Photo and Text property of E, except where noted, February 17, 2009.
Jacob says there are no rats around here because he and the Divas patrol the environs extensively...
Jacob and the Divas and E have a zero tolerance policy for rodents, except of course for their Blogger friends, Squirrel, from Nyack, and Mouse, from Cleveland.
Jacob would not mind traveling to Nyack or Cleveland as long as there are no rats there. He thinks Edward and Dennis should come along, too...
In answer to E's Blogger friend Mouse, aka Kimy,
E and another hard-working librarian located the following from Cassell's Dictionary of Slang.
"To give a rat's ass...
A twentieth century pejorative implying something insignificant."
For more information on this reference source, including product description, customer reviews and reviews from publications including Library Journal, click the link to Amazon.com provided below:
While E and the other librarian were disappointed in the brevity of this information, they hope Mouse is happy. E feels librarians are an undervalued community resource. Jacob knows this is true because he loves E, puts up with the Divas, and wants E to get a position so she can use her considerable brain and quirky humor.
Jacob also knows that when anyone asks a strange, inconsequential or vitally important question, they can always get answers from a librarian. Librarians help in all kinds of situations, even disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. Librarians rock almost as much as cats do!
11 comments:
Librarians rock!!!!
many thanks to e (and jacob) for trying to supply information on the source of the expression. ...alas, I am of the meaning of the term and was looking for the 'story' behind the meaning....
i thought perhaps the origin of the expression may have it's roots in an era when there was a bounty of rats (as in the capturing of rats)
after posting my query on brother merle's blog, I set off to find out of a quest to find it's origin - like e and the 'other librarian' I didn't find exactly what I was hoping to find but I did find this on the everything2.com website (it still lacks historical connection, but expands on the meaning a bit):
"When the term was first coined, presumably a rat's ass was the least valuable thing that the speaker could possibly imagine. If the subject of a sentence doesn't even "give a rat's ass" about something, the implication is that he or she certainly wouldn't give more valuable things, such as concern, or a second thought to the object of the sentence. Thus if I were to say, "I don't give a rat's ass about what she thinks", what I really mean is that her thoughts are absolutely worthless to me, and I wouldn't be willing to trade a rat's ass in exchange for knowledge of her thoughts, or any chance to talk to her and attempt to change her thoughts.
There is some debate as to whether a shit might be more worthless than a rat's ass. However, it is generally contended that a flying fuck is not real in even a metaphorical sense; my conclusion is that by saying "I don't give a flying fuck", the implied meaning is "I don't even care enough to make a coherent sentence regarding the topic."
I completely agree with megan....LIBRARIANS ROCK!!
word verification: outscrum .....sounds nasty, no?
thanky, thanky, thanky
Librarians are the gate-keepers to the fountain of knowledge. My card is the key to that gate :)
Megan, Kim and Subtorp,
You all rock for coming by! Kim, possibly the reason that wasn't cited as a source by the librarian is precisely because it lacks historical connection and a reference...He did look online. I'm glad everyone here appreciates what librarians do, although the warehouse of knowledge idea is a bit old since we now also deal with cyberspace.
Kim, one of the best librarians I know lives in Cleveland! She is or was part of CPL...
Ah...but when systems are down, it's nice to have a hard copy around...I get less eye strain, that way :)
Librarian saved my life one day.
Mrs. McNeese, when I was in the ninth grade.
I stole a set of headphones from the library. Got them home and Mom wanted to know where I got them. Told her Mrs. Mcneese sold them to me. Mom told me to take them back the next day. She didn't beieve me. As I left the house that morning I threw the headphones into the bushes by my house. Of course Mom had them when I got home and took me up to the school to return them. I went in the Library and told Mrs. Mcneese what I had done.
I thought I'd be in big trouble, but you know what?
She didn't believe me!
Librarians really know how to research, and I love research. The Librarians in Nyack are wonderful and I learn so much from them!
Librarians have always figured prominently in my life. I can remember my earliest association with them, and it was very positive.
bulletholes-classic conumdrum. Tell a lie or the truth and still no one believes you. Frustrating, when you're a kid.
I wish I had become a librarian . . .
Logan likes the look of Jacob
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