The Discouraging Word had an interesting entry on 20 October [no permalinks] called "Ruts, bumps, and thank-you-ma'ams," (there's a goodly followup on Languagehat plus commentary), tracing the origin of the phrase, meaning a bump in the road, and the intersection of it with the newer phrase wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Made me dig out my four volumes of Charles Earle Funk (of Funk and Wagnells fame) etymological series. In Horsefeathers & Other Curious Words (1958), he writes about thank-ye-ma'am [on p. 218]:
This, gratefully appreciated in rural American courtship in grandfather's day, is now rapidly disappearing, replaced by humdrum metal or concrete culverts on hilly roads everywhere. On early roads in such country. an earthen diagonal ridge served to carry rain water or melting snow from high side to low side, thus preventing excessive wash. But, passing over it in a carriage or wagon, the passenger on the side first hitting this ridge would sway involuntarily towards the other. The rural swain, needless to say, chose roads accordingly. With the head of the fair one thus within kissing distance, the greatful murmur, "Thank ye, ma'am," was of course passed along to the humble cause.
Sounds a bit like a small berm or maybe a speed bump.
Posted by jim at October 22, 2003 08:24 AM | TrackBack