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Chris -- 2025-05-10
Where does this expression come from and which is correct?
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Pith and Vinegar I’m sure
British people may say that someone is pithy meaning “wild”
I am pretty sure it’s “piss and vinegar”, both acidic liquids. Brits do not use pith to mean “wild” – where on earth did that idea come from? Of course the word “pith” has been used for years by comedians because of the similarity to “piss”. I seem to remember a Two Ronnies routine where it was a long-running pun…pith helmets, “are you taking the pith?” etc
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To be punny, I made a category on my blog entitled “Pith & Vinegar.” The original expression should be piss & vinegar.
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