On the Barroom Floor

[digitS']

Have you ever been in a bar (or a butcher shop) that had sawdust on the floor?

Shoot. Where does that put me in the Memory Hole? Nineteen Eighty-four? (Or when i read that)

Steve
gonna do some etymological imagining here in a little while

 

[aftermidnight]

Yes, Butcher shop back in the late 60's early 70's. I could go in and get the butcher to slice liver extra thin for a certain recipe I had. He'd just sharpen up his knife, grab a slab of liver and away he'd slice. Try and get that today, forget it.

Annette

 

[GypsyG]

Never one with sawdust, but I used to frequent a bar with a peanut shell covered floor!

*edited to correct autocorrect

 

[flowerbug]

Have you ever been in a bar (or a butcher shop) that had sawdust on the floor?

Shoot. Where does that put me in the Memory Hole? Nineteen Eighty-four? (Or when i read that)

Steve
gonna do some etymological imagining here in a little while

it's been some years since i've seen sawdust. i've seen peanut shells more recently (the chain Outback had buckets of peanuts on the table and you threw the shells on the floor) as in just a year or two ago.

 

[flowerbug]

Yes, Butcher shop back in the late 60's early 70's. I could go in and get the butcher to slice liver extra thin for a certain recipe I had. He'd just sharpen up his knife, grab a slab of liver and away he'd slice. Try and get that today, forget it.

Annette

the butcher down the road from us will cut things for you if you want them different than what is in the case. two weeks ago he sliced a few steaks up for me without a blink. the stir fry i used them in turned out delicious.

 

[digitS']

Here's the etymological notion :

The threshold at the front door is a wide one and I was appreciating that because of the age and condition of the 100+ year-old living room floor. Then, I began to wonder about the word, "threshold."

I looked up the word in Etymology Online "a word of uncertain origin probably much altered by folk-etymology." The linguists suggest that the first syllable's origin "in its current sense of 'thresh' or with its original sense of 'to tread, trample.'"

Well, that is pretty straight forward. "hold" ... why not just "hold?" So, something is held inside the door. Threshold.

If you have done some threshing, by foot or otherwise, you know that the result is seed and straw. Straw! Sure, I'd be much more comfortable through the winter on a floor with a foot of straw than on the bare, cold ground!

Of course, we would have to keep the straw out of the "hearth," "from Proto-Germanic *hertha- "burning place."

Steve
probably too easily amused when warm and comfortable

 

[digitS']

When the white eagle of the North
Is flying overhead
And the browns, reds and golds of autumn
Lie in the gutter, dead

Remember then, the summer birds
With wings of fire flying
Come to witness Spring's new hope
Born of leaves decaying

As new life will come from death
Love will come at leisure
Love of love, love of life
And giving without measure

Gives in return a wondrous yearning
Of a promise almost seen
Live hand-in-hand
And together we'll stand

On the threshold of a dream....
~ G. Edge, The Moody Blues

 

[Zeedman]

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Moody's... takes me back to my teenage years, when their musical poetry reached into my soul, and echoed a lot of my own thoughts. I still find myself singing some of their songs on occasion.
Funny thing is, I loved Pink Floyd & Black Sabbath at the same time... which just goes to show that adolescence is a confusing time.

 

[aftermidnight]

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Moody's... takes me back to my teenage years, when their musical poetry reached into my soul, and echoed a lot of my own thoughts. I still find myself singing some of their songs on occasion.
Funny thing is, I loved Pink Floyd & Black Sabbath at the same time... which just to show that adolescence is a confusing time.

You are not alone, the Moody Blues were and still are a favorite of ours, we also had Pink Floyd, remember the one with the fly buzzing around. We had speakers on either side of our fireplace. The cat used to run from one to the other in hopes of catching that elusive fly . Had black Sabbath too along with CCR and other numerous bands of the time. Our teenage kids used to borrow OUR records .

Annette

 

[thejenx]

I´ve been in a bar where there were shell peanuts and you´d throw the empty shells onto the floor. Also straw, but that was for a themed party, like a one off. The same goes for sand dor a surf party. But never have I been to a bar with saw dust as a regular thing.