It was 3:45 on the morning of Christmas Eve. I happened to peer out my window and saw that the snow plow guy was doing the driveway across the street and would be attending to ours momentarily. I watched in the darkness for a few minutes, for that is as long as it takes, as you shall soon see.
The way that it works, is that they do a first pass, but they return for a second after the plows have kindly left another pile at the foot of the driveway. In this instance, our guy came after the street plows had dumped their pile, but then the sidewalk plow would do their thing and dump another pile.
Usually, I miss the plowings, but on this morning, I caught both passes and had my phone ready for the second one. And here it is, for your viewing pleasure. You can see that although we call it a plow, it simply blows the snow from the driveway onto the lawn.
This leads me to think of my grandfather's phrase: Well. I'll be blowed! He was British born, and the only person I have know to say that. My mother didn't pick up the saying, and my other British grandparents didn't say it — not according to my remembrance at least. I am not even sure why I remember Grandfather Arthur saying it, for he's been gone for almost 70 years. However, we did live with him a number of years when I was about 3 to 7 years old, so there was opportunity.
I had to look up the saying.
Probably a hyperbole expressing that the speaker is so surprised it is as if they have been blown over by a gust of wind: compare blow me down and blow me over, and also knock someone over with a feather, which have the same sense.[1] Used as a euphemism for I'll be damned; compare also blasted. (Wiktionary)By the way, my mother often said another phrase mentioned in the above quote: "You could have knocked me over with a feather."
I've heard "Well blow me over" used as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad our snow mostly stayed in the mountains where it belongs. I've never heard that expression.
ReplyDeleteThere's also roll me over etc, but this is a family blog..
ReplyDeleteI love watching snow plows or blowers at work. Here we also have sidewalk cats, tiny plows, and I'd love to drive one.
My Dad used to say that, odd because my mother was English and he was German-Irish.
ReplyDeleteI have heard blow me down, too, and knocked me over with a feather.
I've heard of all of these sayings, although I can't actually say that I've ever heard anyone say any of them besides 'you could have knocked me over with a feather'. I read a lot as a kid and any saying like that caught my attention though.
ReplyDeleteThat certainly does quick work of it!
ReplyDeleteGreat to consider these sayings, and yet I don't remember anyone saying any of them. My hearing is good, but I don't retain well what I hear...a loose wire in my brain I believe. I sure have read all these sayings in dialogs however, having read many books. Love seeing the little snow blowing machine making quick work of what many a heart attack might have been caused (not by you, but by those elders who are already prone to one!)
ReplyDeleteI think Popeye the Sailor Man used to say blow me down. That's my memory anyway. That blower is fast and efficient.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any special sow blowers like that around here. Our driveway got plowed on Christmas Eve afternoon. This morning cold temps were here again. when I went out for the newspaper it was 2ยบ.
ReplyDeleteSmart system.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of that phrase, but I do love when something/anything conjures as grandparent memory.
There were many good sayings. My paternal grandfather only spoke German so it's hard to say what he said.
ReplyDeleteYour story brought a smile to my face, imagining the quiet, determined work of the snowplow guys and the satisfaction of seeing a job well done. Here's to more smoothly cleared paths and the little moments of intrigue that brighten our days!
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderfully efficient snow blower.
ReplyDelete