If I feel I have talked too much about something, or if I feel suddenly that I need to mind my own business, or if I suddenly find I am blabbing about a topic that is out of my league, I will find myself saying the following.
"Hmmmm, it looks like I'd better shut up and eat my shrimp".
I know I am not the first one to say it and it ususally comes in an imperative form:
"Shut up and eat your shrimp".
But I don't offer up condescending commands very much, so I mainly use it with reference to myself as an emphatic device.
I believe I heard it in a movie somewhere so I am not sure if it is antiquated or not. Also, I could construe, maybe somewhat humorously, that the origins might be off-color, but I am not sure. It is not my objective to talk about off-color language here, but it would be good to know if it was. I just presumed it was an "emphatic phrase" of some kind or had a back story, perhaps in the setting of some movie, that brought it into usage.
I am not the only one I have heard say something to this effect.
"eating shrimp"
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- Junior Lexiterian
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- Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:26 pm
- Location: USA (Fort Collins, Colorado)
"eating shrimp"
Known in restaurant circles by quasi-Thai moniker, "That Guy" (e.g. heard in the back.."that guy is here again"; "that guy on/at table 10"; "that guy is going for a sirloin again", etc.)
Half the distance in half the states...from half2run.com
Half the distance in half the states...from half2run.com
Generally, "shut up and eat my/your xxxx" seems to mean "stop complaining."
On Google there are far more hits for "shut up and eat your xxxx" In place of xxxx, beans had 764 hits, dinner had 480, grits had 133 and shrimp had 3
On the other hand, the replacement for xxxx in "shut up and eat my xxxx" were much more varied. The more frequent ones were x-rated and not reproducible on this web site.
There were no hits for "shut up and eat my shrimp"
Cheers,
On Google there are far more hits for "shut up and eat your xxxx" In place of xxxx, beans had 764 hits, dinner had 480, grits had 133 and shrimp had 3
On the other hand, the replacement for xxxx in "shut up and eat my xxxx" were much more varied. The more frequent ones were x-rated and not reproducible on this web site.
There were no hits for "shut up and eat my shrimp"
Cheers,
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- Junior Lexiterian
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 12:26 pm
- Location: USA (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Thanks for the insight. I did try a Google search myself, but I must have used a poor search strategy. I did not uncover all these variations.Generally, "shut up and eat my/your xxxx" seems to mean "stop complaining."
On Google there are far more hits for "shut up and eat your xxxx" In place of xxxx, beans had 764 hits, dinner had 480, grits had 133 and shrimp had 3
On the other hand, the replacement for xxxx in "shut up and eat my xxxx" were much more varied. The more frequent ones were x-rated and not reproducible on this web site.
There were no hits for "shut up and eat my shrimp"
Cheers,
As you found, I would expect some variations on imperative commands, but not necessarily reflexive sentences, as the constructs I tend to use in a self-deprecating way.
I am still not sure of the origin. Perhaps the ones using legitimate food (beans, etc) are simply parroting what one's parents might say to them as a child. However, "shrimp" seems like sort of an odd food to select. It was a rare hit in your search, but it did occur and I have heard it before.
I have wondered if it might have occurred as a line in a popular film somewhere along the way and simply got picked up by the culture.
As you mentioned, I would expect that there are obscene constructs, but I did not expect to hear about all the hits on various different kinds of food.
Thanks.
Known in restaurant circles by quasi-Thai moniker, "That Guy" (e.g. heard in the back.."that guy is here again"; "that guy on/at table 10"; "that guy is going for a sirloin again", etc.)
Half the distance in half the states...from half2run.com
Half the distance in half the states...from half2run.com
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- Grand Panjandrum
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- Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:58 pm
- Location: Carolinia Agrestícia: The Forest Primeval
Have never heard this one at all.
Closest match in my memory is Frank Zappa's album titles "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar" and their siblings "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More" and "Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar". Different meaning, I suspect.
Closest match in my memory is Frank Zappa's album titles "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar" and their siblings "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More" and "Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar". Different meaning, I suspect.
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
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- Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 1476
- Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:58 pm
- Location: Carolinia Agrestícia: The Forest Primeval
Shucks. Eel tell ya wet, such bigmouth poachers are all gillty of shellfishness, the sole trout they have in common, and they shell roe the day they are called to atuna for their fins!Only on the crabs who flounder while musseling in on and sponging off the shrimps. And the cowries who clam up but have their tentacles into everything...
Anchor very much
at least we haven't drifted offtopic; arrr
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
Shark all you want I manta no herring, All of a Sturgeon, I felt I must tell you, just for the halibut, but certainly on porpoise, but I won't go into that minnow. Hake of a thing, I need a Tuna but I may make do with a guppy. Mako your wishes, and no floundering. It's all crappie anyway
mark something-fishy-this-way-comes Bailey
mark something-fishy-this-way-comes Bailey
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Make the most of it...
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