Woops, *just* got shut out entering a comment in yesterday’s list…
To the person who didn’t understand why “balls to the wall” came to represent maximum effort:
The term is related to another venerable slang term: “tuppenny upright.” Once you think along those lines, you will understand the connection.
December 15, 2016 at 12:49 am
Patrick
The origins of “balls to the wall” started out as a flyboy term for throttles to the firewall – the throttle levers had nice big balls on them (to distinguish them without looking from the propeller levers next to them and the mixture controls next to THEM), or as Deadpool would put it – maximum effort: full throttle. Also where we got “back-off” (among other sources) which was backing off the htrottles or pulling em back towards you. Needless to say BTTW has dragged along a lot of other connotations these days. One of my LEO friends uses it to describe the frisk stance. All good.
December 15, 2016 at 7:29 am
Wood
Also related, “balls out” refers to the governor on a steam engine that incorporated heavy balls. As engine speed increased the balls were centrifugally extended away from the centerline of rotation, or towards the walls. Jay Leno explained it, the man has a steam engineer on staff to keep his stuff running. You can find it on YouTube. I thought it just meant bat shit crazy.
December 15, 2016 at 9:19 am
PaulS
Thanks Fudd.
Apparently we have a distinction without much of a difference going on. And it all started with”firewall the throttle” (no balls mentioned).
Firewall the throttle = balls to the wall(s) = balls out.
Let the pedantry proceed.
Shirley, even “back off the throttle” was in play long before them thar fly’n machines came along.
December 15, 2016 at 9:44 am
Unca Walt
Waal… as a pilot, I gotta add my 2c.
“Balls to the wall” is most ricky-tick a non-lurid phrase. It truly refers to the takeoff position of the three balls.
Here’s another phrase that started out innocent and morphed into snarkery:
“Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” <– A "monkey" is a brass plate set near the cannon. The "balls" are cannoballs stacked in a small pyramid.
When it is reeallly cold, the coefficient of friction of the bronze plate lessens, and the pyramid of cannonballs collapses.
TINS, Pilgrims.
December 15, 2016 at 1:48 pm
eon
Walt;
Also, on old-time warships with wooden hulls and broadside guns, next to each gunport a brass holder for three to five “ready-use”cannonballs was attached to the bulwark. It was a flat brass plate with holes just slightly smaller than the ball, and was known as a “ball monkey”.
Since cannonballs were iron, and brass and iron have different contraction/expansion rates with changes in temperature, in extreme cold the brass would contract faster than the iron cannonballs did and…thump. Right on the deck.
Hence “cold enouh ta freeze th’ balls off’n a brass monkey, matey”.
😉
cheers
eon
December 14, 2016 at 11:04 pm
Grunt GI
Ummm. Jan still seems a bit overdressed.
Just an observation.
December 14, 2016 at 11:10 pm
WayneM
Now that you mention it, indeed…
That being said, there’s so much underboob, it’s almost as good. Almost.
December 15, 2016 at 8:37 am
PaulS
It’s better, that bit of mystery makes it all the more interesting and alluring. YMMV
December 15, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Grunt GI
Well, I do like a little mystery…but after a while, just like on Xmas, I want to unwrap my present and see what’s inside…isn’t that the whole idea of lingerie or crop tops?
🙂
December 14, 2016 at 11:09 pm
Deplorable B Woodman
“You two are so bad.”
That’s what makes them so good. Yum.
Oh, to be the proverbial “fly on the wall”.
December 15, 2016 at 8:39 am
PaulS
If you had your fly on the wall, you would also be balls to the wall. 😉
December 15, 2016 at 3:44 pm
Grunt GI
This comment definitely wins this thread today!!!!
December 14, 2016 at 11:14 pm
Deplorable B Woodman
As has been pointed out elsewhere, if Putin wanted to “throw” this American election, he would have thrown it to Hellary. Then he could “grab her by the pussy” (eewwwwwww. mind bleach, STAT) any time, for any reason.
December 15, 2016 at 3:30 am
thundercloud65
I think that if Putin actually did do that his hand would immediately rot off.
December 15, 2016 at 7:39 am
Bill G
Clothing that protects against Bio-Hazard would also serve to keep from leaving DNA. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn Putin had experience with both needs.
If the Hildabeast had won, he’d have gotten ahold of her, but in a way to keep his hands clean, in both the literal and figurative sense.
