Work Clothing

As my Granddaddy used to say ” I’ll carry you Pickaback if you get tired”.

Nowadays we say piggy- back but originally the saying was pickaback more than 150 years ago. It has been said that ” great honored men have, on occasion, been carried pickaback; none has yet been carried piggy-back”.

As my Granddaddy used to say ” Well I’ll be Hornswoggled!”

Always thought it meant to be fooled and as it turns out ..I was sorta right. I can picture him in a pair of work overalls at the sale barn … fixin’ to sell a few ” head of cattle” and telling the boys to “keep your eyes and ears open so we don’t get hornswoggled” . Sounds funny doesn’t it?

This Kentucky coinage of the early 19th century, a period in which frontiersmen, especially, attempted to out-do one another in the creation of “highfalutin” speech. It was used in place of bamboozle, cheat, defraud, hoax or swindle.

Stay with me and we’ll have a little fun exploring some of the Ol’ Timers sayings!

Rosie the Riveter
This cultural icon of the United States, represents American women who worked in factories during World War II. These bib overall clad gals replaced the male workers who were in the military. This character is considered a feminist icon in the US.

The term “Rosie the Riveter” was first popularized in 1942 by a song written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. The song was recorded by numerous artists and became a national hit. The song portrays “Rosie” as a tireless assembly line worker, doing her part to help the American war effort.

Rosie the Riveter
All the day long,
Whether rain or shine
She’s a part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory
Rosie the Riveter

Rosie the Riveter was most closely associated with a real woman, Rose Will Monroe, who was born in Kentucky in 1920 and moved to Michigan during World War II. She worked as a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Michigan building B-29 and B-24 bombers for the U.S. Army Air Forces. At the age of 50 Monroe achieved her dream of piloting a plane. Rosie went on to become perhaps the most widely recognized icon of that era. The films and posters she appeared in were used to encourage women to go to work in support of the war effort.

As my Granddaddy used to say ” C’ mon, don’t be such a Slowpoke!” If you heard old Granddad say that you’d better pick up the pace before he got mad.

This Americanism dates to about 1860 and the poke refers to a lazy person or a dawdler.

So now that my understanding of this old term is clarified I can understand why my hard working Grandfather would be on the verge of anger when he used it.

Did I fail to mention that my Granddaddy always worked hard in bib overalls ?

In many parts of the world, people are admired for their displays of material wealth and their high-ranking careers. For instance, a lawyer in New York City knows she has made it when her name appears on the building and she’s made partner. On Wall Street, a stock broker shows off his excessive tastes by carrying a high-priced attaché case and wearing wingtips worth a small fortune.

Where I’m from, we refer to these “societal titans” as pencil pushers that happened to hit it big. To me, people set themselves apart by demonstrating character. Nothing builds character like a hard day’s work, of course, and Carhartt insulated bibs are basically the standard issue uniform for manual labor. Whether you’re an auto mechanic or a farm hand, a construction worker or a lumberjack, bib overalls are a symbol of pride.

As my Granddaddy used to say ” Now that’s just Hogwash!”

Have you ever heard that one? The term dates as far back as 1440 and referred to the swill fed to swine… or for the city slickers… food given to pigs!! Slop for pigs was a mixture of almost anything..but my memories of potato peelings and corn cobs are the most vivid.

More common usage dates to the early eighteenth century and could be defined as nonsense or meaningless or insincere talk.

In either time era I can picture my Granddaddy or his Great Granddaddy in a pair of bib overalls, called slops in the 1700′s , going out to ‘Slop the Hogs’ which means to feed the pigs. I hope you have had fun with this entry… I have! More to come in this series..stay tuned.

When looking at the photo you quickly realize the workers from 100 years ago are wearing bib overalls just like many workers do today. Think of the changes in how we do our jobs, the tools and the technology behind all of it and then you just have to laugh at how this piece of work clothing,the bib overall, has not become outdated.

Overalls date back to the 18th century and were first called “slops,” according to costume historian Sandra Ros Altman.
Overalls have clothed Americans at work and play since the 1700s, becoming a national icon in the process.

Farmers, carpenters, railroad and factory workers adopted bib overalls as their uniform praising its deep and numerous pockets designed to hold tools of all shapes and sizes. The design allowed for freedom of movement in almost any work situation. It was this uniform that became a symbol of America’s fighting spirit as the country struggled to rebuild itself after the devastating stock market crash of 1929.

early 1900s. Railroad workers sit on a handcar

With hunting season about to get underway in many parts of the Midwest, rifle hunters are ecstatic to return to the woods for some quality bonding time. It’s easily my wife’s least favorite time of year; even though I invite her out to camp year in and year out, I do so with the knowledge that she would never spend a second inside that musty cabin. As is the case every year, I take a moment to ensure that I have all the supplies I need for the weekend.

Besides guns, hunting knives, food rations and – ahem – cold beverages, a hunter must pack a practical wardrobe. In order to look the part, you’ll need lined overalls, a Carhartt jacket, a cap and some rugged boots. Most of the clothing should be camouflaged to help keep you hidden from your prey. Be sure to bring several changes of clothes as you can get mighty sweaty out in the woods after a long day of hunting.