People who are well-read like to try out new words and phrases. This is beacause trying out new words and phrases is good nerdy fun, and also because it is satisfying to have the crowd go "oooooh."
I am not well-read, but I still like trying out new words and phrases. For a while I thought it was funny to say, about people who were not interested, that they "couldn't give a wet fart."
Unfortunately, that made the other trustees on the school board think I was vulgar and unrestrained, so I had to stop. I still sometimes talk like that in private, though.
Not in that kind of private. Now you are the vulgar one. Go eat some soap and try to think of gentle and pleasant things, like daffodils.
Now, back to trying out new words and phrases.
Doing the sort of reading I like to do, I often encounter the phrase "drop trou." Here it is used in a sentence:
"When the bells rang, the vicar dropped trou and showed the congregation his date."
To drop trou is to unbuckle one's buckle and to unzip one's zipper and to lower one's waistband to somewhere around the ankles. It may or may not involve mooning. So you can see why "dropping trou" is a really super useful expression.
A few weeks ago I used the expression out loud for the first time.
"Look at that guy on the dock," I said, "It think he's about to drop troo and jump in the water."
"Haw!" said the assembled throng. "That's 'trow,' you brainless wonder, not 'troo.'"
"No," I said.
"Yep," said the assembled throng.
"It's just my Canadian accent."
"No, you are a brainless wonder."
"Rats."
...
Today, I appeal to you, the internet public. How about we all begin to pronounce it "troo"? We will all find the change immensely satisfying.
Why should we all consider this? Well, once upon a time there was a bawdy song about a kilted Scotsmen and the lassies who asked him where his troosers were. It was a very good song indeed and it made everyone happy.
Then some brainless wonders decided it was too obscure for the US public and changed it, in their recording of the song, to "trousers."
It is payback time. Are you with me, internet public?
Posted by Bret at October 24, 2003 01:05 PM
Comments from you, the internet public:
I am with you. Especially as the Scots pronunciation "trou" is a homonym of the french word for "hole" which adds the richness of double entendre to the whole expression. Double double entendre should the fairer sex choose to "drop trou."
Posted by GORSHT at October 27, 2003 04:26 PMRight, drop troo it is. I just read the expression for the first time in a note someone sent me. On looking it up in google, yours was the first site I clicked on to find out what it means. I am grateful for your excellent explanation and, being a fellow Canadian, I feel I should support you, if not your troosers. Eh?
Posted by Maureen at May 2, 2005 02:47 PMPost a comment of your own:
Sir, I think it was the brainless thongs that caused all the problem. Brainless thongs are sometimes a pain in the butt. Andy Stewart, the grrrrrreat Scots balladeer made this immortal piece of music well known. Others tried to make it immoral. I happen to have the original recording, on a 45 RPM plastic disc, if you can believe it. Where is the Antique Road Show when we need it?
I also have other fine music by the same artist. One of the songs is the heartfelt rendition called, "The Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre." It brings tears to my eyes as I think abooot it. Translated into Canajun it means the cleansing of George's cowshed.
I hope you have immense success with your project. I cannot send money, because I am quite frugal, McDougal. That is pronounced froogal as in McDoooogal, not fruggal as in McDuggal. I think we should have a Royal Commission to investigate the influence of the Kelps and the Saxophones, on proper syntax and diction.
Sincerely
Noswad
Posted by Noswad at October 24, 2003 08:20 PM