More trouble than they are worth?

 

May 16, 1931 - I worked like the dickens cleaning up the house today.  Washed and ironed my school clothes.  Ralph and I went to Hoskins to the dance tonite.  Some girls from Grand Island played and how they played!  There wasn't as big a crowd as I thought there would be, but I had a good time anyway.
May 17, 1931 - Momma and I walked down town this morning to get my slippers.  Ralph came up about 11:00 and we went out to Aunt Mary's with him.  Alice and I had a nice long walk, we picked violets and saw lots of new birds.  It rained a little bit around supper time.  Ralph took me back to Wayne tonite.
May 18, 1931 - It was trying to rain this morning but quit the middle of the forenoon.  Helen Hanson took me home this afternoon.  At supper tonite Uncle Chris said that after Ralph left last nite, a wheel came off of his car.  It happened about 2 blocks from Uncle Chris!  Ralph went up there and got him to help put it back on. The car wasn't hurt any.

I have had a few adventures with cars in my day, but I must admit I never had a wheel fall off.  Nice for Ralph that it happened not too far from someone who would help.

Has anyone ever wondered about the term "the dickens"?  I hadn't until just now.  This is what I found:

     This phrase has nothing to do with Charles Dickens. Dickens is a euphemism, specifically a minced-oath, for the word devil, possibly via devilkins. Shakespeare used it in 'the Merry Wives of Windsor, 1600:  I cannot tell what the dickens his name is my husband had him of.

 

I am glad the explanation is clear, because the Shakespeare quote leaves me scratching my head a bit.

 

I had to look up "minced oath", although after doing so, the actual definition seems a bit obvious.  Here for your reading pleasure is a long list of minced oaths so that you know what you are actually meaning when you say some of these phrases.  You are welcome.

 

    The English, being a restrained lot, have a long list of euphemistic phrases, many of which became part of the language before it spread to other parts of the world. The root cause of these is a wish to communicate without being explicit. This is something the English are particularly fond of, hence their long tradition of double-entendre comedy.

     Minced oaths are a sub-group of euphemisms used to avoid swearing when expressing surprise or annoyance. If you hit your thumb with a hammer when great aunt Edith is in the room what do you say? It's probably going to be a minced oath. Shakespeare might have resorted to 'gadzooks' (God's hooks - referring to the nails in the cross), we might try 'shoot' or 'freaking heck'.

     They are usually, although not exclusively, religious in nature and date from the days when it wasn't acceptable to use the name of God, Jesus or other religious notables in everyday speech. To mince your words, or mince matters, means to choose words so as not to offend anyone. Some example are 'Jiminy Cricket' (Jesus Christ), 'dagnamit' (God damn it'), 'for Pete's sake' (for St. Peter's sake).

     It's interesting that, while we continue to generate new euphemisms, new minced oaths are few and far between. Perhaps that's because, while there are still taboos about discussing death, disability, homosexuality etc, the restrictions on swearing out loud when surprised or annoyed have slackened somewhat.

There are many examples:

