Where there's a whip there's a way

[venta]

Quick question: what, if anything, does the phrase "misery whip" mean to you ?

In a second-hand CD shop in Camden at the weekend I was delighted to find Vol 2 of Everclear's "Songs From An American movie" for £2. On it, there is a track called Misery Whip.

Which is odd, because I also have a song called The Misery Whip on "Asphyxia" by the Dream Disciples. And they're definitely not the same song. This would seem to be a strange example of convergent evolution, so I'm just wondering if the phrase exists independently, and if so, how well-known is it ?

Yes, I could just google the phrase, and I probably will. But I'm curious to hear people's thoughts, first.

Comments

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

Some sort of vanilla ice cream cornet with blackcurrant syrup on top, for Goths.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

Goths Don't Do Vanilla ;)

[zotz]

sabledemon does.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I resent the hi-jacking of the word vanilla :)

I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavours.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

Wasn't hijacking *anything*, as it happens. Most "vanilla" icecream is bland rubbish, besides which it's Not Black ;)

Admittedly a genuine dairy vanilla-*flavoured* ice-cream has its charms, but that's a rare commodity.


I dunno, why does everyone always assume the worst of my responses?

[venta.livejournal.com]

I dunno, why does everyone always assume the worst of my responses?

Because most of us have, like, met you ?

;)

I'm still disappointed that I've not managed to find a decent vanilla milkshake. Suggestions welcome.

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

*mutter*

If I had *half* the fun my reputation does...

[wechsler.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to update it, but I still have both lappys

[kissifa.livejournal.com]

There's a small hotel half way up a hill on the South coast of Greece in Chalkidiki), run by two brothers that does fan-effing-tastic milkshakes of all flavours. The brother who's a bit mad and not gay looking makes the better shakes.

Such would be my suggestion. That or to make your own. :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Nah, I don't think I've got time to get to Greece and back in my dinner break :(

make your own

But how, but how ? Just using vanilla extract in milk is strangely unsatisfying. Gesturing with vanilla pods over the milk doesn't help. Vanilla ice cream in milk is ok, but not wonderful.

[kissifa.livejournal.com]

Well now, this sounds like cause for experimentation, doesn't it?

I personally prefer the use of vanilla pods in milk, a generous couple of spoonfuls of sugar, combined with a decent vanilla ice-cream, all blended together till nice and fluffy, perhaps with a dash of sweet cream, but this will have to be decided on later.

I shall let you know of the outcome as it occurs.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't blending vanilla pods make everything gritty ?

Or can you buy fresh vanilla pods ? I've only ever seen dry, black ones.

[kissifa.livejournal.com]

Well you can infuse the milk with the entire pods, or scrape out the seeds and mix them with the milk over a very low heat I think (like I said - experimentation), which leaves you with nice vanilla milk which you can sweeten with a bit of sugar. Then if you want to keep them in there, you can scrape the seeds out of the pods and discard the shells before blending - that wont make anything too gritty - the seeds are the little black bits you see in most good vanilla products.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

In a liquorice cornet. With glitter.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Is there anything which is both glittery and edible ?

Closest I can think of is the coloured bits in Wham bars. Which were only glittery by the shakiest of definitions. Come to think of it, they were only edible by the shakiest of definitions, too.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Little crystals of something, possibly sugar. Or the silver balls you can get to put on cake, seen from a distance.

[nalsa.livejournal.com]

Whipped cream that comes out of aerosols. If contents include brandy flavouring then they're "real misery whip".

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

Misery whip: A ventaism.

ventaism. One of venta's random words produced in order to confuse her readership.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Not guilty!
This one was produced by bands to confuse me!

[wimble.livejournal.com]

That's what you say.

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

And, indeed, you would say that.

[kissifa.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a Yu-gi-oh card to me.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

Ooh, it does an' all.

I wants it now!

[kissifa.livejournal.com]

I did not know you were a Yu-gi-oh player - we must meet up sometime for you to soundly whup my arse. :)

I'd imagine the misery whip to be an equip spell that changes the attacker to defense position at the end of the turn - what do you reckon?

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

I have cards somewhere - possibly at two_nukes's house. If I can ever find the things, I'm up for an arse-whupping, one way or another ;)

[two-nukes.livejournal.com]

To my knowledge I don't have your cards here

OEDey goodyness

[wimble.livejournal.com]

misery whip N. Amer. colloq., a whipsaw.
1930 G. WILLIAMS Logger-talk 26 *Misery whip, a cross cut saw.
1977 S. JONES Oregon Folklore 14 In the case of loggers, not only do they know what a crosscut saw is.., they also know that same item as a misery whip or a Swede's fiddle.
1995 Vancouver Sun 6 Sept. A11 There were Coolie Tongs and misery whips, Gilchrist jacks and pickeroos, tools I hadn't seen since my dad hand-felled spruce for Muir Brothers Saw Mill when I was the same age as my little girl.

Re: OEDey goodyness

[venta.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's slightly disappointing :(

I'd googled, and thus discovered what a misery whip was, but I was rather hoping the OED might have some suggestions as to why that kind of saw was particularly miserable.

Re: OEDey goodyness

[wimble.livejournal.com]

We're trying to figure it out. I've got a pet woodworker to hand :)

We think that it must be referring to a frame saw, really. So you've got an H-shaped frame (although far wider than it is tall). Across the bottom of the H you place a saw blade, and then you run a cord across the top arms of the H. As the cord is tightened, the top of the arms pull together, and the bottom arms pull apart, tensioning the saw blade. This does, at least, explain the whip (cord) in the word. Where the misery comes from we can't figure.

One possibility (but I'm really speculating) is that it might also be referring to a pit sawing operation, where you lay a treetrunk over a pit, and conduct a two man cutting operation. The poor bugger in the pit would be pretty miserable, don't you think? (I'm not convinced that'd be enough for an etymology though!)

Apparently, this is where the phrases "top dog" and underdog come from though. So you can still have some useless trivia :)

Re: OEDey goodyness

[zotz]

I think it might be a straightforward two-ended spring steel (hence the whip bit) crosscut saw. If you go to google images, that's what people seem to be using in the photos. But it still doesn't explain the misery.

Re: OEDey goodyness

[eostar.livejournal.com]

Had some slack time before going out this evening, and googled up this page, which suggests that your explanation of where the misery in "misery whip" comes is pretty close! And also a pictureTwo men and a misery whip, which gives a some idea of the size of the beast.

No sign of any etymology, unless, of course, you know otherwise ...

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Quick question: what, if anything, does the phrase "misery whip" mean to you ?

No idea. Can I have a point for recognising your entry's title ? <grin>

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think you'd better have a point, since as far as I can tell that's the only band you ever recognise lyrics from !

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

That's slander that is !

I can do Whitesnake and Aerosmith too.

Umm... I'll take the point. Thanks.

[venta.livejournal.com]

OK, just for you I'll endeavour to (remember to) title all my posts with Aerosmith/Whitesnake lyrics this week :)