Sheep dumplings

February 21, 2006

It’s time for another Forgotten English revelation, meaning that I can’t think of much else to write about. Although I don’t think I have ever used the term “sheep dumplings” in polite conversation, I might.

The human urge for a magic pill to cure whatever is currently ailing us seems to be universal. I believe it to be an urge mostly cultivated by the drug companies, but maybe I’m wrong about that. According to my infallible Forgotten English calendar, an author named Vance Randolph wrote Down in the Holler: A Gallery of Ozark Folk Speech in 1953, and he informs us that “sheep dumplings” are sheep droppings that were used in the home treatment of measles and certain other ailments.

Dave, popping a more convenient pill for certain other ailments.

Posted by Dave | Filed Under General