Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sock it to me

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Sock it to me... I'd like to see that phrase come back into common use... as a reminder. We need something to keep us grounded in reality. Then maybe we can make some changes if we don't like what we see.

We, as human beings need to 'sock it to the politicians', and not allow them to 'stick it to us'. We need our doctors to 'sock it to us' and tell us we're too fat. Our family and friends need to 'sock it to us' when we're fools.

Maybe 'sock it to me' faded into obscurity because as Jack said, "You can't handle the truth!"

Sock it to me! Tell me what you think... leave a comment.

A brief history of the phrase "Sock it to me"

From Dictionary of Catchphrases (1995) by Nigel Rees
"Sock it to me!" spoken by the English actress Judy Carne, who became known as the Sock-It-To-Me Girl on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (NBC-TV, Jan 22, 1968 - May 14, 1973). She would appear and chant the phrase until, ever unsuspecting, something dreadful happened to her.

The actual phrase was taken from a hit record entitled 'Respect',(1967) recorded by Aretha Franklin, which featured a chorus repeating 'Sock it to me' quite rapidly in the background.

The phrase 'to sock it to someone' originally meant 'to put something bluntly 'and was used as such by Mark Twain.

Black musicians gave it a sexual meaning, as in 'I'd like to sock it to her.'

From Flappers 2 Rappers: American Youth Slang (1996) by Tom Dalzell
Sock it to me
1. Let me have it
2. Say what it is you have to say

From "A Connecticut Yankee in the Court of King Arthur" (1889) by Mark Twain
"Well, observe the difference. You pay eight cents and four mills, we pay only four cents."

I prepared, now to sock it to him.

I said: "Look here, dear friend, what's become of your high wages you were bragging about a few minutes ago", and I looked round on the company with placid satisfaction.



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