MetaChat - Meta-Chap

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22 February 2011

Meta-Chap Not able to find any definitive information as to the origin of the phrase "that really chaps my ass." You can NOT convince me that any self-respecting cowboy
ever said this. Ever. Chaps notwithstanding. My husband says he first heard it in the military.→[More:]

Believe me, a websearch on this topic is NOT for the faint-hearted. Nor is it informative. At least, not in any productive sense.

And ....that really DOES chap my ass.

post by: dorgla at: 11:43 | 10 comments

I never heard this at all until maybe 10 years ago.

Some relatively unhelpful comments on usage websites.

posted by Miko 22 February | 12:02

I've heard it said, but i don't recall seeing it written until just now. I thought it was "that really CHAFES my ass", which would make more sense if we're talking about something irritates.

posted by Slack-a-gogo 22 February | 12:22

MetaChap, hee hee!

posted by Specklet 22 February | 13:53

I think I heard "chaps my hide" first, as a kid. I remember that when I heard "chaps my ass" the first time, I didn't think it sounded quite right. That really gets my scrot!

posted by fleacircus 22 February | 15:26

"Chaps my hide" was used by my father, who, back in the 1970's, was remarkably similar to Kurtwood Smith's "Red Foreman" character on "That 70s Show", except for his general aversion to popular profanity; therefore no use of the word "ass", but every possible colorful-but-TV-censor-friendly exclamation.

posted by oneswellfoop 22 February | 18:12

I'm struggling to understand the cowboy comment. Why would this be attributable--or not--to cowboys?

posted by galadriel 22 February | 19:14

The cowboy reference kept coming up this morning when I originally googled the origin of the phrase. I mean no disrespect to the profession. Seriously. It's just that *I* couldn't see how it had any connection to cowboys either!

posted by dorgla 22 February | 21:00

Cowboy = chaps. Since they were the ones to wear chaps to protect their legs, that's why such a comment would be thought to originate with them.

posted by redvixen 22 February | 21:14

My two cents: You don't wear chaps on your ass, and chaps have nothing to do with the dry, cracked skin. I don't think it's connected to cowboys; I think it's more related to phrases like "Ooh burn" or "yowch, that stings".

posted by Specklet 22 February | 22:17

I think Slack-a-gogo has it. Chafe and chap are synonyms... chap as in chapped lips- raw and cracked. So chafe my ass and chap my ass have roughly the same meaning.

posted by Doohickie 22 February | 22:36

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