Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Are You a Daisy or a Dandy?

There are a few good old slang words that I wish we still used.
"Daisy" is one. Around the turn of the 20th century, it indicated some person or something that excited admiration.

My favorite movie line of all time, besides "I am Ironman,"
is that one the Val Kilmer, as Doc Holliday, uttered in Tombstone:

McClaury: I've got you now!
Holliday: You're a daisy if you do.

I was excited to learn that witnesses said that the real Doc Holliday, who had knack for using slang, really did say the phrase during the fatal standoff with Frank McLaury.

Another old slang word is "dandy." Nowadays when we hear the word dandy, it is usually sarcastic, such as:
"You need a tetanus shot." "Oh, dandy."

Dandy used to be a slang word for pleasant; pretty. Incorrect uses of dandy included having a "dandy time" or wearing a "dandy hat." Dandy is actually from Old French, dandin, which means "ninny."

Doc Holliday was no dandy, even though he used words like "daisy."

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