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Post by topbilled on Apr 6, 2024 13:30:13 GMT
The other day I was watching "Kitty Foyle" (because my real life is purposeless and empty) and James Craig's character says to Ginger Roger's character (the titular Kitty), "we'll do it up brown" as he's describing taking her out for a big night on the town - dinner, dancing and a show all at high-end places.
I don't remember having heard that one before, so it was off to Google which said:
DO IT UP BROWN - "Do something well; do it to one's satisfaction. In England the phrase has had the meaning of deceive or take in. Either way, it carries the implication of doing something thoroughly and probably comes from the roasting of meat, yielding a brown color that is the result of thorough cooking.
The fun now will be to see how long it takes until I hear it again. Usually, once you learn a new word or expression, you start to notice it frequently. With these idioms from old movies, that usually only happens when you are watching other old movies, which I do to an embarrassing degree. So, we'll see how long it takes.
Was anyone familiar with this expression? No. I never heard of it. But I rather like it...would be fun to use it in a conversation.
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Post by dianedebuda on Apr 6, 2024 15:49:54 GMT
No. I never heard of it. But I rather like it...would be fun to use it in a conversation. Might not be fun now. These days would probably be interpreted as a racial thing.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 6, 2024 17:14:57 GMT
No. I never heard of it. But I rather like it...would be fun to use it in a conversation. Might not be fun now. These days would probably be interpreted as a racial thing. People who are going out of their way to read it that way may be offended. But those of us who are not prisoners of the English language, who speak with sincerity without implying sinister meanings, can still continue to use our language freely.
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