If you’re coming to the lick log or bringing someone to the lick log, you’re getting to a crucial point in negotiations. A lick log is a salt lick being a place where a cattle or other herd animals congregates. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Coming to the Lick Log”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
My name is Ed Molesky. I’m from Jacksonville, Florida.
Hi, Ed. Welcome to the program.
Quite a few years ago, back in the 70s, I worked in a paper mill in Ohio, and our plant engineer was a real Louisiana gentleman.
And he had a couple of phrases that I had never heard before. One of them was if he wanted somebody to change their opinion to his way of thinking, he said, we need to bring them to the lick log.
And I know a lick log is a source of salt for animals. I used to have horses.
But I don’t understand how a salt lick is linked to changing someone’s mind.
So you know all about these already, and you know about lick logs themselves, which are these felled trees that ranchers would cut slots into, and then they would fill those slots with lickable blocks of salt, right?
Yeah.
That’s a lick log.
Yeah.
And so it’s pretty straightforward. It just means if you’re coming down to the lick log or you’re coming up to the lick log, you’re coming to the place where the whole herd gathers because the whole herd is going to want to come and lick on those salt blocks that are in the lick log.
Okay.
And, of course, they put those out there because cattle and horses need salt and other minerals.
And so if you’re coming down to the lick log or coming up to the lick log, then you’re at a gathering place. You’re at a meeting place.
And a lot of times, I’m interested that he was from Louisiana because I associate this a lot with Texas as well.
You know, you’ll hear Texas lawyers say, we’re getting down to the lick log, meaning they’re getting down to the very point in negotiations where maybe everybody will be happy.
All right.
Well, thanks so much. That helps.
Well, sure. Our pleasure.
Thank you for calling us. Call us again sometime and take care of yourself, all right?
Bye.
Bye, Ed.
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