December 14, 2016 at 11:16 pm
formwiz
Gonna be a long week.
December 14, 2016 at 11:20 pm
Deplorable B Woodman
“To ‘Serve and Project'”. I like that. I’ll try to remember it. Goes well with “presstitutes”.
December 15, 2016 at 1:50 pm
eon
That line showed up in ads for a shorts program on Sci-Fi Channel years ago. The hostess was Lisa Marie, so “project” definitely was apropos’.
cheers
eon
December 14, 2016 at 11:24 pm
Deplorable B Woodman
“Black lines matter.”
Yeaaaah. It’s difficult to put on a straight line of mascara when you’re giggling.
Eyeliner requires relatively straight lines. Mascara goes on the lashes.
But yeah, hard to put on eyeliner when you’re giggling. Or sneezing, talking, or doing much of anything except staring into the mirror.
December 15, 2016 at 9:00 am
Deplorable B Woodman
Thank you for the education and clarification. Since I don’t wear either one, and stay out of my wife’s way when she’s prepping herself (mysterious are the ways of women), I did not know.
December 15, 2016 at 12:52 pm
Pamela
The last time I wore makeup was in 2008 to a (former) company Christmas party. After the 20th person stated the obvious “You’re wearing makeup”, I tossed it in the trash.
A calm steady hand with a really good magnifying mirror insures a clean application. Never try to touch up makeup with alcohol on board. The results are rather comical.
Thankya ma’am…but as I’ve said I’m not much of a boozer (funny how unfunny drunks are when you ain’t one of ’em innit?)…but you are most welcome to ride shotgun; it’s a looong way across Texas.
You can check out teh fla and things on the Right Coast, ‘Murca fook yeh!
Maybe even drop in on Chris; he’s bringin’ the cheer here in cyberspace but I’m thinking he could use some of the meatspace variety right about now. 🙂
Hey…. Jan’s wearing a Jacket!…. Or a blouse…… Or something!
December 15, 2016 at 7:44 am
Bill G
After the Electoral Votes are cast on Monday the Democrat Media Complex is going to be shifted from it’s present screaming to merely whimpering.
And if any one or two newspersons get a sudden case of reality they’ll find it started a snivel war.
December 15, 2016 at 5:34 pm
thundercloud65
I just watched a video on Fox featuring several worthless celebrities trying to ‘ educate ‘ the electors into voting against Trump. Their basic message was ” You’ll be a hero if you vote against Trump.”
I can only imagine what would happen if somehow by hook or crook (mainly crook) they really do manage to get enough electors to switch. If that happens they’ll feel empowered to take revenge against us deplorables.
December 15, 2016 at 7:50 am
Bill G
Love the artwork.
And .. yes, the left is going to throw everything they can at Trump to claim his victory is illegitimate.
They want to claim he has no right to pursue his own agenda.
December 15, 2016 at 1:38 pm
John
They worked hard to gain a monopoly on the public ear, of course they believe no one else has a right to any agenda other than their own.
December 15, 2016 at 8:52 am
mort
Great artwork as usual.
All the brain surgeons are constantly talking about what Barama`s
legacy will be…quite simple, the rise of ISIS (when we could have
destroyed them as they paraded through the desert years ago, a
few A-10s could have done it), and the unmitigated destruction of
a lot of the mid-East.
December 15, 2016 at 9:55 am
WayneM
0bama’s legacy is secure. People are unlikely to forgive or forget his constant racebaiting, his role in the creation of ISIS, his legacy of ill-considered legislation and more than doubling the national debt…
December 15, 2016 at 10:27 am
doc
The precious snowflake contingent will be trying to get him carved onto Mt. Rushmore (they’d push for sainthood, but they’re “spiritual” instead of “religious”). They think he makes Washington and Lincoln look like pikers.
December 15, 2016 at 1:19 pm
sigofmugmort
Doc, a proposal has been put forward in the House in the second Year of Obama’s first term and has been in committee since
December 15, 2016 at 5:12 pm
MasterDiver
They haven’t been able to find a pebble small enough to match his accomplishments.
Zar Belk!
December 15, 2016 at 10:16 pm
NotYetInACamp
Those scenes on the head of a pin people still would be making too much of his good accomplishments.
On the flip, obama has extended Islam more than any man in centuries. Women are irrelevant in Islam as all women are the property of some man is their revelation from Allah.
