Natalia from Portland, Oregon, remembers that before taking off on a Sunday drive, her grandfather would announce to everyone We’re off in a cloud of whale dust! This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “We’re Off in a Cloud of Whale Dust!”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, I’m Natalia, and I’m calling from Portland, Oregon.
Portland, Oregon. Well, hello, Natalia.
Hi, Natalia.
So I am calling about a phrase that my grandfather used to use before he took my mother for Sunday drives.
So he would go, like, right before he went off on their Sunday drives, he would say, oh, well, we’re off in a cloud of whale dust.
My mom always was like, what in the world does this mean? And she would tell this story to me. And I was just curious, where could this possibly have come from?
Off in a cloud of whale dust? Like W-H-A-L-E, whale? Whale as in like the swimming mammal dust. The huge swimming mammal that spouts water from its blowhole.
Yeah.
Well, he would use a little bit more of an expletive term at times for dust.
Oh.
S-H? Dust?
No. Actually, like P.
Oh, I see.
Oh.
Yeah.
Oh, I see.
In my research, I found other people asking about often a cloud of whale dust, which is, I mean, the closest I’ve come to finding where this phrase comes from. And I’ve also heard off in a herd of turtles, or like a herd of turtles in a cloud of whale dust.
That’s a good one. Kind of nonsensical, like, sign off. And did that mean leaving in any particular fashion, like slowly or quickly?
I think just weirdly.
Weirdly.
I think he said it more to make the kids chuckle, and he would always get, like, my grandmother would be like, oh, stop, don’t use that language around the kids.
Yeah, off in a cloud of whale dust is a phrase that’s been kind of dying out. I mean, usually when I see it, it’s people who are looking online for what grandpa used to say.
We’re often glad a whale does. And I think it’s, you know, just about as nonsensical as the bee’s knees or the cat’s pajamas or, you know.
Heard of turtles.
Yeah, yeah, herd of turtles. It’s just, it’s something that clearly was memorable for you and made the whole family laugh. But as far as I know, it’s just a goofy expression.
It’s totally meant to befuddle. It’s meant to amuse. It doesn’t have a known origin or some concrete fantastic origin. But it wasn’t his alone.
That’s cool, right? It was something that other people said.
Yeah, yeah. I just thought it was interesting. I mean, he was a military guy, so I thought maybe he picked it up in the military or something like that and then kind of put his own crude twist on it. But, yeah, it’s always just a goofy phrase.
I’ll say it now, just, you know, kind of bringing forth his memory in my language. It’s just a goofy thing.
Oh, that’s lovely.
Yeah, the cruder version off in a cloud of whale pee might be his own version. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that anywhere or heard it.
Well, it’s definitely evocative. It has some good visuals, I think, that come with it.
Definitely.
Definitely.
So now it’s your trademark phrase? You use it with friends?
Yeah, on occasion, just to goof off, you know. Stop the conversation down, right?
Yeah.
Oh, thanks for sharing those delightful stories, Natalia.
Yeah, thank you so much. It’s such a delight to talk to you guys.
Great to talk with you, too.
Oh, call us again sometime.
Bye-bye.
Take care.
All right.
Thanks, Natalia.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
