Sunday, August 24, 2008

Things Have Gone Haywire!



I happened to say the word "haywire" earlier today. Don't remember why I said it. Probably I was over exaggerating about something. It's what I do best. But I paused in my dissertation long enough to wonder why we say that - where does the word haywire come from?
So, I looked it up and found that hay wire is the wire used to tie hay into bales (duh). However, the term "haywire", meaning things are outta control, didn't come out of the hay fields where makin' hay can mean several things. Haywire actually comes from the world of lumberjacks!
.
Hey, Dana, lookit me! I'm choppin broccoli!
Whenever machinery or tools used by lumberjacks were in need of a quick fix they used hay wire. Perhaps duct tape had not yet been invented? So now, when things aren't working properly or they're out of control, they've gone haywire.

Monty Python, of course, has forever changed the image of the once burly plaid flannel clad giant of the virgin larch forest. One can no longer say the word "lumberjack" with a straight face and certainly not without going into a quick rendition of "I'm a Lumberjack (and I'm okay)" So get it out of your system. Click the picture and sing along.

8 comments:

Nana Trish is Living the Dream said...

What an adorable post! I loved the song. I had never heard it. Thanks for the info on the 'haywire'. You have a great sense of humor and I would think you would keep me laughing until my stomach muscles hurt. That's what my cousins did a couple of weeks ago in Indiana. I don't really laugh that much and it was refreshing. Now that "I'm a Lumberjack" will be ringing in my mind. :0)

ChaChaneen said...

Oh my stars, that was so wrong on so many levels! HA HA HA HA HA

Marie Reed said...

Yeahhh! I sang my heart out!

MuseSwings said...

Ladies! I'm glad you stopped by and sang along with the RCMP. They are delighted as well!

Lavinia said...

I never watched Monty Python! Hey can I still be a member of the muse-swings club?

MuseSwings said...

Lavinia, You are a life-time member of the muse-swings club no matter what you watch -or don't watch!
Cynthia

sandy said...

again...great post..I always get a laugh...

Lavinia said...

Gee...thanks muse-swings! IT's a great club, by the way, what with the wonderful tea parties and all going on around here!