Chuckle Bros by Brian and Ron Boychuk for March 30, 2010

I guess he’s waxing philosophical.

Waxing and waning.

is that a Binford A3000 wax baller?

Nobody else holds a candle to theys guys…

One explanation of the origin of the expression whole ball of wax is a modification of the whole bailiwick. The company’s name in the toon is Bollowack … very funny

Joe there were hundreds of explanations as to where that expression came from.

One is it is a modification of whole bailiwick, an association between bail and ball, and between wick and candle wax.”

I chose that one because Ron used Bollowack as the name of the company. Who knows about these Canadians and their sense of humor :0)

There was a Chuckle Bros toon a few weeks back that used the expression ‘A Dog’s breakfast’

I emailed them thu their web page and asked about it as none of us got the joke.

Ron emailed me back and explained it was an English expression they use in Canada meaning - A mess or muddle.

I guess we are getting an education if nothing else by reading the toons

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/114550.html

To coin a phrase, of course!

Do they make knick-knack balls o’ wax?

I think this is a good place, and time (maybe too late in the day, though) to get thoughts on something I’ve wondered lately: Are people getting lazy, or is the language just evolving when they/we, say, “a whole ‘nother…” It is really putting the word “whole” in the middle of “another”. I appreciate the living language, but should this be considered “standard” or “non-standard”?