11/5/2004: Dormant dormice

[xoxoxoBruce]

I wonder where "Dead as a Dormouse" comes from? The apparent lack of vital signs while they hibernate?
But they're not dead, they're mostly dead. Could they fool the cat? Would they be dead-i-cat-ed?
I'm sorry...I'll go now....

[dar512]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

But they're not dead, they're mostly dead.

"And mostly dead is partly alive." -- Miracle Max (speaking of witty movies)

[capnhowdy]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I wonder where "Dead as a Dormouse" comes from? The apparent lack of vital signs while they hibernate?
But they're not dead, they're mostly dead. Could they fool the cat? Would they be dead-i-cat-ed?
I'm sorry...I'll go now....

I'm totally confused now. I always heard "dead as a doornail". What the hell?
If these critters were big enough I'd hug 'em!
Dormouse,doornail........I reckon they tell everyone in the South everything last.
xoB: the cat don't give a "rat's ass".

[onetrack]

My cat is salivating over that pic ... I'm having problems keeping her paws off the screen ..

It's sort of like showing a pic of 3 hot fresh Jumbo cheeseburgers to a Macca's addict ...

Wolf is right. No wonder they are endangered, sleeping dead-to-the-world, like that. They look like easy prey to any hunting animal, to me ..

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

I'm totally confused now. I always heard "dead as a doornail". What the hell?
If these critters were big enough I'd hug 'em!
Dormouse,doornail........I reckon they tell everyone in the South everything last.
xoB: the cat don't give a "rat's ass".

Doornail? Why that's ridiculous. How could something that was never alive be........ok, ya got me.
Wonder if I had a lot of people doubting their memory. I've heard both plus doorknob with doornail most common. South has nothing to do with it. Up home the dust balls under the bed were kitties, whereas around here they're bunnies. Actually, around here (as in my here) they're prevalent and agressive enough to take down a small mammal.
With all the McDonalds/Walmart/Madison Ave homogenizing we've been subjected to, it's reassuring that these regional and local colloquilisms exist.