. . . steam-powered pickle seeder.
What in the world? That’s what, Kyle, my young friend at the gym wondered as I was wheezing away on the elliptical machine this morning. He had asked me how I was doing today and I responded with, “Oh, just chuggin’ along like a steam powered pickle seeder!”
Indeed, what in the world?
This danism came from one of my favorite podasts: A Way with Words — the show about language and how we use it. The hosts take questions from callers, one of whom wondered why her grandfather might use the phrase under discussion. The answer? They didn’t know, either. One thing is sure: there just ain’t much use for a “pickle seeder.” Steam-powered or nuclear, why would you want to seed pickles?
So, what’s my explanation? As I explained to Kyle, a device of this kind huffs ‘n puffs; clatters and bangs; belches and clangs doing a job that, let’s face it, just doesn’t need to be done. Sometimes that feels like the story of my life, especially as I flail and wheeze on an exercise machine.
You can find the podcast at www.waywordradio.org.