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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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Sew (so?) buttons on your butt, that's what.
Guest
1
2008/03/08 - 8:14pm

I heard this answer from my parents numerous times as a child...especially in response to "SO?" or "So What?"
Any idea where it came from?
thanks,
Christina
Carlsbad, CA

Guest
2
2008/03/09 - 3:27pm

Perhaps it's just a nonsense rhyme to keep kids quiet. Kind of like:
A: “Guess what?”
B: “What?”
A: “Chicken butt.”

Have you heard anyone else use the phrase, besides your parents?

cploetz
3
2008/05/14 - 1:54pm

The way I always heard it was "sew buttons on your underwear." I use it all the time. It was a big thing back in grade school (Wisconsin) as was the "chicken butt" thing. Don't know where it came from though.

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
4
2008/05/14 - 6:31pm

We had a call a while back about things parents say when kids are pestering them with questions like, "Mommy, what are you doing?" One of the responses we heard about was, "I'm sewing buttons on ice cream." Or "looking for layoes to catch medlars." I'd never heard the sewing buttons on your butt or underwear versions, though, so thanks for that info!

Nina
5
2008/05/18 - 6:38am

My Dad used to say (mercifully not too often), "So? Sew buttons on your diapers and call them rompers." It was a reply to someone saying "So?"

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
6
2008/05/18 - 12:06pm

Love it, Nina. Never heard of that one -- thanks!

Guest
7
2008/05/18 - 2:01pm

In our family, the hot button was in referring to a female of the maternal persuasion (aka Mom) as "she", which prompted the response "She's the cat's mother". Of course, as a Catherine called Cat by immediate family, I'd always say "but I'm a cat".

Guest
8
2008/05/18 - 7:27pm

In Spanish we have a say (my mother use to say it to me)… when I would ask why, why , my mom use to say:
Why the goat on the mountain,
that grazes happily on the prairie
having a round head,
has squared thoughts?

It rhymes in Spanish, though….It used to drive me crazy!!

My husband, later in life taught me another version,

Why the goat on the mountain,
that grazes happily on the prairie,
having a round butt,
poops in little squares?

It goes on too...

Hope you enjoy it!!!

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
9
2008/05/20 - 10:07am

Mariana, I'm fanning myself over this. The Spanish version, porfa!!!

Guest
10
2008/05/20 - 10:59am

Porque la cabra en el monte,
que pasta alegre en el prado,
Tiene la cabeza redonda
y el pensamiento cuadrado?

And the for the spicier version...

Porque la cabra en el monte
que pasta alegre en el preado
teniendo el culo redondo
caga soretes cuadrados?

and the last verse...

Porque al salir del culo
y convertirse en cagada,
la mierda que era redonda
termina siempre cuadrada!

And it has music too....!!!!

Should I teach it to my kids ?

Take care,
Mariana

Martha Barnette
San Diego, CA
820 Posts
(Offline)
11
2008/05/22 - 7:50pm

Genial, Mariana! Gracias! (I didn't know the word "soretes" -- and my electronic dictionary seems to think the word must be "sorbetes," which I am not sure I would want to sample!)

Yes, teach it to your kids (while playing your guitar, porsu!). Then post it on YouTube for all of us to see! 😉

Guest
12
2008/05/23 - 8:25am

"Sorete" is a slang term for a piece of poop, at least in argentinean Spanish... I' glad you enjoy it! We'll sing it in You Tube for you....
Mariana

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