Ophelia in Johnson City, Tennessee, wonders about the exclamation her great-grandmother often used when something surprised her: Cat bristle! That may be her own version of a minced oath, although it fits with the idea of how a cat’s tail might look...
lesigh
n.— «You make me sick too. *lesigh*» —Ophelia Mourne July 7, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
deep bench n.— «But then there’s his sister Ophelia, who took his place. “She’s probably not going to be there very long, but the Ford’s have a deep bench as they say in sports.” Joe Ford has an unscathed reputation as a Shelby County Commissioner...