51 Comments
Woops, *just* got shut out entering a comment in yesterday’s list…
To the person who didn’t understand why “balls to the wall” came to represent maximum effort:
The term is related to another venerable slang term: “tuppenny upright.” Once you think along those lines, you will understand the connection.
The origins of “balls to the wall” started out as a flyboy term for throttles to the firewall – the throttle levers had nice big balls on them (to distinguish them without looking from the propeller levers next to them and the mixture controls next to THEM), or as Deadpool would put it – maximum effort: full throttle. Also where we got “back-off” (among other sources) which was backing off the htrottles or pulling em back towards you. Needless to say BTTW has dragged along a lot of other connotations these days. One of my LEO friends uses it to describe the frisk stance. All good.
Also related, “balls out” refers to the governor on a steam engine that incorporated heavy balls. As engine speed increased the balls were centrifugally extended away from the centerline of rotation, or towards the walls. Jay Leno explained it, the man has a steam engineer on staff to keep his stuff running. You can find it on YouTube. I thought it just meant bat shit crazy.
Thanks Fudd.
Apparently we have a distinction without much of a difference going on. And it all started with”firewall the throttle” (no balls mentioned).
Firewall the throttle = balls to the wall(s) = balls out.
Let the pedantry proceed.
Shirley, even “back off the throttle” was in play long before them thar fly’n machines came along.
Waal… as a pilot, I gotta add my 2c.
“Balls to the wall” is most ricky-tick a non-lurid phrase. It truly refers to the takeoff position of the three balls.
Here’s another phrase that started out innocent and morphed into snarkery:
“Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” <– A "monkey" is a brass plate set near the cannon. The "balls" are cannoballs stacked in a small pyramid.
When it is reeallly cold, the coefficient of friction of the bronze plate lessens, and the pyramid of cannonballs collapses.
TINS, Pilgrims.
Walt;
Also, on old-time warships with wooden hulls and broadside guns, next to each gunport a brass holder for three to five “ready-use”cannonballs was attached to the bulwark. It was a flat brass plate with holes just slightly smaller than the ball, and was known as a “ball monkey”.
Since cannonballs were iron, and brass and iron have different contraction/expansion rates with changes in temperature, in extreme cold the brass would contract faster than the iron cannonballs did and…thump. Right on the deck.
Hence “cold enouh ta freeze th’ balls off’n a brass monkey, matey”.
😉
cheers
eon
Ummm. Jan still seems a bit overdressed.
Just an observation.
Now that you mention it, indeed…
That being said, there’s so much underboob, it’s almost as good. Almost.
It’s better, that bit of mystery makes it all the more interesting and alluring. YMMV
Well, I do like a little mystery…but after a while, just like on Xmas, I want to unwrap my present and see what’s inside…isn’t that the whole idea of lingerie or crop tops?
🙂
“You two are so bad.”
That’s what makes them so good. Yum.
Oh, to be the proverbial “fly on the wall”.
If you had your fly on the wall, you would also be balls to the wall. 😉
This comment definitely wins this thread today!!!!
As has been pointed out elsewhere, if Putin wanted to “throw” this American election, he would have thrown it to Hellary. Then he could “grab her by the pussy” (eewwwwwww. mind bleach, STAT) any time, for any reason.
I think that if Putin actually did do that his hand would immediately rot off.
Clothing that protects against Bio-Hazard would also serve to keep from leaving DNA. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn Putin had experience with both needs.
If the Hildabeast had won, he’d have gotten ahold of her, but in a way to keep his hands clean, in both the literal and figurative sense.
Gonna be a long week.
“To ‘Serve and Project'”. I like that. I’ll try to remember it. Goes well with “presstitutes”.
That line showed up in ads for a shorts program on Sci-Fi Channel years ago. The hostess was Lisa Marie, so “project” definitely was apropos’.
cheers
eon
“Black lines matter.”
Yeaaaah. It’s difficult to put on a straight line of mascara when you’re giggling.
Eyeliner requires relatively straight lines. Mascara goes on the lashes.
But yeah, hard to put on eyeliner when you’re giggling. Or sneezing, talking, or doing much of anything except staring into the mirror.
Thank you for the education and clarification. Since I don’t wear either one, and stay out of my wife’s way when she’s prepping herself (mysterious are the ways of women), I did not know.
