May 29, by Etyman. Like many people, I have an account on the Facebook social network site. Including me. A recent discussion was on the derivation of the phrase piss poor. The suggested origin went as follows:. They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot, then once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery.
Piss And Vinegar | Definition of Piss And Vinegar by Merriam-Webster
Steinbeck was clearly pleased with the phrase although it is unlikely that he coined it himself and repeated the use of it in his better known novel The Grapes of Wrath :. Grampa walked up and slapped Tom on the chest, and his eyes grinned with affection and pride. There are other similar phrases that came before that which may be the source. In Joyce has this in Ulysses - "All wind and piss like a tanyard cat. As far back as , in Return from Parnassas - "They are pestilent fellowes, they speake nothing but bodkins, and pisse vinegar. Those earlier citations appear to indicate a more negative meaning to the phrase.
The meaning and origin of the expression: Full of piss and vinegar
By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy , Privacy Policy , and our Terms of Service. It only takes a minute to sign up. I understood that the business had suffered a financial loss, although I expected I was missing some nuance. In entirely different scenarios, I've heard piss used in British idiomatic phrasing that suggested a lack of concern, or carelessness. Those phrases are difficult to reconcile with the previously mentioned usage.
Privacy Terms. Skip to content Wordwizard For lovers of the English Language. For technical reasons, the early dates shown do not accurately reflect the actual date of posting.