I like that show, but I haven't seen that particular episode yet, so I'm as much in the dark as anyone.

I'm surprised that the racy meaning of shag came from a US president. I thought it was a Britishism. Interesting.

Will think and await further clues.

TM

Well, I know what that picture is of - it's a thingie!! lol.

I have not clues as to the meaning of the others, and will need lots of clues. TM, I'm with you, I thought 'shag' came from the Brits.

Nancy.

The first use of the word shag in that sense occurred in a 1770 written passage as part of a legal case. It was used in the past tense-shagged.

Looking at Facebook this morning and noticed that a good friend cut her hair, so she now has bangs. Not a fan, but don't tell her that! Isn't it a little crazy all these hairstyles we try?

Cynthia

The figure sure looks familiar though can't quite remember where I have seen it.

Have an idea for the second question. He could have made a statement about criticism of his rather large purchase using both mammoth and belittle.

Also an idea on the first question from Cynthia's clue but need more clues to confirm.

I have given up watching Sunday morning talk shows. It seems that everyone is on the edge rather than willing to meet in the middle. SIgh. The good news is that I am reading more. Read about a new book on Davy Crockett. Of course, that got me thinking of Fess Parker. There is a clue in the picture for you, Bobbie!

Cynthia

Here is a link that might be useful: Fess Parker

well, shag as far as hair I get - everybody wanted to look like Farrah!!

Nancy.

I hadn't heard about shag's sexual meaning until just recently. Too sheltered and naive I guess.

I'm missing the photo clue, Cynthia. Will give it some more thought.

The item looks like something one would push in the middle.

Oh dear. The photo isn't a clue! I am SO sorry. It is just a cool new idea that I thought I would share. It is an electrical outlet invented in Japan. It is supposed to be an alternative to all those power strips folks need these days. You can plug in anywhere on the outlet. Unfortunately, it only works with non-polarized plugs, so not available here at this point. :(

Oh, and the LED light in the center lets you know the power is on.

I agree, Cynthia, that is a cool little gadget. I thought maybe it was a speaker of some kind, but that didn't seem clever enough to warrant your including it as an additional fun question for us.

As for the original two questions, I'm really getting nowhere. I know when I see the answers I'll wonder why I couldn't figure out such good clues. :-)

TM

I'm with TM on this one, haven't a clue.

Annette

Belittle was first used in a response to criticism of the US by the Comte de Bouffant of France. The President felt he had no right and was wrong to "belittle" the United States. And yes, Bobbie, he did make a mammoth purchase. ;)

The slang used by TR in response to a show of modern art (cubism and such) was later used by him to describe political opponents as I mentioned. TM and Annette, read back and put together wild bangs (parents of those young girls in the early 20th c. used this two word slang term to describe the bangs), with my pic of Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen with a term often used today to describe those at the extreme ends of the political spectrum.

Cynthia

I got nothing on the last part, but the mammoth purchase gave me pause to think it might be a rather large territory, at that time larger that we might associate with the namesake now.....or am I out in the left cotton field?

Nancy - who is heading down to watch the Poirot that I taped!!

Sorry, Cynthia, I was referring to the photo of Fess Parker and Buddy Ebson.
Don't know what the term is but think that fringe would also describe bangs so perhaps the term incorporates the word fringe.

2. Thomas Jefferson

Interesting electrical outlet.

Ah ha, fringe seems to ring a bell :).

Annette

I do like Bobbie's answers, (Good job, Bobbie, coming up with fringe) but I definitely can't claim them for my own.

TM

Yes, but what is the other part of the phrase? The _____ fringe that TR and now so many others use to describe some political opponents.

Cynthia

Oh, oh - getting that - radical as it may seem!!

Nancy.

Hey, did you read we are going to have another one of those huge moons again this month? At least here on the East Coast. So cool.

Cynthia

Thanks to the last clue I got it! You are so generous, Cynthia, going way into Monday.

Lunatic fringe
Jefferson

Comes from giving my students extra time, Bobbie! Ha. Being on vacation may have something to do with it, too. I should be more strict! I will wait a little and then bestow stars!

Cynthia

Ahh, I was wrong, great song too, btw!!

Nancy.

I'll go with that :), I'll go along with Bobbie with Lunatic Fringe. That last clue was a goodie. Have no guess for the pres. tho...

Annette

My first thought was the same as Nancy's -- radical fringe. Then I saw Bobbie's answer and that sounded even better.

I will take zero stars please. :-)

Fun questions. Thank you, Cynthia.

TM

Maybe 1/2 one for me LOL.

Annette

Now, now. Two stars for Annette (should have appropriated Bobbie's answer for the prez) and four stars for Bobbie, Nancy and TM (who did go along with Bobbie).

Yes, Roosevelt took the term lunatic fringe which some parents were using to describe their daughters' bangs which were apparently a new wild type and applied to art he saw at a show that included cubism and other modern styles. Several years later, he used it to describe his political opponents and that usage stuck.

The president was indeed Thomas Jefferson. In 1770, he was writing about a legal case and said the woman had been 'shagged' by the man in question. Never would have expected that! He also used the word mammoth to mean huge (he spoke of a gift of cheese from a group of women as being mammoth) and coined the word belittle as I described above. He also created the word neologism, perhaps to give weight and legitimacy to those newly coined words he was using! :)

Thanks for playing. I am including a link to the show we were watching.

Here is a link that might be useful: Secret Slang

I'll have to watch that later - I love stuff like this!! Thanks for the fun, but I deserve no stars.

Nancy.

Thanks for the fun questions and stars. I kept looking at the Parker photo and all I could see was the coonskin cap. No way was that working with bangs. Talk about a one track mind. Later I studied the photo until I saw the fringe, took a long, long time.

When my son was four he was into numbers and size and liked to look at the number chart in the dictionary. Don't most four year olds love dinosaur's? That's when I learned about Jefferson and mammoth and belittle.