Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth

Posted by Sauerkraut on December 31, 2000

In Reply to: Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth posted by Bruce Kahl on December 29, 2000

: : : : : There is a song in the musical "Guys and Dolls" called MORE I CANNOT WISH YOU sung by the character Uncle Arvide who uses this phrase. Origin and meaning, please.

: : : : This is a guess. Those terms sound like slang terms for dice.

: : : I surely hope not. Uncle Arvide is a Salvation Army Colonel, and is talking about his wishes for Sarah to find her true love - I know she was involved with Sky Masterson, but don't know that Uncle Arvide approved. Thanks for the reply though - let's see where this goes. Can our British friends help any?

: : I've read the lyrics since I posted. It does sound like lovey dovey terms. Sheep's eyes sounds familiar. But licorice teeth?? I couldn't find either of the terms in either my British slang books or the others.

: Standing there,
: Gazing at you,
: Full of the bloom of youth.
: Standing there,
: Gazing at you,
: With the sheep's eye and the licorice tooth.

: Roget has both terms as synonyms for desire:
: Roget's Thesaurus: Entry 865 (Desire)
: http://www.chem.leeds.ac.uk/roget/entries/865.html

: Desire. -- N. desire, wish, fancy, fantasy; want, need,
: exigency.

: mind, inclination, leaning, bent, animus, partiality, penchant,
: predilection; propensity &c. 820; willingness &c. 602; liking, love, fondness, relish.

: thirstiness; drouth,
: mouthwatering; itch, itching; prurience, cacoethes[Lat], cupidity, lust,
: concupiscence.

: edge of appetite, edge of hunger; torment of Tantalus; sweet tooth,
: lickerish tooth[obs]; itching palm; longing eye, wistful eye, sheep's eye.

:
: Merriam Webster on sheeps eye:
: Main Entry: sheep's eye
: Function: noun
: Date: circa 1529
: : a shy longing usually amorous glance -- usually used in plural
: http://www.m-w.com/home.htm

: Websters Unabridged on Sheep's Eye:
: Sheep's-eye
: Sheep's"-eye` (?), n. A modest, diffident look; a loving glance; -- commonly in the plural.
: "I saw her just now give him the languishing eye, as they call it; . . . of old called the sheep's-eye."--
: Wycherley

: http://www.bibliomania.com/2/3/257/frameset.html

thanks, all, for the replies. The amorous explanations seem to fill the bill as it were.

• Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth Bob 12/31/00
  • Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth Scott 12/31/00
    • Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth Sauerkraut 01/02/01
      • Re: Sheep's eye and licorice tooth Sauerkraut 01/02/01