Of rats, cats and employers

on June 10, 2009 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, I promised Monday that I had a great Yorkism to share, and I haven't forgotten.

This one was shared by deskmate Cathy during a recent editorial meeting. She was talking about WellSpan's role as York County's biggest employer, and she came out with this gem:

"Yeah, you can't swing a dead rat in York County without hitting a WellSpan employee!"

Wow! That was new to me totally, then someone mentioned that they thought the phrase was supposed to be "dead cat," which is NOT any better.

Am I the only one who'd never heard of swinging dead things?

3 Comments

By Linda on June 10, 2009 3:20 PM

Wow! Never heard that one! Or any other
sayings about swinging dead critters around.
And they make fun of people from New Jersey.

By Louise on June 11, 2009 10:13 AM

Hello Joan,
Glad you're feeling better. As for the animal swinging, I have only heard of swinging a cat. As in "the room was big enough to swing a cat in." I read that in a story by Mark Twain in reference to a hotel room while he was traveling. Never have I heard of swinging a dead cat. However, being the owner of two cats, I would have to say that swinging a dead one is probably safer for you and anyone in the vicinity (Not to mention the cat.) BTW, you read that right..2 cats. My runaway returned last Monday.
Love ya, Weez

By Phil on June 11, 2009 4:39 PM

Hmmm... no, never heard of swinging dead things. But it does remind me of a story about an Algebra II teacher at Dover back in the day.

My name is Joan and I'm a lifelong Yorker. Throughout high school and college, I swore I was getting out of here as soon as possible. Now, a few years later, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. I love my town. And, as a local editor, I hear every day how much you love your towns, too. So please, connect with me and let's share what makes life in York County great. I'm here to help you enjoy this place as much as I do!