Comments on: history of can't beat it with a stick?

Question: history of can't beat it with a stick?

dial-tone — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:35:56 -0800

What's the origin of the phrase "couldn't (can't) beat it with a stick"?

By: dial-tone

dial-tone — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:19:17 -0800

My girlfriend and I were discussing this and couldn't come up with a possible story as it is used as a positive. My guess was that it had to do with cooking.

By: dagnyscott

dagnyscott — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:26:52 -0800

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.

By: Espy Gillespie

Espy Gillespie — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:28:05 -0800

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.

By: Espy Gillespie

Espy Gillespie — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:28:14 -0800

or what dagnyscott said.

By: GarageWine

GarageWine — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:44:19 -0800

Which reminds me of the motto for Culver City Meats: "Nobody beats our meat!"

By: allen.spaulding

allen.spaulding — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 09:47:55 -0800

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.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 10:37:58 -0800

It mmay have been derived from the practice of bear baiting.

By: occhiblu

occhiblu — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 11:19:14 -0800

Yes, it's just a joke that has devolved into a ubiquitous phrase.