Begorrah --> By God
Bejabbers --> By Jesus
Bleeding heck --> Bloody Hell
Blimey --> Blind me
Blinking heck --> Bloody Hell
By George --> By God
By golly --> By God's body
By gosh --> By God
By gum --> By God
By Jove --> By God
Cheese and Rice --> Jesus Christ  (I haven't heard this one before)
Chrissakes --> For Christ's sake
Christmas --> Christ
Cor blimey --> God blind me
Crikey --> Christ
Criminy --> Christ
Cripes --> Christ
Crivvens --> Christ defend us
Dad gum --> God damn
Dagnabbit --> God damn it
Dagnammit --> God damn it
Dang --> Damn
Dangnabbit --> God damn it
Dangnation --> Damnation
Darn --> Damn
Darnation --> Damnation
Doggone --> God damn
Drat --> God rot it
Egad --> A God
For crying out loud --> For Christ's sake
For Pete's sake --> For St. Peter's sake
For the love of Mike --> For St. Michael's sake
Gadzooks --> God's hooks
Gat Dangit --> God damn it
Gee --> Jesus
Gee whizz --> Jesus
Gee willikers --> Jesus
Godfrey Daniel --> God
Golly Gee willikers --> Jesus
Good garden party --> Good God
Good grief --> Good God
Goodness gracious --> Good God
Gorblimey --> God blind me
Gosh --> God
Gosh darned --> God damned
Heck --> Hell
Holy spit --> Holy sh*t
Jason Crisp --> Jesus Christ
Jebus --> Jesus
Jeepers Creepers --> Jesus Christ (I wouldn't have guessed this one)
Jeez --> Jesus
Jeezy Creezy --> Jesus Christ
Jehosaphat --> Jesus
Jiminy Christmas --> Jesus Christ
Jiminy Cricket --> Jesus Christ
Judas Priest --> Jesus Christ
Land sakes --> For the Lord's sake
Lawks a mercy --> Lord have mercy
My goodness --> My God
My gosh --> My God
Odds-bodkins --> God's sweet body
Sacré bleu --> Sang de Dieu (God's blood)
Sam Hill --> Hell
Shoot --> sh*t
Shucks --> sh*t
Strewth --> God's Truth
Suffering succotash --> Suffering Saviour
Sugar --> sh*t
Tarnation --> Damnation
What in Sam Hill? --> What in damn Hell?
Wish to goodness --> Wish to God
Zounds --> God's wounds

Abe Lincoln

May 28, 1931 - I went down to Florence's this morning and she finger-waved my hair.  Also cleaned out the storeroom above the kitchen.  I churned this afternoon.  It was rainy early this morning, but Martha got started anyway.
May 29, 1931 - Mother and I papered the pantry and the ceiling of the kitchen today.  And we were tired tonite!  The kitchen is in an awful mess.  We took the shelves down in the pantry and can't put them up until tomorrow.
May 30, 1931 - Memorial Day.  Ray didn't work today.  We went out to the cemetery early this morning.  Ray helped us put the shelves back up.  Uncle Max's were here this afternoon.  Dora, George, Meta, Lyle, Aunt Lena, Uncle Hans and Louis were here for supper.  Hilda stayed here all nite.  We four kids went to Wayne tonite and saw "Abraham Lincoln."  I stayed out to the farm with Florence.

Here's a somewhat embarrassing question.  In 1931, did Grandma and Grandma Anna and Uncle Ray live in the house I am most familiar with?  I ask because I am not sure what Grandma would call the pantry.  That cubbyhole on the back porch is the best I can come up with and I don't know that it would be called a pantry.

I copied below some information about the movie "Abraham Lincoln".  There are some tidbits in here that I will have to research a bit, just to satisfy my own curiosity.

     Abraham Lincoln, also released under the title D. W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln', is a (1930) biographical film about American president Abraham Lincoln directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Walter Huston as Lincoln and Una Merkel, in her second speaking role, as Ann Rutledge.

     The script was co-written by Stephen Vincent Benet, author of the Civil War prose poem "John Brown's Body". This was the first of only two sound films made by Griffith. The film was not a hit at the time, but in recent years it has come to be regarded as one of the definitive films on Lincoln.

     The first act of the film covers Lincoln's early life as a storekeeper and rail-splitter in New Salem and his early romance with Ann Rutledge, and his early years as a lawyer and his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd in Springfield. The majority of the film deals with Lincoln's presidency during the Civil War and culminates with Lee's surrender and Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater.

     The film covers some little known aspects of Lincoln's early life, such as his romance with Ann Rutledge, his depression and feared suicidal tendencies after her death, and his unexplained breaking off of his engagement with Mary Todd (although the film surmises that this was due to unresolved feelings over Ann Rutledge and adds a dramatic scene where Lincoln stands Mary up on their scheduled wedding day, which never happened).

