Hi Cathy, Given your "rough 'n' ready" context, how about "shithouse?" There is a traditional expression in my family (which would easily date this to turn-of-the-century or earlier [GA & TX]) to the effect that: "[he/she/it] stands out like a shithouse in a snowstorm." Said of someone who is painfully obvious or out of place. Other simiilar folk expressions are: as welcome "as a turd in the punchbowl," or "a bastard at a family reunion." It would seem to be doubly appropriate for your context, though I can't speak to its authenticity in your time & place. BTW, just out of personal curiousity, were/are any of your characters members of the Arctic Brotherhood? (They have that wonderful lodge in Skagway) Any references to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific expo of 1909 in Seatle? Good luck w/publishing! Marty [log in to unmask] ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Cathy Spude <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 10:53:24 -0600 >Histarchers: > >Since you have all been so helpful with whiskey and cigars, I thought I'd >ask another question dear to everyone's heart. > >What did they call the little house out back in 1905. I mean in colloquial >terms? Not what the polite people called it, but what the guys would call >it in the saloon? I call it the privy. The Sanborne map people called it >the privy. The newspaper man found all sorts of clever ways to get around >it whenever he had to refer to it all. > >Any ideas? > >Cathy > > >Catherine Holder Spude ¨ Archeologist ¨ Cultural Resources Management ¨ >National Park Service – Intermountain Region ¨ 505.988.6831Voice ¨ >505.988.6876 Fax > The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American > people so that all may experience our heritage. > > > ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.nexet.net