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Idioms Explained

Viewing comments for Chapter 9 "Frick and Frack"
Fanstorians explain the backstory of idioms

19 total reviews 
Comment from Father Flaps
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Hi Judi,
I never heard tell of Frick and Frack, these comical ice skaters from the 1930's. But I bet they were good, and fun to watch.
I would think that teams like Abbott & Costello, or Laurel & Hardy, the Smothers Brothers, or even Burns and Allen were frick & frackers, too.
Interesting write, Judi. I enjoyed it!
Hugs,
Kimbob

 Comment Written 21-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 21-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. I'm glad you enjoyed. I can't imagine how anyone could do that cantilever spread-eagle that Frick did. I may have seen Mr. Frick perform. He skated solo for many years after Frack retired, and we went to many of the ice shows, so I may have seen him skate. judi
Comment from Kooky Clown
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Thanks for sharing this interesting fact I have never heard the term Frick and Frack and so your tales continue to educate me. For this I am most grateful, thank you. Kooky

 Comment Written 21-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 21-Nov-2021
    Thanks for your review and comments, Kooky. I am so old I may even have seen Mr. Frick skate. He performed for many years after Frack retired, and I went to a lot of the ice shows. judi
Comment from Spitfire
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A great little piece of history. I'm so glad you included the video. The cantilever spread-eagle is amazing. Do you know if anyone tried to imitate it? I wouldn't mind being the frick to someone's frack. :-)

 Comment Written 19-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thanks for your review and comments. That was a spectacular move in ice. I don't know if anyone else ever tried it. They were top notch skaters. I may have seen Mr. Frick skate, as he performed for so many years after Frack retired, and I went to a lot of the ice shows when I was younger. judi
Comment from aryr
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Wow, this was so educational, judiverse. I grew up with Frick and Frack but never really understood the history behind it. Now I do. I enjoyed the picture and the video was great. Very well done and greatly enjoyed.

 Comment Written 19-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. I'm glad you enjoyed. I may have actually seen Mr. Frick skate. He performed for years after Frack retired. I went to many of the ice shows when I was younger. judi
reply by aryr on 19-Nov-2021
    Wow, that was great, judi, you are so very welcome.
reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thanks again. So glad you enjoyed. judi
Comment from Bill Schott
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This addition to the idiom collection, Frick and Frack, makes me wonder if Ned and Pons will ever supplant Frick and Frack as this comparative duo. I typically hear the term used pejoratively, so I guess that wouldn't be good.

 Comment Written 19-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 19-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. According to the dictionaries I consulted, "Frick and Frack" isn't necessarily pejorative. It can mean simply people who are close allies, as in a business relationship. True, it is often used to refer to the doofuses. judi
Comment from Janice Canerdy
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I have heard that expression several times but never bothered to look it up. Sometimes I can infer meaning from context clues, but I couldn't
with this one--which you have explained so well.

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments, Janice. I was thinking I might have seen Mr. Frick perform. He did a solo act for many years after Frack retired. I went to several of the ice shows when I was young. judi
Comment from lyenochka
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Wow! I've never even heard the expression "Frick and Frack" and I didn't know about this amazing skating duo. So thank you for teaching me about this!! And the poetic tribute in YouTube was perfect!

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. I may have seen Mr. Frick. He skated for a number of years after Frack retired. We went to a lot of ice shows when I was younger. That cantilever spread-eagle was really something. judi
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
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Haha, Judi, I've heard of Frick & Frack, but didn't know anything really about them. This was great--the video was, too. Your info was well thought out. I enjoyed reading and learning the origins about these tow characters and can see two kitties named Frick and Frack.
Respectfully, Jan

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. I couldn't wait to write about Frick and Frack when the change came. I may have seen Mr. Frick, as he skated for several years after Frack retired and I went to several ice shows. judi
Comment from Elizabeth Emerald
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Cool! Given the timeframe from 1930's to 2008, I just googled to find out how old Frick lived to--he died one week before his 93rd birthday. I've certainly heard this idiom, but never knew the derivation. Delectable tidbit!

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. Frick skated as a solo act after Frack retired, and I may have been him perform because we went to a lot of ice shows when I was a kid. judi
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
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I have never heard of this expression before Judi so I definitely learned something here. Those two ice skating clowns sound very entertaining and so the saying lives on, much enjoyed and informative, love Dolly x

 Comment Written 18-Nov-2021


reply by the author on 18-Nov-2021
    Thanks so much for your review and comments. They had to be very accomplished skaters to do what they did. It's too bad Frack had to retire early on. Frick went on to do a solo act. judi