A Lick and a Promise - Democratic Underground

Sporadicus

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Thu Mar-03-05 10:28 PM
Original message

A Lick and a Promise

Have any of you ever heard an old-time expression, 'a lick and a promise,' meaning that someone gave a room a half-assed cleaning? One of my coworkers, who is 65, used that expression today when he described the janitor's not-so-great attempt at cleaning our lab yesterday. He said, 'looks like she just gave us a lick and a promise.' For some reason it struck me as silly - and vaguely risqué. When I saw him again a couple of hours later, I cracked up again. I'm sure he thinks I'm losing it.
:silly:

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Jamastiene

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:10 PM
Response to Original message

1. Oh, I could go there

I'm trying to be good tonight though. A promise to lick later would be nice. Oh well, so much for being clean and nice tonight. :P

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Sporadicus

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:23 PM
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2. It's One of Those Phrases

that's wide-open to interpretation, for sure! It was truly amusing to hear these words come from a very proper, older, gentleman-type guy. I actually saw him blush once when a guy dropped the f-bomb after smacking his thumb with a hammer.

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Solly Mack

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:24 PM
Response to Original message

3. It's an old Irish saying

and I've heard it all my life

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Sporadicus

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:30 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. I Had Heard It Too

but not for a very, very long time. It's a big surprise to hear a phrase like that just 'out of the blue.' As I related in another post in this thread, it probably wouldn't have struck me as quite so humorous, except the fellow who said it is very proper and wouldn't say 'shit' if he had a mouthful!

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Elidor

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:28 PM
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4. One of my favorites, which had me giggling uncontrollably:

Someone said of a stupid person, "That boy couldn't pull a greased string out of a cat's ass."

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Sporadicus

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Thu Mar-03-05 11:31 PM
Response to Reply #4

6. I Like That One!

It's a keeper :evilgrin:

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trof

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Fri Mar-04-05 10:52 AM
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7. A lick and a promise:

Haven't heard that in a long time.
I'm 63.
My granny used to say it.
Basically, when she didn't have time to do a through cleaning/dusting job on something like the dining room table.
She'd give the top a "lick", one swipe with the dustcloth, and a mental "promise" to come back and do a more thorough job later.

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LDS Jock

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Fri Mar-04-05 10:56 AM
Response to Original message

8. my mom used to say it

she had all kinds of expressions, some I can't use here due to trying to be PC.

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