had a “fart stuck sideways.”
I must remember to use this expression when my child is old enough to understand it. :)
Our mother told us about the boogey man to get us to come home after dark. And when asked would describe him. No, you don’t need to know that part.
Barbara, SCARY!
I have told my 5 year old that I will sell her to the gypsies for a couple of years. She just recently asked me what were gypsies? And I admit I told her they ate children for dinner :)
Marlana, what do you suppose I could get for myself if I sold ME to the gypsies today? I’d go cheap.
Don’t forget about the “toy gleeper” He was a scary dude!