The last time I wore makeup was in 2008 to a (former) company Christmas party. After the 20th person stated the obvious “You’re wearing makeup”, I tossed it in the trash.
A calm steady hand with a really good magnifying mirror insures a clean application. Never try to touch up makeup with alcohol on board. The results are rather comical.
“You two are so bad”.
Yep, that’ why we love ’em..
Chris, my wife says if I’m still sittin’ at that bar, send me on home.
She knows I was safe with Skye serving; with this trio she is rightly concerned that I might be at risk in various ways.
JT
I’ll make sure you get home in one piece and I promise not to bite.
Been a designated driver for more years than I care to remember.
Thankya ma’am…but as I’ve said I’m not much of a boozer (funny how unfunny drunks are when you ain’t one of ’em innit?)…but you are most welcome to ride shotgun; it’s a looong way across Texas.
You can check out teh fla and things on the Right Coast, ‘Murca fook yeh!
Maybe even drop in on Chris; he’s bringin’ the cheer here in cyberspace but I’m thinking he could use some of the meatspace variety right about now. 🙂
I’d bring cookies along…
Chris-mas cookies! I’m sure he’d love that and the company.
Bad weather forecast for Seattle. Really B-A-D. Not the kind you want to be in when you’re homeless on the street.
Yep, cold as the dickens tonight. Not fit for man nor beast.
(visualize W.C. Fields opening the door on that statement and getting hit with a blast of snow in the face and all over. Then again. And again. etc.)
I see a Brit, former ambassador claims he picked up the DNC emails from a disgusted insider and delivered them to WikiLeaks. Fits Assange’s story.
I’ve been looking for any mention of that in the MSM.
The British Ambassador says he has met and talked with the insider and knows exactly who he is. Additionally, the insider is a DNC member!
He does not give the name out. That is for others to do, and clearly, he doesn’t want the guy Arkancided.
I scream, you scream, we all scream against mainstream
Sam and Naomi going topless???? (((((GRIN)))))
You know, I’m just not a shorts man. I like short microskirts on my women. Shorts just seem to be cheatin’. And “Skorts” are even worse.
WHAT?!?! Apostate!
Barely-there shorts with hineys shinin’ is the best! Well, second best after nothin’-there…
Don’t you listen to this crazy talk Chris!
I’m enjoying this story line. 😀
Blake
Your emoticon is drooling. How did you do that…
Hey…. Jan’s wearing a Jacket!…. Or a blouse…… Or something!
After the Electoral Votes are cast on Monday the Democrat Media Complex is going to be shifted from it’s present screaming to merely whimpering.
And if any one or two newspersons get a sudden case of reality they’ll find it started a snivel war.
I just watched a video on Fox featuring several worthless celebrities trying to ‘ educate ‘ the electors into voting against Trump. Their basic message was ” You’ll be a hero if you vote against Trump.”
I can only imagine what would happen if somehow by hook or crook (mainly crook) they really do manage to get enough electors to switch. If that happens they’ll feel empowered to take revenge against us deplorables.
Love the artwork.
And .. yes, the left is going to throw everything they can at Trump to claim his victory is illegitimate.
They want to claim he has no right to pursue his own agenda.
They worked hard to gain a monopoly on the public ear, of course they believe no one else has a right to any agenda other than their own.
Great artwork as usual.
All the brain surgeons are constantly talking about what Barama`s
legacy will be…quite simple, the rise of ISIS (when we could have
destroyed them as they paraded through the desert years ago, a
few A-10s could have done it), and the unmitigated destruction of
a lot of the mid-East.
0bama’s legacy is secure. People are unlikely to forgive or forget his constant racebaiting, his role in the creation of ISIS, his legacy of ill-considered legislation and more than doubling the national debt…
The precious snowflake contingent will be trying to get him carved onto Mt. Rushmore (they’d push for sainthood, but they’re “spiritual” instead of “religious”). They think he makes Washington and Lincoln look like pikers.
Doc, a proposal has been put forward in the House in the second Year of Obama’s first term and has been in committee since
They haven’t been able to find a pebble small enough to match his accomplishments.
Zar Belk!
Those scenes on the head of a pin people still would be making too much of his good accomplishments.
On the flip, obama has extended Islam more than any man in centuries. Women are irrelevant in Islam as all women are the property of some man is their revelation from Allah.