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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1998-01 > 0883708105


From: "Janet Tweedie" <>
Subject: Re: Red up the Table (for the Hot Toddy)
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 1998 13:28:25 +1100


My husband comes from Northern Ireland and they talk about "redd up" as in
finish up.
Janet.

----------
> From: HettrickHill <>
> To:
> Subject: Red up the Table (for the Hot Toddy)
> Date: Friday, 2 January 1998 8:59
>
> Remember the discussion thread on the phrase "red up your room"?
> The same thread is running on the VA-WVA list with "red up the table" and

> a list member looked up the word "red" in her word origin dictionary.
>
> >I have a small collection of books giving the origin of words, and here
is
> what I found about this word:
>
> >"REDD [verb] redded or redd; redding [Middle English _redden_ to clear,
> probably alternate of ridden] [vt] chiefly dialectic (1568): to set in
> order - usually used with _up_ or _out_ ~ [vi] chiefly dialectic: to make
> things tidy - usually used with _up_."
>
> >The date of 1568 is first date the researcher could find that the word
was
> used in U.S.......FWIW
> >Kelli Allison <>
>
> The current discussion thread on hot toddies reminds me of an old joke
that
> might make sense to people now -
>
> Question: "What do you do when you're lost in the woods?"
> Answer: "Sit down and start to mix a martini and someone will
> immediately come along and tell you a different way to do it."
>
> Diane Hettrick
>

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