Can’t believe a month has passed. Sorry for not writing here. Too busy caring for others and editing on my next novel, which is almost done!
First last clichés:
Fire(d) away – Go ahead. Say what you need to say. Ask whatever. Fire away refers to a gun loaded to the muzzle, dates from early days of firearms and transferred to other proceedings by the 18th century. See Frederick Marryat, Poor Jack, 1775.
Work your fingers to the bone – Work extremely hard. This is a hyperbole – image of working the flesh and skin off one’s fingers. Dates from 19th century. 18th century used to work like a horse. Some 19th century exaggerators stated to work like a galley-slave.
Let’s get down to brass tacks – Arrive at the heart of the matter. Some believe the late 19th century terms comes from Cockney rhyming slang for hard facts. Another source is the American general store, where a counter top was marked with brass tacks at one-yard intervals for measuring cloth, and getting down to brass tacks meant measuring precisely. Or this theory that in upholstered furniture, brass tacks were used to secure the undermost cloth, and to reupholster properly one had to strip the furniture to that layer. A mid-20th century American synonym is to get down to the nitty-gritty, alluding to the detailed (nitty) and unpleasant (gritty) facts of the case. This term was borrowed from black English, where it signified the anus and alluded to picking body lice (nits) from that body part. This association had been mostly forgotten by the time the term was popularized by the 1964 hit song “The Nitty Gritty” by Shirley Ellis.
So how many did you get correct?
Thinking off the top of my head I thought I’d written a blog post mid-September. Guess I thought about it, but didn’t get it posted. I definitely won’t make the grade for blogging on a consistent basis. However, I won’t make excuses, but I have been gone quite a bit and am editing like crazy on my second novel and working on my third.
I’m posting this blog one for the road. Yes, I’m heading out once again and will be gone til mid-November. I won’t make any promises, but I will try to blog while gone. First week, won’t happen-no internet. Second week, all I can do is try.
Why should I blog on a regular basis? To keep up a fan base, and to keep writing! Writing is my world and it makes me feel so much better when I write. Keeping up this blog is also writing, so that’s why it should happen, and I like imparting writing knowledge to others. So, I will try to blog more often.
How many times have you said this? Several for me. All one can do is their best. Barring life getting in the way, I will write! Hope you will too. Write a little every day and it will all add up. So….
Keep Writing!!!
