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Wednesday, January 20, 2021

"Let The Door Hit Ya Where The Good Lord Split Ya" (origins, meaning, & examples)



Buddy Guy's Legends, January 25, 2017

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the Blues song "Let The Door Knob Hit You" that is embedded in this post along with information and examples of the American English idiom "Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you". This idiom is also given as "Don't let the door knob hit ya...", "Don't  let the door hit ya...", and "Don't let the door hit you on your way out". 

The content of this post is presented for cultural and linguistic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Buddy Guy for his musical legacy and thanks to the publishers of that sound file on YouTube. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT BUDDY GUY'S SONG "DON'T LET THE DOOR KNOB HIT YA"
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k533s916tbQ&ab_channel=MyMoppet52 

The summary for this sound file indicates that "Let The Door Knob Hit Ya" [is] from "Living Proof" released in 2010. ** Click https://genius.com/Buddy-guy-let-the-door-knob-hit-ya-lyrics for the full lyrics to this song.
Partial lyrics are: ..."You said [Incomprehensible]
That I never would quit you
You had voodoo working on me, girl
And you said that I would never quit you
Well, let the door knob hit you
While my damn dog should've bit you"...
-snip- That website gives the line "While my damn dog would have bit you". However, I believe that the correct transcription is "Where my damn dog would have bit you". That website indicates that this song was "written by Tom Hambridge & Buddy Guy

Release Date: October 25, 2010"
-snip-
Here's information about "Buddy Guy's Legend" 
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy%27s_Legends
"Buddy Guy's Legends is a blues club in Chicago, Illinois. It was opened in 1989 by blues musician Buddy Guy[1][2] who still owns the club and who still makes regular appearances, performing a month of shows each January.[3][4]

Legends is one of the few blues clubs left in Chicago, a city renowned for its own particular brand of blues. The club has hosted blues greats such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Buddy himself. Legends has developed an international reputation. It was the site for recordings such as Guy's Live at Legends, Junior Wells: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends, and Guy's live set with Junior Wells entitled Last Time Around - Live at Legends."

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAYING "LET THE DOOR HIT YA WHERE THE GOOD LORD SPLIT  YA"
From https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/let_the_door_hit_you_where_the_good_Lord_split_you
"let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

English

Etymology

Described as early as 1977 as African American slang constituting a "nasty command to leave, euphemism of 'split you' avoiding profanity."[1] The phrase "where the good Lord split you" describes the crease of the buttocks.

Phrase

let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

A command that another person leave, thereby impliedly having the door hit them on the buttocks as they pass through it.

Usage notes

Sometimes phrased as "let the doorknob hit you where the good lord split you"; or as "don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you" (implying that the person should leave, but avoid being hit by the doorknob on the way out) or even as "let the doorknob hit you where the dog should've bit you". 

References

^ Geneva Smitherman, Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America (1977), page 245.

This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 08:32.”
-snip-

That website indicates that the words "split ya" were (are) used to avoid profanity. I disagree. I believe the word "split ya" were (are) purposely used to rhyme with "hit ya".  

That website also indicates that 1977 is the earliest date that "Let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya" is documented in published form. However, I believe that I remember hearing this saying in the 1950s and 1960s. 

The rhyming form of "Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya" suggests to me that it was coined as early as the 1940s when other rhyming sayings where popular among African Americans. Two examples of these rhyming sayings are:   
"What's your name?
"Puddin Tane. Ask me again
And I'll tell you the same"

and 
 
"See ya later, alligator."
"After while, crocodile".
 
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From https://grammarist.com/idiom/dont-let-the-door-hit-you/  Don’t let the door hit you [retrieved January 20, 2021]

"Don’t let the door hit you is a shortened rendering of an idiom with several variations. An idiom is a commonly used word, group of words, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. Often using descriptive imagery or metaphors, common idioms are words and phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. English idioms can illustrate emotion more quickly than a phrase that has a literal meaning, even when the etymology or origin of the idiomatic expression is lost. An idiom is a metaphorical figure of speech, and it is understood that it is not a use of literal language. Figures of speech like an often-used metaphor have definitions and connotations that go beyond the literal meaning of the words. Mastery of the turn of phrase of an idiom, which may use slang words or other parts of speech common in American slang or British slang, is essential for the English learner.

