Community Chat

[Cakers3]

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@maestra wrote:

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@sunshine45 wrote:

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@ncascade wrote:

How about the words  "skinny ma-link"? Used to describe someone who is very thin.

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have never heard of that before, but have heard skidamarink or skinnamarink from an old song.

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@sunshine45 wrote:

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@ncascade wrote:

How about the words  "skinny ma-link"? Used to describe someone who is very thin.

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have never heard of that before, but have heard skidamarink or skinnamarink from an old song.

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common in New England and old-fashioned.

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@maestra  Odd-I'm from NE and only heard "skinny minnie". 

I'm actually surprised "skinny minnie"  wasn't common in PA since the song of the same name was written by Bill Haley and The Comets, formed in PA.

Interesting thread-from what I could find about "malink" is that it could be a variation from various ethnic groups who settled Pittsburgh.

How language developes, changes, and adapts is something to learn.

[masque]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

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@maestra wrote:

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@sunshine45 wrote:

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@ncascade wrote:

How about the words  "skinny ma-link"? Used to describe someone who is very thin.

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have never heard of that before, but have heard skidamarink or skinnamarink from an old song.

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@sunshine45 wrote:

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@ncascade wrote:

How about the words  "skinny ma-link"? Used to describe someone who is very thin.

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have never heard of that before, but have heard skidamarink or skinnamarink from an old song.

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common in New England and old-fashioned.

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@maestra  Odd-I'm from NE and only heard "skinny minnie". 

I'm actually surprised "skinny minnie"  wasn't common in PA since the song of the same name was written by Bill Haley and The Comets, formed in PA.

Interesting thread-from what I could find about "malink" is that it could be a variation from various ethnic groups who settled Pittsburgh.

How language developes, changes, and adapts is something to learn.

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Hi @Cakers3 "She's not skinny, she's tall.... that's all." I'm from PA,too, and  I knew Bill Haley when his group was "The Four Western Aces." (Bill Haley , Bashful Barney Barnard, Al Constantine and Billy Williamson.)

[Cakers3]

@masque  Bill Haley and the Comets played at my college many many many years ago when we hosted a concert featuring some of the "oldies".

And I mean many years ago.  LOL

(Didn't want to keep quoting)

[masque]

@Cakers3  I have a set of cd's of Bill Haley which includes one that has all those old songs, and that is the one I play most of the time. My BFF and I used to go out to the radio station where they played, and sit in on the program.  We were in 7th or 8th grade, and yes, it was a LONG time ago.

[sunshine45]

@Cakers3

i am from maryland and we used to use "skinnie minnie" a lot.

[Cakers3]

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@sunshine45 wrote:

@Cakers3

i am from maryland and we used to use "skinnie minnie" a lot.

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@sunshine45  I wonder if the Bill Haley tune spread the expression across the country?

[GenXmuse]

@MacDUFF Thank you for finding that info about the origin of the song and words!  I just remembered the chorus and figured it was a nonsense word because no one could tell me what it was growing up.  😊

[reiki604]

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@ncascade wrote:

How about the words  "skinny ma-link"? Used to describe someone who is very thin.

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Growing up in Brooklyn NY my mom used this phrase in this way.

[Big Sister]

A most interesting thread.  Thanks for the info. and the lesson.  I learn something every day on this forum.