Why Would the Marines Want to Know?

Here's something you don't hear anymore:  "Tell it to the marines".  You may not have heard of it at all unless you're a big Lon Chaney fan and love his 1926 starring vehicle .... Tell It to the Marines.  The origin of this pithy phrase is found in the history of the British Royal Navy.  In the 1600's marines weren't sailors, they were landlubbers stationed on ships. What did they know?  Bupkiss.  So the actual sailors could tell the marines anything and the poor guys would believe it.  "Right, you shimmy on up the really tall pole there, that's where we keep the grog.  Keep going!  Almost there!"  The phrase came to be used as a rejoinder to anyone who recounted a big fat bag of lies.  Along the lines of, "No sir!".

Source:  Endangered phrases : intriguing idioms dangerously close to extinction / Steven D. Price.

Brand Spanking New Poetry

Remember poetry?  Roses are red, quoth the raven, the woods are lovely dark and deep.  That stuff you've heard since you were a kid.  Did you know they're still out there writing poetry?  And getting it published!  And people read it!  If you'd like to get your feet wet by reading a few poems by a few contemporary poets pick up Between water and song : new poets for the twenty-first century .  Here's a sample:

 "Hoodlum Birds" by Eugene Gloria. 

The fearless blackbirds see me again

at the footpath beside the tall grasses

sprouting like unruly morning hair...

I like that, sounds just like a country road in Iowa.  There may be blackbirds but not a rose or a raven in sight.

Don't Lose Your Marbles

Because they might be worth dollars and dollars!  Marbles are collectible you know.  And oh my stars and garters, they are bea-u-tiful!  Cool names for different kinds of marbles: 

Onionskin - archaeologists found one in an Irish 'privy' from 1850.  Do we really want to know that story?
Taws -  a type of carpet bowl.  A what?  Carpet bowls are ceramic and big - as large as 3.5 inches in diameter.  Guess what type of surface the game is played on.
Oxbloods - for their dark red color.  Only mildly creepy.
Clambroths - you're kidding, right?  Clambroths? Chicken broth not good enough? Clambroths have stripes of uniform thickness.  They bear no resemblance to a clam or a broth.

Source:  Collecting antique marbles : identification and price guide / Paul Baumann.
You might also like:  Marble mania / edited by Stanley A. Block.

Not Papa, Dada

You know the artistic movement Dadaism?  Me neither and it's not for lack of trying.  I've looked it up several times and the info just slides right out my ears.  One more time!  And ... well, no wonder.  Turns out Dadaism was more of a cultural and political movement, not just an artistic style.  The movement 'focused on decrying and satirizing the arrogant, commercial, military and political regimes relevant to World War I'.  Dada artists include Man Ray!  He's the guy who snapped a photograph of a woman's back and made it look like a cello.  Marcel Duchamp!  Totally heard of him.  'Readymades' were his forte.  He took industrial objects and made alterations - some minor - and voila, Art.  Remember the tower of vacuum cleaners (Jeff Koons "The New Shelton Wet/Dry Triple Decker) purchased by the Des Moines Art Center in the 1980's? I believe there was some controversy at the time over whether or not it was art. Sounds like Dada to me. 

Art in America, Jun/Jul2006, Vol. 94 Issue 6, p142-207, 12p.
Three books about Dadaism

Ode from Billy Joel

My friend sent me a list of songs written about famous people.  Some I already knew ... or did I?  Turns out Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" was composed in reference to Elle MacPherson, not Christie Brinkley.  Oh yeah, well who was in the video?  Take that, Elle!  And two women had two different songs written about them.  Pattie Boyd got "Something" while she was seeing George Harrison and "You Look Wonderful Tonight" from Eric Clapton when she dated him.  Then there's Rosanna Arquette.  She was with some guy from Toto and he wrote "Rosanna" about her.  Was she satisfied with that?  No.  She had to go and inspire one of the loveliest songs ever written, "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel.  I've enjoyed Rosanna Arquette in various movie and television productions.  And I think she's a good actress.   But who knew she was the most amazing woman that ever lived?

Music from:  Billy Joel    George Harrison     Eric Clapton    Toto     Peter Gabriel

Baseball Pandemonium

Ah, it was 103 years ago today.  I remember it like it was yesterday because I don't follow baseball so it's all the same to me.  The Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants!  It's the decisive game for the pennant race and in the bottom of the ninth the score is 1-1!  Giants are at bat with 2 men on! What happened!!!!!!! I hear you cry.  The batter hit a runner in, scoring the win!  Hurrrah!  But wait, sayeth the Cubs.  The guy on first base never went to second, he headed straight to the dugout!  We never got a chance to tag him out!  For one thing the crowd saw the runner in safe and Mr. First Base, hereinafter referred to as 'Merkle', head to the dugout.  The fans stormed the field, blocking the second baseman from reaching Merkle.  A few days later the game was declared a tie, a do-over was eventually played and the Cubs won 4-2.  I don't know anything about baseball, but I do know the Cubs are not going to give up a possible win lightly.

Source:  Chase's ... calendar of events.
Graphic source: COLLECTION:  Baseball Cards from the Benjamin K. Edwards Collection   Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Dues-y?

It's a doozy!   Meaning it's fantastic! Astounding!  Sweet! (A nod to you under-40 types.) According to the book Duesenberg by Dennis Adler, the term 'doozy' is derived from the name of the Duesenberg automobile because that car was so darn amazing.  If someone referenced the Duesenberg, you knew it was time to put on your party hat.  Adler's book even says The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum has trademarked the slogan "It's a Duesey".  Lest we forget.  Local bonus:  the car had its roots in Iowa where Fred D. built the first 'Duesenberg' - a gas powered motorcycle!  Because he was obsessed with bicycle racing and the pace horses were too slow.  Iowa is awesome.

More Duesenberg Books

Do You Walk it or Drink it?

Hey, a new dog breed!  Don't see them too often since I've always been fascinated by the unusual and fantastic breeds you only find at dog shows, which I love.  I want the happy dogs to win.  Anyhoo, meet the Basset Griffon Vendeen. Griffon means 'rough-coated'.  Cool.  At first I thought it might be that dog from the movie 'As Good As It Gets', but Verdell was tiny and a little weird-looking.  Verdell was a Brussels Griffon.  So no. Here's The Ultimate Dog Book's description of the new kid: "Basset Griffon Vendeen now comes in two sizes, the larger Grand, and the smaller Petit.  Both are extremely energetic, sparkling and affectionate animals..."  They now come in two sizes!  They sparkle! Could be a dog or a carbonated beverage.  So don't get confused when you go dog-shopping.

Books with overviews of lots of dog breeds.

Des Moines Streets Paved with ... What?

Des Moines surfaced streets with cedar blocks from 1882 to 1891.  I didn't think cedar was that tough.  It's not even a hardwood, ranking only 900 on the world-famous Janka Hardness Scale which goes all the way up to 3680.  (Brazilian Walnut, Ipe (?) and Lapacho, which appear to be the same tree, own the 3680 rating).  I guess you didn't have to worry about moths eating up your street.  Brick arived  in 1889.  Is there anything prettier than a brick street?  Practical, no.  Beautiful, yes. Then the modern era hit town.  In 1901 asphalt was applied to 21st St., and concrete slathered on 19th in 1907.  But I surely do wish I could have seen the cedar-paved streets.  Wonder if they smelled good.

Source: Des Moines Register 5/12/1950