Strine Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Quite often, I'm questioned here as to whether it is in fact English that we Australians speak. We do really. It's the isolation; our language has evolved differently.... a bit like how come our indigeneous rabbits evolved into animals with really long tails and bound around on there back legs :wink: What we might consider to be common usage has a lot of other English speakers scratching their heads. The 'ocky strap' instance immediately springs to mind. Anyway, what I thought might be of interest is a collection of common terms, phrases or cliches (I hate that word it's such an annoying cliche) that trace their roots to Blacksmithing. Forging ahead or Forging a link are obvious. This is common ground I reckon and sidesteps the language barriers. So how about it, strike while the iron's hot and make an addition :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Fox Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Don't fly off the handle or loose your temper mate (temper-mate = temperment?), someone will chime in (ring the anvil for a striker). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don A Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Too many irons in the fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yesteryearforge Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 hit it fair and square Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 "strike while the iron is hot"edited: Oops... Missed this one already, Strine. Somebody get me some coffee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimG Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Edit: one of the two entries under consideration and removed for now. Post deleted by Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted September 1, 2005 Share Posted September 1, 2005 Slack tub used to be "slake" so that is where you could 'slake your thirst'. I'd also heard somewhere that "face down" came from the smithy - probably when the smith drank some of that good old honey mead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted September 1, 2005 Author Share Posted September 1, 2005 I'd have to be pretty thirsty to drink out of my slake tub but I get the drift H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike-hr Posted September 2, 2005 Share Posted September 2, 2005 After forging a long piece that ended up crooked and bent, lay on the anvil, look for spaces, and "Beat the daylights out of it". Eventually it ends up straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 This one may or may not have come from blacksmithing, so if it came from some other source I trust no one will get "all bent out of shape over it" :mrgreen: anvillain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 How about " Going at it hammer and tongs" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted September 6, 2005 Author Share Posted September 6, 2005 Not to put too fine a point on it Anvillian, and without hammering out the details it's a fair bet if 'it' was all bent it'd end up at the smith for repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 Have really enjoyed this thread... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6013 Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 Back in the days of the Roman Empire, the famous Emperor Nero instituted a new game. The players would take those little disks you set your glass on in order to protect the furniture, and see who could get the most distance rolling them across the floor. Back in those days, the disks were made of iron, and they would bet on whose disk would roll the farthest. They called them ferrous wheels. They are first roller coasters. Ferrous wheel for the iron rim wearing surface on the outside of the wooden wheel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 That's interesting because I thought a fellow named George Ferris designed/invented one for the Chicago World's Fair (the big one - with seats - so people could ride it)... However, I like "ferrous wheel" better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Thomas Posted September 6, 2005 Share Posted September 6, 2005 Okay, now we're going to have to ask Glenn to open up yet another section: "Extra Silly" rolling coasters, ferrous wheels, Mary: go round... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted September 7, 2005 Author Share Posted September 7, 2005 Fair Go H no point spoiling a good yarn with some well founded research. I like it heaps and the explanation wasn't too drawn out either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 It just shows what a wonderful medium the English language is! I doubt that any other language has so many opportunities for humorously misconstruing what was originally said nor so many ways of saying the same thing. It can be so personalized that its almost as if each person has his own dialect. I have been "smitten" by the clever replies. Anvillain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 I found an old grindstone in the dirt floor of my grandads old shed the other day. It was worn down to about 13" diameter. I guess a lot of neighbors that came by must have had an "axe to grind" Anvillain According to the "born loser" the future isn't what it used to be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogvalley Posted September 23, 2005 Share Posted September 23, 2005 I have been told that "Get the blues" is from the smithy. Never hammer iron into the blue for sure. Spawned a whole lot of blues related culture if true. Anyone know the etymology of that phrase? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted September 25, 2005 Share Posted September 25, 2005 Some folks think a Forgery is a fake but we of course know different. Forged (especially hand forged ) makes for strong, elegant , superior merchandise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted September 25, 2005 Author Share Posted September 25, 2005 Froggy. Maybe "the blues" comes from how sad you get when you grind a favourite tool to blue...stuffing the temper in the process. I wonder if it's related to upset Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anvillain Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I was caused to remember another saying that was no doubt attributed to smithing: "A chain is no stronger than its weakest link." As I had an elderly log chain come apart between tractor and mulberry stump. Anvillain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Crabtree Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 this one is so often over looked as a blacksmithing term used in every day life. Im suprised that since I chimed in so late no one got it but I thought of it today at a demonstration.... Red Hot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted October 3, 2005 Author Share Posted October 3, 2005 Here that'd be a RHG... He gave it a red hot go. Usually used to describe a valiant but unsuccessful attempt at something. As you've probably noticed, down here it could mean a couple of things. As is often the case the context is paramount in understanding strine. Red hot could describe an exclaimation that's just a bit too unbelievable. He was 8' tall....that's a bit red hot. Or it could be used to describe something good, She was red hot....a prime example of the female form I wonder why none of the above has any reference to something either red or hot. She might be a little too red hot...too hot to handle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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