A listener in Bonifay, Florida, says when she was young and asked her mother what she was doing, her mother would respond “I’m stacking greased bb’s with boxing gloves on.” This nonsensical phrase is part of a long tradition of parents brushing off inquiries with creative responses, including layoes to catch medlars and sewing buttons on ice cream. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Stacking Greased BBs”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Robin Connor.
Where are you calling us from, Robin?
I’m calling from Bonifay, Florida.
I have a question about a phrase that I used to hear my mother say. Basically, it was when she was doing something that was pretty obvious about, you know, what she was doing. And if someone says, well, what are you doing? And she would say something like, well, I’m stacking greased BBs with boxing gloves on. Stacking greased BBs with boxing gloves on. Did I get that right?
So BBs and is in the metal pellets or balls that you put in an air gun.
Right.
Okay.
That’s right.
And they’re greased and you’re doing it with boxing gloves on, which means it’s hard to do.
Exactly.
Yeah, I’ve heard shorter variants of this where someone will just say, well, that’s as easy to do as stacking greased BBs without the full part with the boxing gloves on it. And you know a couple of the early uses that I find in the 1940s, 1950s show up in the Ladies’ Home Journal.
I don’t know why.
Is that right?
Yeah, I don’t know why they’re there. It’s probably older than that, though.
Oh, okay.
It reminds me of, there’s a whole variety of expressions, smart remarks that you give people.
Oh, yeah, particularly parents.
Yeah, parents will give children.
Yeah, when children are saying, what are you doing? We’ve talked about a few of them on the show. Layovers for meddlers and what’s the cat’s fur to make kitten britches. There’s a few others. Sew buttons on ice cream.
Yep.
Making a whim wham for a goose’s whimmy diddle or something like that.
Something like that, yeah.
That’s one I haven’t heard.
So this is a long tradition of parents basically saying, you know, buzz off in a funny way. It’ll give the child something to think about for a while.
Right.
Yeah, that’s interesting.
That’s funny.
Was she laughing when she said it?
Oh, of course.
-huh.
Yeah.
You know, it’s like, is it not obvious what I’m doing? You know?
Yeah, right.
So, yeah, I’ve seen it as stacking greasy or stacking greased BBs.
Greased BBs.
Yeah, sometimes with the boxing gloves, sometimes no mention of the boxing gloves.
I love it.
You could just continue elaborating, you know? I’m stacking greased BBs with boxing gloves on a trampoline in a hurricane. While blindfolded, in the dark. While hurting armadillos.
While hurting armadillos.
On leap day.
Robin, thank you so much for sharing this memory with us.
Oh, you’re welcome.
Appreciate it.
Take care now.
Okay, thank you.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Bye.
I just know when we talk about these goofy expressions on the show that there are families out there who have their own.
Yes.
And they’re holding back.
And my request is that you call us with these things. Don’t hold back.
Yeah, what is that thing that you or your parents would say to somebody who asks an impertinent question like, what you doing? We want to know. 877-929-9673 or email words@waywordradio.org.
