[lit-ideas] Re: "There's an old saying in Tennessee"

I don't have any idea why he considers it (or called it) a saying identified 
with TN.  It's more (I think) like a piece of Americana.  I would have 
expected it to have originated here, probably somewhere in the south because it 
does 
have that flavour.  Perhaps it's a loose translation of an ancient Chinese 
proverb, gradually honed down to a southern phrase.
Julie Krueger

========Original Message========
Subj:[lit-ideas] Re: "There's an old saying in Tennessee"
Date:6/28/2004 9:24:34 PM Central Daylight Time
From:Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
To:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent on:    



In a message dated 6/28/2004 10:17:22 PM Eastern Standard Time,  
JulieReneB@xxxxxxx writes:
What  confuses you?  Bush just couldn't 
say it right.  He forgot the  second half

What strikes me as interesting is that he wanted to qualify the expression  
as being 'an old saying in Tennessee' -- was the speech being delivered 
there?  
He then notes he _knows_ it's a saying in Texas.

I would think that the proverb is actually generalized all over the United  
States, and possibly of English origin?

I do not have the Oxford  Dictionary of English proverbs to hand, but the 
post I sent earlier -- with the  online link -- says it's an Oriental 
(Chinese) 
proverb. So what's the source for  believing it's only Tennessee/Texas?

Cheers,

JL




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