history of can't beat it with a stick?
January 16, 2006 8:35 AM Subscribe
What's the origin of the phrase "couldn't (can't) beat it with a stick"?
I always assumed it was just a pun. "Can't be beat" means number one, but "beat" can also mean "physically assault" so it's just saying it REALLY can't be beat. Probably someone else here will come up with some more nifty historical goodness.
posted by dagnyscott at 9:26 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by dagnyscott at 9:26 AM on January 16, 2006
It's combining two definitions for the word beat. You start with a phrase like "Our waffles can't be beat!", in which beat means to best or triumph over. Beat can also mean bludgeon, as in "beat with a stick." The two definitions are thus humorously combined--the waffles cannot be bested and cannot be beaten, even with a stick or the like.
posted by Espy Gillespie at 9:28 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by Espy Gillespie at 9:28 AM on January 16, 2006
or what dagnyscott said.
posted by Espy Gillespie at 9:28 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by Espy Gillespie at 9:28 AM on January 16, 2006
Which reminds me of the motto for Culver City Meats: "Nobody beats our meat!"
posted by GarageWine at 9:44 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by GarageWine at 9:44 AM on January 16, 2006
As far as the origins of 'can't be beat', I wouldn't be surprised if it came from the 19th century credit rating industry. It's where we get other terms like 'first-rate,' 'good-for-nothing,' or 'a good egg.' These terms started as descriptions of an individual's credit and then semantic shift moved them into moral descriptions. For more on this, check out the excellent book Born Losers.
posted by allen.spaulding at 9:47 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by allen.spaulding at 9:47 AM on January 16, 2006
It mmay have been derived from the practice of bear baiting.
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:37 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:37 AM on January 16, 2006
Yes, it's just a joke that has devolved into a ubiquitous phrase.
posted by occhiblu at 11:19 AM on January 16, 2006
posted by occhiblu at 11:19 AM on January 16, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dial-tone at 9:19 AM on January 16, 2006