     While the early scenes of Lincoln's life are remarkably accurate, much of the later scenes contain historical inaccuracies. The famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, in addition to the historically accurate topic of the extension of slavery, have been turned into an argument about secession. Lincoln was famously an underdog for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1860; in the film it is suggested he is the sole nominee as a result of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. The outbreak of the War seems to be the North firing on Charleston from Fort Sumter, rather than the other way around. Also, early in hostilities, General Winfield Scott is depicted as being overconfident of a quick victory (and something of a buffoon), when in reality he was one of the voices in the minority claiming the war would be long, costly, and bloody. He would also have been taller than Lincoln at 6'5". Finally, in the climax of the film, Lincoln delivers a conflation of famous words from the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 - just moments before being assassinated. This was Griffith's second portrayal of Lincoln's assassination, the first being in  "The Birth of a Nation."

 

 

Graduation

May 13, 1931 - I went down town from school today and got Ray a belt and buckle set for his graduation present.  Aunt Mary, Pearl, Wallace and I went to Winside before supper tonite.  Ray got his wristwatch from Aunt Nan today.  We all went to the Commencement exercises.  Ralph took me back to Wayne.  We stopped in at Schellenberg's awhile.
May 14, 1931 - Uncle Charlie came home last nite.  I walked down to the Court House with Tillie after school this afternoon.  I surely enjoy the noon hour in Tillie and Wilma's room.  They have a lot of fun with the other girls.
May 15, 1931 - Ray and Momma came after me this afternoon.  Tillie went home with us.  Harold Jensen walked down the street with us and carried Tillie's suitcase.  That helped a lot because the suitcase was heavy and it was so warm.

I remember some of my high school commencement.  Mostly going from playing in the band to singing in the chorus to sitting on the stage and waiting to be officially graduated.  Our speaker was our janitor, Walt Hamm.  I think he may have been retiring that year.  Quite a number of teachers left or retired that same time, also.  We weren't sure if they just couldn't stand the thought of being there without us or if we wore them out so much they couldn't help but leave.

I haven't done a bit of history in a while, but I just checked and in May of 1931, the construction of The Empire State Building was finished.  My favorite building in Manhattan is still The Flatiron Building however.  It was completed in 1902 and at the time was one of the tallest buildings in NYC.  Here's a photo.

The promised silliness

 

May 10, 1931 - Rainy all day.  Florence and Ralph came up about 11 o'clock, we played pinochle and then had dinner.  It took about 2 hours to do the dishes, but during those 2 hours much happened including being locked in the pantry, crawling in and out the windows, taking handles from cars, tooting horns, running away, and making soft taffy.  We went to the baccalaureate services tonite.  After that Ray, Ralph and I started for Wayne in Ray's Ford.  The lights burnt out so we're going tomorrow morning at 5 bells.
May 11, 1931 - We got up at 4 o'clock this morning and left for Wayne at 4:30.  We got to Wayne at 6 o'clock.  Oh what a ride and what roads!!  We had a blowout 1 1/4 miles from Winside and went the rest of the way on the rim.  Uncle Charlie went to Grand Island to some kind of convention.  Aunt Mary and I looked through her old samples and started piecing a quilt tonite.
May 12, 1931 - Pearl and Wallace came to Wayne tonite.  Wallace lost his job, they told him they'd be through with him the end of this week and he quit right away.  We made candy this evening.  It tasted good but didn't get hard.

Goodness -- no wonder it took two hours to do the dishes with all those shenanigans going on!  I am trying, somewhat successfully I might add, to imagine Grandma 19 years old and climbing out of windows and running around laughing and carrying on.  Fun stuff.

In case anyone is wondering, the reason to get up so early to go to Wayne was because that day was Monday and Grandma had to get to her classes.  That's my best guess, anyway.

Help, please.  Who is/are Pearl and Wallace?

I do not know who is in the photo with Grandma, but I thought it fit somewhat the time period of Grandma's journal.

