this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2024
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Everett True Comics

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A place to appreciate the twentieth century comic character Everett True of "The Outbursts of Everett True." Feel free to check out the sticky.

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Printed 109 years ago today in The Seattle Star. Image brightness/contrast and sharpness slightly modified; see the original.

Found on the Library of Congress site.

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[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago (2 children)

In the context of the early 1900s, "skin" is used as a verb meaning to move swiftly or slip away. It is related to phrases like "skin out," which means to leave quickly or hastily. This usage likely stems from the idea of "skinning" as a quick, slick action, akin to how one might swiftly peel or slip off the skin of an object. The origin can be traced back to the notion of moving in a smooth or gliding manner, possibly related to older idiomatic expressions involving quick actions.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

My mom used to say “skin a rabbit!” To get me and my sibling to lift our arms and she’s quickly take off our shirts before a bath or bed or whatever.

There was also an old dude that lived next door that used to farm rabbits and skin them in his back yard.

It more than likely refers to skinning animals, as people did that themselves more commonly back then.

[–] shasta@lemm.ee 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

In that usage yes, but the grammar in the image implies a different definition.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 week ago

I mean yes, but when you skin a rabbit, you rip the skin off really quickly. So pretty sure “skin” here means to do something quickly