Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Rags n stuff

This is our good friends Don & Evelyn when we met for catfish a few days ago!


I just got chewed out by a good friend who likes to get in my case. It is 9:01 where is the BLOG!!
Here it is Evelyn!!! Don’t throw anything else!!!

I wrote a book called Rags. Just finished the manuscript for Sgar. Notice the same letters in the word.
But growing up we used the word rag a lot. What do you call the thing you wash dishes with? Mama always called it a ‘dish rag’ that is what I call it. Sherry did too but she is trying to upgrade me to call it a dish cloth. I took a bath with a wash rag. What do you all call them?
Since the early settlers it has been called wash rags and dish rags, because that is what they used. Wonder why what we dried with was always called a towel. I believe for awhile we called it a dry rag, I think. But it quickly went to a drying towel.
Mama never handed me anything to dry with after my bath and called it a dry rag. It was always a towel.
I remember the dirty thing I remember, when a girl was snippy or snide, some boy would say she is on the_____. Well I had to grow up before I found out what they meant. Now I know.

Paper towels were invented in 1907. But my mama never used one in the kitchen until the late 50’s. When folks get old they save the used paper towels and reuse them. I ain’t saying I do, just saying.
WE do improve on our language as we go along. And I will admit the joke I heard when I was a kid ain’t funny now, the one where the daddy says,”Git that dish rag and clean that kids nose, can’t you see it is running!” For some reason that was funny when I was ten.


Okay enough. Our language changes. I also will have to admit that Dish clothe sounds better than dish Rag. And Wash cloth sounds better than wash rag. But now they are not rags (but not in allcases, sometimes I love the worn out wash cloth).
Thanks for coming by the log (The best I could do on short notice Evelyn!)
Nite Shipslog
PS:
I know I'm not going to understand women. I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,


and still be afraid of a spider.


A Will Rogers quote from my last book:
There are two theories of winning an argument with a woman.


Neither work.

8 comments:

Paula said...

We used the word rag a lot too growing up. I try to change but the word slips back in sometime. As for paper towels I always used one to dry my iron skillet and would stuff it in the silverware slot of my dish drainer to use again but don't tell anyone.

Fred Alton said...

LoL! Jack, you may be interested to know that you helped wake me up this morning...talking about Rags, and rags, and paper substitutes! I have never saved a paper towel to use the second time - but after reading your blog and Paula's comment, I'm considering it. :D It makes sense. I only used it to dry my hands on once. Just lay it up right, and in a couple hours, bingo! Like a new one. Of course that one I use to spread oil onto the iron skillet will just have to go.

Lucy said...

It was dishrag and washrag in our house aND EVery so often it still slips out. I am finding it more difficult ti read Gracefully Grasping for Dignity, because I keep getting stuck. Me that has lost every member of her family and thought she new it all. I find myself digging in my heels when it comes to writing our own obituary, yet I know I should AND jOE ESpECIALLY BECAUSE my kids no nothing about his family and they will be the one to take care of all the things. We have our burial space but the caskets will have to come out of the insurance money. Have been meaning to mention that to you. Strange part of it is I dig in my heels but keep on reading and all of a sudden something else pops up and I have to reconcile with that. Good sensible book and I will get through it and take the advice. They all know how we feel about nursing h0mes They are necessary in some cases and I know from experience of watching my sisters and my son for a short tiome it is not what I want but I will not live with any of the kids so there they have it.

Helen said...

It was always rag when I was growing up. I have now graduated to cloths LOL. Now when I am cooking I lay a paper towel on the cabinet and use it several times on my hands. After all your hands are supposed to be clean after washing them Right? I am picky. I wash my hands a lot while cooking. Helen

Anonymous said...

WAY BACK FROM MY YOUTH CAN REMEMBER WHEN DAD TOLD MOTHER AND THE OLDER GIRLS TO NEVER USE SOAP TO WASH THE SKILLET. JUST BOIL WATER IN IT AND WIPE IT DRY WITH A RAG. THEN RUB IT WITH HOG LARD TO PREVENT RUSTING.

OF COURSE BACK THEN THERE WAS NO 'DETERGENT'. WE USED HOME MADE LYE SOAP.
MUCH 'WELL WATER' WAS 'HARD WATER', MEANING THERE WERE CHEMICALS IN THE WATER CAUSING DIFFICULTY WHICH WAS HELPED SOMEWHAT BY USING THE POTENT LYE SOAP.
DAD HAD A HEAVY BLACK BEARD AND USED RAINWATER FROM THE OUTSIDE BARREL UNDER THE EAVE OF THE HOUSE WHEN SHAVING WITH A 'STRAIT RAZOR' (not many of those seen nowadays).
SOMETHING RECENTLY DISCOVERED BY ME, USE A RAG TO DAMPEN THE FACE WITH VINEGAR BEFORE APPLYING SHAVING CREAM. SOFTENS WHISKERS. WISH HAD KNOWN THAT SEVENTY YEARS AGO. sam

Anonymous said...

If translated into German it returns countless words out of which I do know/use five.
How nice also to read that the usage of it seems to be the same all over the world.
Please have you two a wonderful Friday.

Debbie said...

I still call it dish rags & wash rags and some of my towels are rags cause I use stuff till it can't be used anymore. Gotta get my money's worth outta that stuff, lol.

Love ya'll
Debbie

Terri said...

I call it dishrags and washrags on occasion still, growing up that is what we always called them.

Mom isn't joking Jack, she will wear something out completely before she uses something new..LOL Please tell her to get out that meat slicer we got them 2yrs ago and quit saving it for Lord knows what...LOL and also the brand new silverware we bought them years ago...and brand new BBQ utensils...i'm sure there is more... she is saving it all for a rainy day I suppose...but we bought those things for them to use.... help me out here....LOL She is just like my Grandma was, I try to tell her live in the moment...use the gifts you are given...tomorrow is never promised...get my moneys worth out of that stuff...HAHAHA!

Hugs
Terri