Where did “piss poor” come from ?

[Detonate]

Here's a link for Steve.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitterlings

[Qqmike]

As for chitlins and whatnot, how long's it been since you visited an Oriental market? You'll see parts of pigs and cows you've never heard of--and every part thereof, along with chicken feet ... and such.

As for kubicle's comment that "Basically all circulating emails are fake:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/l...the 1500s.html,"
that is my a priori (which is actually a posterior probability based on previous experience and updating my prior--if you're into Bayesian) sense of it when I receive these silly emails. I would LIKE for them to be true because they are cute, entertaining, and logically satisfying, but a quick google often reveals most are based on shaky ground, or at best on speculation.

[GreyGeek]

When I was young Quarters and Half-dollars were called two bit pieces an four bit pieces. ....

I remember that as well. When I was getting ready for my first day at school my dad took me to the barber. I remember distinctly him asking the barber "How much do I owe you?" "Two bits" was the reply. That was around 1947 or 1948. The term later came to be associated with poor quality material or people. Japanese transistor radios were often called "two bit pieces of junk", until their cheap prices drove out American manufactuers, then there was nothing but other Japanese radios to compare them to.

I never heard those term much after college, in the late 60s, except in western movies, like you.

[DoYouKubuntu]

I'm quite certain this is the first time I've ever seen the word chitlins on the Internet

I actually know someone who TRIED chitlins...once. My cousin--although we consider ourselves sisters, and call each other's children our nieces--was married to a black man. (We're white.) On one of their trips from California to Louisiana, where he's from, for a family visit she was encouraged to try the [too disgusting for me even when I did eat dead animals] chitlins. She did. ONCE. That was all it took. Like one bite. Gag. *vomit facial expression goes right HERE* Seriously...INTESTINES? Are you kidding me? Like it's not disgusting enough to eat the flesh of a sentient being, but its intestines--you know, where...um...POOP is?!

[SteveRiley]

because by the look on her face, she had never heard of Roman numerals

At some point it's worth considering why anyone should continue to care. I mean, how often do you wander the streets and hear "Centurions, count off!" "I" "II" "III" "IV" "V"? Who uses Roman numerals anymore other than movie producers trying to obscure copyright dates?

Here's a link for Steve.

I guess I'll have to increment my count to two.

As for chitlins and whatnot, how long's it been since you visited an Oriental market? You'll see parts of pigs and cows you've never heard of--and every part thereof, along with chicken feet ... and such.

Too often. I used to spend a great deal of time in Singapore and Hong Kong. I love the food there, but preferably cooked! Wandering through the raw markets was nauseating.

[GreyGeek]

I was offered Chitlins when I took a business trip to Waterproof, LA. I had read what it was and the smell (and psychology of it) was enough. I thankfully declined. I added it to my list of "never try" foods, of which Okra tops the list.

While I was on that trip to Waterproof I was guest of a person who was part of SAVVY, an AI card for IBM for which I later acquired a 12 state marketing rights. His home was a an Anti-bellum Southern Mansion, white columns and all. Amazingly, in the "back yard" were a couple of log cabins, about 15' square, dirt floor. He said they were slave cabins, unused since the end of the Civil war. Each held about 10 to a dozen slaves. They were tossed the hoves, eyes, ears, lungs, stomach, intestines (chitlins) and the squeal. The "masters" ate the good parts. I wondered around in one cabin and soaked it in, wondered about those who were forced to live in it. This was around 6:30AM and already the air was hot and heavy with humidity. I imagined how they'd come back to that cabin after dark after working since sunrise in the hot, humid fields, to eat and fall asleep in that humid heat, unshielded from the mequitoes which were buzzing around me. It was one of the most profound experiences I ever had.