Observation: · 4:11am Apr 23rd, 2016
I'm currently looking for "Country-isms" for one of my characters.
I stumbled across the phrase "(you look like you've been) rode hard and put away wet," meaning, "you don't look so good."
As with a lot of Southern slang, it's a wonderfully expressive metaphor: in this case, it has ties to raising (IRL) horses, and describes a horse who has not been allowed to dry off their sweat after strenuous exercise before being locked back up in the stable; IIRC, this can actually be life-threatening. I love the sound and (dare I say) musicality of the phrase, and I would love to use it myself.
...however...
I can't think of a way to have a pony tell another pony they look like they've been "rode hard and put away wet" that doesn't sound highly suggestive... especially since the character I have in mind is male, and would interact with primarily females...!
(BTW: my long-form fic has been submitted! I think the queue is backed up or something, but it should post within about 48 hours! Watch this space for details!)
I think the "rode hard" is the worst part. Maybe "run hard and lain down wet"?
Alara J Rogers' excellent Love, Friendship, and Chaos has a nice mention of how even Equestrian ponies need a good rubdown after heavy exercise (like flying a sick Discord back from the ends of Equestria), if you want to incorporate that realistic detail.
3890214
That's actually a really good suggestion, as always--I think I could like with "run hard and put away wet" (to preserve as much of the original structure as possible). That sounds a lot less sexual, at least to me.
(BTW--did you get my message on reddit from a day or two ago? I never saw a reply...)
3890221 Thanks!
"Put away" does preserve the original structure, but it's got connotations of a third party doing the putting away. In Equestria, wouldn't a pony be free to lay down herself rather than be put away?
Though on the other hoof, I guess it could come from the military, with connotations of a very controlling officer (at least originally; they may or may not have been retained). I can see a non-martially-oriented pony like Private Pansy complaining that Commander Hurricane always puts her away tired and wet...