MDDM Ch. 19 Good (and Bad) Eggs

[Paul Mackin]

Still hear 'good egg' occasionally as in 'he's a good egg (generally
sympathetic fellow)' but I tend to think of it as an archaic expression.
Kermit the frog would sometimes use it. But going back, 'good egg' and 'bad
egg' were emphatically an essential part of the vocabulary of Hollywood
movies in the thirties. Both zanny comedies and social dramas.  Also used
frequently by the general populace of that far off hopelessly
unsophisticated time.

        P.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Otto" <o.sell at telda.net>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>; "jbor" <jbor at bigpond.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2001 10:57 AM
Subject: Re: MDDM Ch. 19 Good (and Bad) Eggs


> Robert wrote:
> >
> > 198.5 "Good Eggs far outnumber Bad Hats"
> > From a Dictionary of Idioms:
> > egg: to be a good/bad egg
> > to be an untrustworthy/dependable person
> >
>
> Isn't this still a common English phrase anymore as the dic seems to
> indicate? In German it is, as far as the negative side is concerned ('a
bad
> egg') with exactly this meaning ('untrustworthy person'), but I've never
> heard it being said into the positive direction.
>
> Otto
>
>
>
>