A normal few days

May 7, 1931 - The weather has improved, a lot warmer today.  Francis took me home this afternoon and then downtown.  I got some new slippers in at Ahern's.  I'm not sure if I'm going to like them or not.  We had 5 o'clock supper at Aunt Mildred's tonite.  Mrs. Trumbar was there, too.  Momma called up after supper.  She said Ray wouldn't be after me tomorrow.  The kids went on their Sneak Day today.
May 8, 1931 - I left my books in Lila's locker until Monday, because I didn't want to carry them home in the rain.  Barbara took me home.  Jane wasn't in school this afternoon.  She's got a bad cold.  I went to Winside with Mrs. Lewis, Tillie and Wilma this afternoon.  The roads weren't very slippery.  Momma and I went to bed at 7:30 this evening.
May 9, 1931 - We're having a slow drizzily rain all day.  I started covering my box today.  This afternoon I baked a cake and made some doughnuts.  Ray and Annie went to Wayne this afternoon.  Mr. and Mrs. Schellenberg, Dora and George came up this evening.  Florence, Ralph and I went up to Brogren's.  They were surprised to see us.  We played "Pig" and "I Doubt It".  Lots of fun.  I got to bed about 1:30.  Roads were pretty bad but we got there and back.

 I can't seem to think of commentary to add here, so I won't add any. 

I am not sure of anyone other than Grandma in the photos but I am guessing they are from her college days.  Regardless, I thought I would post them.  I really like the collar and cuffs on Grandma's coat.  Very stylish!!

Happy days

May 4, 1931 - I came home for dinner today.  This afternoon I took my spring coat to the cleaners.  It started raining this afternoon and I had to walk halfway home in the rain.  Gildersleeves gave me a lift the rest of the way.  Aunt Mary, Uncle Charlie and I played 500 Rummy tonite.
May 5, 1931 - I walked downtown after school tonite with Francis, Illa, and Evelyn Larson.  Evelyn has absolutely no use for boys and the girls have a lot of fun teasing her.  I went home on the train tonite and went to see "Tea Topper Tavern", the Senior Class Play.  It was real good.  The kids knew their parts real well.
May 6, 1931 - I came back on the train this morning.  I wore my winter coat so it would warm up.  Jane took me home this afternoon.  Barbara, Lila and Florence were along.  We went down to Jones' and saw the line of dresses they have.

I attempted to find out something about Tea Topper Tavern and its plot.  I located some archived newspaper articles saying this or that high school was putting on that particular play, but nothing past 1935.  So, as much as Grandma enjoyed it, it must not have possessed the agelessness to allow it to be popular very long.  But, so long as she had fun.

I have not retained the date in my mind since I have much happier days to remember, but yesterday was eight years since Grandma died.  Here is a photo from her last birthday party.  She very much looks like she had fun that day as well.  I like to think that for some of us, she does possess an agelessness.  As most of us know, Grandma was not big on smiling broadly for posed photos, so this little smile warms my heart a lot.

They're back!

May 1, 1931 - Went home to Aunt Mary's for dinner today.  We had sauerkraut and dumplings.  Francis took me home this noon and Uncle Charlie took me back.  Barbara brought me home this afternoon.  We stopped down town and I got my suit.  We saw Ishmael Hughes.  The kids came up tonite and we went to the show, Wheeler and Woolsey in "Cracked Nuts."  And was it funny!  I got a letter from Mrs. Smith today and she thinks she has a place in view for me this summer.
May 2, 1931 - We cleaned up the house this morning.  Ray and Mother went to Norfolk tonite with Annie and Ola.  Ray went to the Junior-Senior Banquet at Hotel Norfolk.  After the banquet they all went to the show.  Ralph and I went to the dance at Hoskins.  We had a pretty good time.
May 3, 1931 - We went to church this morning.  Ralph was here for dinner and went home right after dinner.  We went up to Uncle Hans' with Annie and Ola.  Florence Schellenberg was up there a while, too.  Mother and Ray took me back to Wayne tonite.

I couldn't find a summary of the movie plot, but it is something akin to The Marx Brothers' "Duck Soup", a classic that I have not yet seen.  The one guy looks a lot like George Burns on the poster.

Other than the movie, we have some pretty normal stuff going on.  I will say, however, that there is some real silliness coming a few posts in to the future.