“I’m going to try my dead level best.”
———————
Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
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Strange saying, isn’t it. LOL
God bless.
RB
<><
David
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I have heard this all my life, the only difference is now days seems on average, no one does it anymore…
Saying “dead level best” and “level best” are both still used among kith and kin. “Dead level best is a notch above “level best”.
I use dead level best. Sometimes just level best. I never thought about where it came from. It must be something akin to putting plum (plumb) in front of words. Plumb means straight up and down. Dead level means perpendicular to plumb. The combination of the two means all squared away.
How come I had to resubscribe today? Then it told me that I was already a subscriber. But until I subscribe I couldn’t get in before I could get in. So I re-re-subscribed.
Technology can’t live with it, can’t live without it. I hope I can continue to get blind pig each morning! You make my day so much brighter!
Tipper,
There’s that pretty little Chitter again, a listening to a conversation going on, on the other side of the door, and with the aid of a snuff glass…Ken
When you do your dead level best then you have tried as hard as possible to do it. I don’t hear that used very much now days. You can trust someone who is always level headed, on the level with you and do their dead level best.
I use “dead level” and “level best” but don’t think I’ve heard the combination.
You just keep reminding me of things my Dad said. ‘Dead level best’ was one of his and describes his ethics very well. He didn’t believe in doing a poor job at anything. Underlying the idea of dead level is the understanding that a small amount of out of level now leads to real trouble over yonder and after awhile. Starting wrong ends worse. I’ll probably be mulling this over all day.
I’ve haven’t heard that one for a long while.Mostly hear and say ,I’ll try real hard.I asked my 10 year old grandson what he says,and he said really hard.
I’ll use that one more.I hate to see our language die.
LG
Tipper,
Here is my take on this overheard post.
Level–even, all balanced the same
Dead level–Nothing touches the level, let the bubble stabilize without moving or touching the level.
Dead level best–That’s it, all balanced, mark it down, the truest balance you can get, no interference at all on the balance. Then and only then can you hammer the nail or place the shim or cut the board for the best fit. In other words if all comes together, at least you’ve tried!
Guess this is my carpenter daughter’s thoughts the way I view the idiom!
Thanks Tipper