The term, “piss like a racehorse” was one of those lines that, although it did not contain outright profanity, it could garnish us kids a slap in the mouth from certain adults within earshot. You would construct this phrase to emphasize your need to urinate, as in “Drive faster, Mom, I have to piss like a racehorse!” Then, if you mother did not wreck while trying to slap the taste out of your mouth for such vulgarity, you eventually got where you were going and, hopefully, to a restroom.
I’ve often wondered what the origin of that term was. I mean, race horses are fast (usually) and the pee standing on all fours, but what does that have to do with me and my urgent need to empty my bladder?
This odd question finally crossed my mind when I was in a position (seated in front of a PC with an Internet connection) to do something about it.
Example:
Stop the car at the next tree, I have to piss like a racehorse.
Origin:
Horses, it turns out, don’t always feel comfortable urinating just anywhere. Show horses and racehorses spend a great deal of time in their pens and come to feel safe and secure there. They don’t like to urinate outside of those pens and in many cases won’t.
In fact show and racehorses are frequently returned to their pens to allow them to urinate. Hence racehorses are often walking around outside of their pens with an urgent need to urinate.
Alternative: This phrase originated in the practice (currently illegal, I believe) of giving diuretics to racehorses. The horse would then urinate substantially and drop a few pounds in the process. Voila! A lighter, faster, somewhat dehydrated horse. (more…)
See if you actually know any of the names of these crazy things. Point your mouse at the black rectangle under each to reveal the name. If you then click on the name, you can find out more about each creature.
12.
Don’t confuse this guy with just any old mud puppy! Sometimes referred to as a Mexican Mole Salamander, their real name is a screwy as their appearance.