[…]

Don’t let the door hit you is a shorthand version of an idiom that means that someone is happy to see you go; that you are no longer welcome and that you should leave quickly. Don’t let the door hit you is another way of saying “good riddance.” There are several longer versions of the idiom, which include: 1.) Don’t let the door hit you on the way out; 2.) Don’t let the door hit you in the backside; and 3.) Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. We don’t know exactly where these phrases came from, but we do know that they skyrocketed in popularity over the last decade of the twentieth century. A good guess is that the terms came from popular culture, perhaps from television, books or movies.

Examples

New York politicians have mocked Donald Trump‘s reported decision to declare himself a resident of Florida, telling the president: “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” (The Independent)


I say Goodbye to both, don’t let the door hit you in the backside. (The Boston Herald)


To all the people who say they are moving to Canada because Donald Trump was elected, don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. (The Chicago Tribune)"
-snip-
I believe that "Don't let the door [or the "door knob"] hit you on your way out" is an adapted standard English form of the African American originated saying "Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya". 

**
From https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/don%27t_let_the_door_hit_you_on_the_way_out [retieved January 20, 2021]
"…”Phrase

don't let the door hit you on the way out

(idiomatic, sarcastic) Used to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.

Synonyms

don't let the door hit you in the ass

don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you

good riddance

Translations

[…]

used to indicate that one is glad to see someone leaving”

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OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS IDIOM

These examples are given in relative chronological order.

From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Don%27t%20Let%20The%20Door%20Hit%20You%20On%20The%20Way%20Out
"Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out

A metaphor for: "I think you should leave. Do not pause or delay while you are leaving." Generally used when the addressed has been complaining about circumstances that the listener doesn't agree with. It comes from a time when doors were on spring hinges and if you paused in the doorway while exiting, the door would spring closed behind you and hit you on the backside.

"This place stinks. I am too qualified to be here."

 "Well, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

by MBA08 March 02, 2007

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From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK6PQsSqkaY&ab_channel=TheFreeDictionary

“don't let the door hit you on the way out

The Free Dictionary Jan 14, 2016

“Leave here quickly and directly; don't linger on your way out the door. Used sarcastically to express one's desire to see someone leave. I couldn't be happier that you're leaving the firm, you were a nuisance here anyway. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

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From https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackPeopleTwitter/comments/7jpz1b/dont_let_the_door_hit_you_where_the_good_lord/

Posted byu/Disappointment2016, 2017

“Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you”

Reply
O-shi

💛Dio Brando's Whore💚, 2017

Yes we know, she got sacked!”

** From https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/9kf1ht/dont_let_the_door_hit_ya_where_the_good_lord/

Posted byu/HeathHuxtable, 2018
“Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.

Why do some people feel the need to post a phone screen long post when they decide to leave a subreddit?”

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From https://www.facebook.com/thelistshowtv/videos/bye-2020-dont-let-the-door-hit-ya-where-the-good-lord-split-ya-/385525612509906/

BYE, #2020! Don't let the door hit ya, where the good lord split ya! 🤣

 The List

December 31, 2020 at 4:48 PM ·

BYE, #2020! Don't let the door hit ya, where the good lord split ya! 🤣

 

Let's make a GOOD list! Tell us one good thing that happened this year.

Start #2021 with a big dose of positivity!”

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From https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ByeFelicia
"Lisa Spruill

@0708193398894f3

4h

#ByeFelicia dont let the door hit'cha where the good lord split'cha .....but I hope it hit'cha in the a$$ tho..[emoji of Smiling face with open mouth and tightly-closed eyes, emoji of  Rolling on the floor laughing] #Dumptrump"

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1 comment:

  1. With regard to the African American Vernacular English saying "Let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya" meaning "good riddance", I remember from childhood hearing the saying "Good riddance to bad rubbish".

    ReplyDelete