Friday, December 12, 2008

Random Word Facts- The Tinker Really Was Swearing!

I'm such a geek.  This is getting addictive.  

After Michelle's comment about toeing (not towing) the line, I thought I'd add something about a tinker's dam.  I'd read something about how a tinker used a bit of clay to help him "flood with solder" the metal he was repairing.  The clay would be useless afterwards and so you have a useless dam. 

I remember laughing once when someone wrote about a "tinker's darn".

According to the folks at this website, however, tinkers were known for their cursing.  (My father always talked about cursing like a one-eyed carpenter.  He had to explain the whole one eye, no depth perception, mashed fingers part to me.)  Long before there was talk of a clay dam, there were expressions like "tinker's curse".   Apparently, tinkers had a wide and varied vocabulary after all.

Oh well.  I liked the "dam" story better- it gave you something to talk about.  


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