"Colder than a well digger's lunch bucket"
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
Eugene, Oregon
January 6, 2017 11:37am CST
@allknowing wrote the other day about their being "no dearth of expressions" in the language when it comes to expressing, for instance,surprise. I thought of the expression in my title when I stepped out the back door to hang my hummingbird feeders. It is a polite variation to one involving the well diggers posterior. I learned both growing up in Texas.
The expression is an apt one this morning. It is a brisk 15 degrees (-36.4C), weather station says "feels like 6" (-14.4 C), thanks to to a light breeze. Now, a freezing rain is predicted for a twelve hour period beginning Saturday night at 6. It will probably bring down more trees and cut power to many again.
I know, it is cold and snow in many of the places where you all live, and talking about the weather does no good at all, but, heck, it is kind of fun to find out it is colder somewhere else.
I do hope it's warmer where you live.
I do hope it's warmer where you live.16 people like this
16 responses
@JudyEv (326601)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Jan 17
I commented on the expression too as it wasn't one I'd heard. I know it's not very nice but I always feel a bit smug when I find out someone has worse weather. :) And just to prove my point, it's lovely here. We expect to get to about 25C which is very pleasant.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
Ohhh you are lucky then. Perhaps this mess will blow on by and not stop in Oregon, or probably not.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
@JudyEv, & @Allknowing Another old expression I heard growing up was "I'm busier than a one armed paper hanger." A "paper hanger" being someone who hangs wall paper in a house.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326601)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic That's a good one too. I don't think there is much wallpaper used now although I think it is still available. I'll have to think about whether there are any specifically Australian sayings like these.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
7 Jan 17
It was in the teens here in Texas last night @JamesHxstatic . My donkeys water tubs were frozen. At least the sun is out today but it's still only 26 degrees. The phrase I remember was "Coldern' a well diggers gizzard in July."
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
@nanette64 The Anna's Hummingbird is in the northwest year round, regardless of the cold. Here is a photo I took when I wrote about them.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
That is a great variation on the well digger's theme.
It is 26 here too and we have a mix of snow and freezing rain. Lovely combination. My hummingbird feeders freeze up and I ferry fresh ones out for them.
It is 26 here too and we have a mix of snow and freezing rain. Lovely combination. My hummingbird feeders freeze up and I ferry fresh ones out for them.1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
7 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic Yesterday I was having to go out every hour just to break up the ice in the donkeys tubs. What a pain. They probably weren't interested in drinking and I probably froze my butt off for nothing, but still. The hummingbirds are still hanging around?
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159936)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jan 17
Pretty day out here today. Nice blue sky with a temp of 10 degrees F. . That is up from 1 degrees this a.m.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159936)
• Boise, Idaho
7 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic .....And be causing a flood.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
@celticeagle No doubt, here and in California as well.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
I like the sun even when it is cold, but that stuff on the ground will soon be gone I hope.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118795)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jan 17
I just looked at our forecast for here in Florida, and it is going to get down to 28 degrees tonight! That's very, very unusual for Florida. We only average 13 days a year where the temperature drops below freezing. And it looks like the next three nights our temps will be below freezing.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118795)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic Yes. Whenever there is a hard freeze our citrus crops are in danger. But usually when the farmers know there is a hard freeze coming, they will run the irrigation systems all night so that the water freezes on the trees. The layer of ice then protects the citrus from getting damaged. In places where irrigation is not an option (or is limited), they'll put out big space heaters or even burn old tires to help generate warmth to protect the trees.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
@moffittjc I remember smudge pots in California. Old tires are a bad form of pollution I think.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
That is amazing. Are citrus crops in danger where you live?
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21745)
• Canada
6 Jan 17
It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
That expression is not X rated.
It refers to the brass ring that contained the cannon balls to keep them from rolling away.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Jan 17
Really? I never knew that, always thought it was meant another way. If I had a metal monkey today, I would bring it in. I see what you mean about the bad word thing. It would not let me say the metal word.
@Morleyhunt (21745)
• Canada
6 Jan 17
That took me two attempts. Mylot thought I was using a bad word.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21745)
• Canada
6 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic most people are not aware of the true meaning of that phrase. When the brass ring contracts because of the cold the cannon balls scatter on the ground.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Jan 17
I suppose that you get a lot of snow there? By the way, we watched a really great series (first season) from Norway called Nobel.
1 person likes this
@martypaarty (78)
• Norway
6 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic I live in the west in Norway so down here there's no snow, just cold, rainy and very windy. It's autumn all year round, and I've watch that series too! It's really good :-)
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Jan 17
@martypaarty We can hardly wait to see more. The writing, acting, all were excellent and much better than most of our own programs in the US.
@allknowing (130292)
• India
6 Jan 17
It would be interesting to know the origins of that expression! In fact every expression starts somewhere.
It is colder than usual but no snow and that will never happen
In fact every expression starts somewhere.
It is colder than usual but no snow and that will never happen1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
I suppose it started when some well digger, far down in a damp hole complained about his rear end being cold, not to mention his lunch bucket.
@divalounger (5849)
• United States
12 Jan 17
Well brr! We have been cold down here in the bay area as well this winter, but nothing like you!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Jan 17
We finally warmed up enough to melt the snow and ice here, but in Portland, where my daughter lives, there was 8 or ten icnes of snow last night and today (100 miles north).
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 Jan 17
You have used some along the way, I'll bet.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
I tire quickly of the inconvenience that snow/ice causes in the valley, the accidents too.
@Morethanamom (1948)
• Canada
6 Jan 17
Not much warmer here. Last I checked it was hanging out at 16F, with a feel of 1F. The entire weekend will be similar. Monday we will be closer the freezing.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
6 Jan 17
I am reminded of a billboard I say when I was a kid. One turkey saying to the other, "do you dread winter?"
It is not a pleasant season for me.
1 person likes this
@Morethanamom (1948)
• Canada
6 Jan 17
@JamesHxstatic Not for me either. I wish I could hibernate.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29360)
• Eugene, Oregon
7 Jan 17
You are welcome. I mentioned another that came to mind below, but will share it with you here: "Busy as a one-armed paper hanger." (One who hangs wall paper)
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
6 Jan 17
I've never heard that expression before.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40246)
• United States
12 Jan 17
Lol! I have never heard that expression
1 person likes this
