Letterpress Lingo

mind your p’s and q’s

upper case/lower case

I wonder about “cut to the chase”.

I think that’s from the movies, not printing — the chase scene was always the most exciting part so “Cut to the chase” gets to the best part.

Bob

Hi, Bob—I’ve heard that too, but still I wonder…I don’t think I’ve ever seen the phrase in a source that predates movies, and I don’t know if it’s even sound old printing advice. But I can imagine the phrase being appropriated by the public from printing if it were a technical instruction little used and not understood in context.

Best, Brian

I think you’re right about the chase thing. I guess I was thinking there was more…

I don’t think it originated with printing but “pi”, meaning “jumbled” or “disorganized” is certainly a printing term that’s used in other contexts — “pied piper”, “pi-bald horse”, etc. refers to the sort of random patchwork or color distribution of those individuals.

Bob

get the lead out. Dick G.

bodkin
hell box
reglet
type lice

Funny you mentioned “coin a phrase” — letterpress quoins are used to lock your type into your chase..so you are essentially quoining a phrase every time you print with text.

How about these
hot off the press
sort this out
wrong end of the stick
and for our British friends come a cropper
HowardH

Sorry - “wrong end of the stick” predates printing. Medieval toilet humor… (I am given to understand that sticks were used before toilet paper was invented)

It’s ‘crapper’ for the Brits, not ‘cropper’. One’s going for a ‘crap’. The man who invented the flush-toilet was called Thomas Crapper.

Here’s a delightful little gem I found in the “Printer’s Carnival and
other poems” by James Kelly, published by Love & Duncan in 1875.

The printer is a curious man—
A wondrous mixture he,
And full of contradictories,
As ye shall quickly see.

His personal appearance does
Not strike you with surprise,
Because he has his Roman (n)”o’s”
Right underneath his “i’s.”

Although his ” frame ” be no great ” bulk,”
His meat he always takes,
But is not very fond of ” pie,”
Though lots of it he makes.

He never ” poaches,” like a cook,
Yet he the hunt could grace—
He always takes his ” shooting-stick “
When he attends the ” chase.”

And he, though ignorant of law,
Could take the lawyer’s place,
For he can practise at the ” bar “
And look well to his ” case.”

Though not dishonestly inclined,
Or given to maraud,
We find he often pillages
When he gets out of ” quad.”

He is not an offensive man
Because he wields a ” stick,”
Although, whene’er he uses it,
He still keeps out the ” nick.”

He at the ” lock-up ” soon arrives,
When trying to ” impose,”
And yet is a religious man
For he to ” chapel” goes.

Although he seems a dangerous blade
When brandishing a knife,
He only ” cuts a skeleton,”
And takes away no life.

‘Tis said he cannot sharpen tools
Like some apprentice lads,
But he at times can ” set” ” old saws,”
And often “sets” the “ads” (adze).

He is a miser, for we find
He often locks up ” coins,”
And, like a locomotive, he
Is forced to ” run on lines.”

When he is in the best of health
He’s often “out of sorts;”
And though he oft composes lines
The muse he seldom courts.

He has on hand sufficient ” caps “
To start a hatter’s shop;
And makes up ” braces ” with a dash
To give his talents scope.

‘Tis true he naturally shrinks
From actions, fell and dire,
Yet has been known to take a ” stick “
And set ” A House on Fire.”

He is a sinner (all are so
By Adam eating apple),
And he may be a ” Prod ” although
The ” Father of the Chapel.”

Let adverse Fortune follow him
Till he pays Nature’s debt,
Hope will remain for him alone
When all his ” stars ” are ” set”

Thomas, I know the difference between a toilet ( crapper) and a printing press (cropper). I was told by an old printer that if you chased a misfeed and lossed a finger to a press they said you came a cropper. I must admit I don’t know what they call a misfeed in a toilet. HowardH

scum bucket