THANK-YOU-MA’AM.

October 21, 2003 by 7 Comments

The Discouraging Word provides a typically thoroughgoing investigation into the slang term “thank-you-ma’am,” meaning a pothole—a term that was new to me, so I suspect it’s regional or antiquated. TDW also goes into the expanded “wham, bam…” form, which leads to all sorts of unsavory matters. Enjoy.

Addendum. The term “thank-you-ma’am” is apparently current in Texas and New England (thanks, Bonnie!). Anywhere else?

Comments

  1. Zizka says
    October 21, 2003 at 1:41 pm

    WBTYM — I remember the phrase featuring prominently in something by Max Shulman, most famous for Dobie Gillis but also a screenwriter in some OK movies. I saw it around 1960-62 but have no idea when the book came out.

  2. Eric in Texas says
    October 21, 2003 at 5:49 pm

    I’ve heard it dozens of times down here in Texas, so its not antiquated.

  3. cure says
    October 23, 2003 at 9:07 pm

    Since TDW lists many sources starting after the 70s, I’m pretty sure the most famous source of the phrase was not music-related. As far as I know “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins, a basketball player in the 70s known for his dunks, had one named something like the “Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma’am Slam Jam” I’ve always heard it used as a sexual term, of course.

  4. Anton Sherwood says
    May 19, 2006 at 9:02 pm

    the relevant TDW archive

  5. Anton Sherwood says
    May 19, 2006 at 9:04 pm

    Hat — from the novelty of the phrase, you infer that it may be old? Heh.

  6. Lars Mathiesen says
    April 14, 2022 at 3:14 pm

    The Discouraging Word is now a site selling shower doors to Essex dwellers. Eheu!

    What is a Sorry, Sam!, then?

  7. languagehat says
    April 14, 2022 at 3:31 pm

    Thanks for the heads-up; I’ve replaced the link with an archived one (scroll down to Oct. 20).

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