who laid the rail
adv. phr.— «They always had a celebration every year when I was a kid. And us kids looked forward to that. For we could shoot fire crackers till who laid the rail.» —in University of Illinois at Springfield Oral History Collection D618. Dinsmore, R.T. (Robert Truman) Interview and Memoir (Iowa) , 1979. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Over the centuries, the meaning of happiness has traveled a long way. Today we speak of the pursuit of happiness, but it used to be that the word happiness suggested something that occurs only by chance–something that simply… happens. Plus, the joys...
Deb in Lombard, Illinois, shared an expression her grandmother used when irritated with someone: Hey, buddy, walk east till your hat floats! In other words, it’s the same ill-willed advice as go play in traffic! This is part of a complete...