Hornswaggler | The culture, the humor, a bit of the sports, not so much the politics, and the workplace distraction
Hornswaggle is an alternate spelling of
hornswoggle, an archaic word that means to bamboozle or hoodwink. I take my
pronunciation from the late Harvey Korman in "Blazing Saddles" --
"I want rustlers, cutthroats, murderers,
bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits,
vipers, snipers, conmen, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers,
buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswagglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train
robbers, bank robbers, ass kickers, shit kickers and Methodists!"
I listened to this song the other day because it's on the Christmas mix on my iPod, and I have to say it could just as easily be called "Prelude to a Sex Crime." I get that the woman in this tune is torn between knowing she should leave and wanting to stay, but the man's persistence is downright creepy -- the part with the drink gives away his evil intentions. She's lucky to have escaped with her life.
PROSECUTOR: Tell us what happened next. VICTIM: He kept telling me how cold it was outside. PROSECUTOR: And was it cold? VICTIM: I mean, it was cold, but nothing out of the ordinary. It's winter in New England. It's always cold. PROSECUTOR: And did there come a point where you became frightened? VICTIM: Yes. I asked him for "half a drink" more, at which point he asked me to put some music on while he fixed it for me. PROSECUTOR: Then what happened? VICTIM: The drink tasted funny. I asked him what was in it, but he didn't respond. All he said was, "No cabs to be had out there." PROSECUTOR: Do you think he was trying to distract you by having you put on the music while he made the drink? DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Objection! Calls for speculation.