In last night's Debunktion Junction, Rachel pondered what in the world former Senator Alan Simpson was on about when he suggested dealing with opponents this way: "[S]tick your finger down your throat and give them the green weenie."
We're hoping Sen. Simpson's office will elucidate that for us a bit more. Meanwhile @seangirvan tweets:
"green weenie" is a green scrubbing pad like on the back of dish sponges, we still use the term in the Navy.
Sen. Simpson has hinted that "green weenie" has to do with his old military days. ADDING: As Marla Erwin notes in the first comment, Urban Dictionary seconds that, in a very NSFW kind of way (fair warning.) Maybe we're getting closer. This post is open to links.
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There's also this, which fits in well with Simpson's fondness for, um, colorful metaphors:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=green+weenie (text NSFW)
Well, I expect he did not refer to fly fishing...
http://www.flyfishingnotes.com/2009/08/17/fly-pattern-green-weenie/
Wonder how that would work on Michigan streams! You just never know what you will learn from TRMS, do ya?
Fishing lure, yeah, that's the ticket... surprised Rachel did not know all about it, being something of a fisher-woman herself.
This is has got to be the funniest thing I've heard on your show! Thanks for the laughs, Rachel.
The only Green Weenie I know of is the old Pittsburgh Pirates rattle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Weenie
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=green+weenie
This is the one true meaning I know of. As far as any other meanings from the civilian world (Pirates... etc.) it is almost without question that they go the term from newly discharged GIs, as many old and somewhat off color terms have. Over time, the roots of these phrases are lost. As far as the possible navy term, I'm sure it might have sprung up there spontaneously but by far the most common use and most likely origin is from the Army and Marine Corps. The definitions and examples are perfect.
1966 Pitsburg Pirates..."The Green Weenie was a green plastic rattle in the shape of a hot dog, which when waved at opposing players, purportedly put a jinx on them. Conversely, when waved at Pirate players it allegedly bestowed good luck."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Weenie
I'm only a little younger than Simpson. In my university days, "The Green Weenie" signified the end of a relationship. "I thought we were getting along just fine, but she slipped me The Green Weenie. I guess it's back to beer and bridge this weekend."
I think we are getting into "tea bagging" trouble here. It is obvious that he didn't mean anything you can talk about on tv without running amuck of some rule.
These are what we called "Green Weenies" or "Greenie Weenies", they're JUST the green scouring pad without the sponge, when you're in boot camp and you hear "get on the deck and start using your green weenies on that" you really wonder what the motivation was for naming it that:
http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-General-Purpose-Scouring-Green/dp/B000BARG8S/ref=sr_1_36?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1297182241&sr=1-36
I continued to call these things that after active duty and got a lot of, understandably, strange looks for it.
Oh, and thanks for making my twitter feed blow up this morning.
Thanks for getting us going on this! I'm hoping for a follow-up on the show tonight.
Given the context, I assumed it was something along the lines of what Marla uncovered, but my imagination didn't go quite that far... And I didn't get the 'finger down your throat' connection... I may be gettin' old, but I guess in some ways I'm blissfully naive...
Never mind....it was posted already. The Pirates thing..
Another true gentleman in Congress.
Can't make sense of nonsense so I won't try.
The first thing I thought of was the Pirate Green Weenie, but to shake that at someone is to wish bad luck on that person. That's not the context here. If its some Marine/Navy scouring pad, that doesn't fit the context either. I think it was a bizzare way to give someone the finger - or at least that's what the context suggests.
First let me Thank You Rachel for not talking too much about Egypt last night. I know it is important to an extent, but as you said it had been a long time since anyone had talked about anything else. I was happy to see some other news even if it has been a slow news time.
The Green Weinee kept me up most the night thinking about what it was, of course I didn't watch you until 12...The Mountaineers were playing Pitt, my significant other had the remote!! But stick yourfinger down your throat and give them the green weinee....made me want to think he ate a bad hot dog and was wanting to give part of it back. But then, that would be a half chewed slimy weinee...NO GRAPHICS PLEASE. Got me....maybe Senator Simpson needs to explain this one to the world.
Also, Thanks for making us aware of how much work the GOP is getting done. There will be another election in 2012, just make sure you make us aware of this at least once a week to keep us abreast of the situation....wouldn't want any of us to go conservative next time. As far as them meeting to discuss my or any other woman's uterus, they need to just leave it alone! If in these economic times that is all they have to worry about, then this country must be running rather smoothly before they took office. Hail to OUR CHIEF! I think President Obama is doing quite a fine job, and hats off to him for having to sit through that interview with O'Riley....I know he just wanted him to shut up and let him talk, but noooo, he interrupted him how many times? Also, a good speech to the Chamber of Commerce. Again, Hail to the Chief!
I missed a part of Lawrence last night when he was talking about the NFL, and how we paid for most of the half time show. I hate to ask someone to redo or do another story on it, but I sure would like to hear it all. Well, I also wanted to hear the National Anthem but that didn't seem to make it out of her mouth, as my former Navy son sat there and wondered how in the world she can be an American and not know the Anthem. How SAD!
Thanks for bringing back the news!
You can watch the video of Lawrence's Rewrite of the Superbowl here: http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/
In fairness to Ms. Aguilera, I used to sing the Anthem at games as part of a quartet, and all of us occasionally flubbed words, even after doing it hundreds of times. It is a strangely worded and somewhat nonsensical song, even when you know it backward and forward. I would wager that the vast majority of citizens could not sit down and write out the full text of it without significant errors.
If you're sticking your finger down your throat, I'd say Simpson was referring to doing a "Linda Blair," or a long green "weinie" of vomit!
I too flashed on the Pgh Pirates connection, but I think he meant some version of a finger.
RACHEL! WHY don't you have an iPad on your desk with GOOGLE open? You could look it up instantly. Or, do you prefer to throw it out there and create a discussion like this?
Come, on. I prefer to focus on what the GOP is up to. I feel like they are the adults, organizing and planning and setting the table AND they have set up a Children's table in the next room for the DEMOCRATS to sit at. The Dems seem to always be on the defensive. When do they and the pres LEAD instead of defend?
I was astonished at how blatant Simpson was about stealing Social Security. What a bunch of bums, those guys getting Social Security! Better give it to the rich instead. Republicans have drooled over stealing Social Security ever since it was started. They do not believe anyone should get the money but themselves.
Let's pay for tax cuts for the wealthy by robbing Social Security. What a great idea!
Ronald Reagan beat me to it.
From Wikipedia, and added far enough back in the history that I don't think it was recently added.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_acronyms_and_expressions
* big green weenie — an expression denoting that a Marine has been ">>screwed<< over" or cheated by the Marine Corps, usually in relation to an inconvenience or unfair treatment.
>>not the word in the definition<<
Nah, it's just another way of saying, stick it up your buttocks (slipping this pass the censors). Sticking it in your mouth first is just a courtesy so it goes in easier. My grandma used to do the same thing with her middle finger before saying, "sit and spin".
But happybroker had a good point. It's just a term for saying "take a hike" and is less about physically sticking your finger anywhere.
This is what I thought of when it was mentioned. It is the equivalent of the Steeler's Terrible Towel.
Rachel: I respect you more with each new day.
You know, the "green weenie" may not be something you want to track down...
I dunno what green weenie means.... but it sounds funny. hehehehehehe... weenie.
I'm liking this "green weenie" ~
Green Weenie recipe
Scale ingredients to servings
1 bottle Corona® Extra lager
fill with margarita mix
Take a swig of corona, then fill the bottle the rest of the way with margarita mix.
Read more: Green Weenie recipe http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink4015.html#ixzz1DPJ0RCMb