'Here's mud in your eye', James Briggs

Posted by GPP on August 12, 2003

Help, James. I found your Oct 20, 2000 entry

"Here's mud in your eye is used as a toast (why do we use that word in the context of a drink? The answer can be found under More Origins). The speaker is really congratulating himself, for the saying comes from the world of horse racing where the winning horse will kick mud into the eyes of those following."

(I being a dense enough person, it didn't immediately click with me that 'that word' 'coming later' at your site was going to be the word 'toast'.) Okay, so 'Here's mud in your eye' translates roughly as 'The Devil take the hindmost'. But why might either of these expressions, or the general concept, be used as a toast when drinking? Ideas, anyone?

• 'Here's mud in your eye', James Briggs GPP 12/August/03
  • 'Here's mud in your eye', James Briggs James Briggs 12/August/03
    • 'Here's mud in your eye', James Briggs James McClelland 24/August/03