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Maria Conlon
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:45 am
Post subject: Re: an expression meaning to sleep in an improper place? |
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Jeffrey Turner wrote:
| Quote: | Nate Branscom wrote:
Ray wrote:
I remember there is an expression from British English which means
to sleep in an improper place, e.g. not in bed, but on the floor of
the living room. But I cannot recall what is it.
Could anyone please help me?
This is an interesting question. Like TOF, I thought of 'crash', but
it didn't really apply to your definition. As a Leftpondian, I'm
curious as to the word here (if not the same), myself. Hmmm.
Never heard of a term in AmE, maybe we just don't stand on
ceremony when it comes to sleeping?
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Without looking it up: "Crash," in the sense being discussed here,
probably started out in the 1960s or 1970s in the US. I associate it --
time-wise -- with the hippie movement. I haven't heard it used much in
the past 15 years or so.
I've also heard "sack out" when sleeping somewhere other that one's own
bed.
--
Maria Conlon, resident of southeast Michigan, near Detroit.
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R H Draney
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 3:50 am
Post subject: Re: an expression meaning to sleep in an improper place? |
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Blue Hornet filted:
| Quote: |
Ray wrote:
I remember there is an expression from British English which means to
sleep in an improper place, e.g. not in bed, but on the floor of the
living room. But I cannot recall what is it.
Maybe what you mean is "with your best friend's (brother's, boss's,
etc.) wife"? (Or with your best friend--not that there's anything
wrong with that...)
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Or "in the subway, darlin'"....r |
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Evan Kirshenbaum
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:32 am
Post subject: Re: an expression meaning to sleep in an improper place? |
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R H Draney <dadoctah@spamcop.net> writes:
| Quote: | Assuming "flop" comes from "flophouse", the latter must have been
pretty well-known to have spun off the former by (say) 1927....r
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It first shows up in the _LA Times_ in 1926:
Eller is leader of the dominant Republican faction in the
Twentieth Ward [of Chicago], which is bounded by the Chicago River
and the Madison-street "flophouse district," and which contains
part of the Ghetto and the city's "badlands." [9/4/1926]
The OED cites it to 1923, labeled "orig. U.S.".
--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
HP Laboratories |I value writers such as Fiske.
1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |They serve as valuable object
Palo Alto, CA 94304 |lessons by showing that the most
|punctilious compliance with the
kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |rules of usage has so little to do
(650)857-7572 |with either writing or thinking
|well.
http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ | --Richard Hershberger
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