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An empty barrel makes the most noise
The Press ^ | 8/26/10 | Bryan Golden

Posted on 10/20/2017 7:13:00 AM PDT by Redmen4ever

You know the type. He or she is the loudest at parties, always showing off at work, boasting about their accomplishments to anyone who will listen, or acting as the know it all. There is no specific age, occupation, or education level that categorizes this type of person.

(Excerpt) Read more at presspublications.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: emptybarrel
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I wanted to find a pre-now discussion of the meaning of "empty barrel." Before the New York Times tells us what it means.

Of course, there are other uses of the word barrel in idioms: [1] pork barrel, [2] roll out the barrel, [3] barrel of bricks, [4] barrel full of monkeys, [5] barrel of laughs, [6] over a barrel, [7] bottom of the barrel, [8] cash on the barrelhead, [9] lock, stock and barrel, [10] a rotten apple spoils the (whole) barrel and [11] like shooting fish in a barrel.

These expressions come from a day when goods were stored and moved in barrels. Weighing about 200 pounds, they were the biggest size that could be man-handled. Round on the sides and beveled in the middle, they could be rolled over short distances. Flat on the top and bottom, they could be stacked.

Today, dry goods are typically moved and stored on pallets, with the use of forklifts.

As presuming people know something about history is racist, calling somebody who is black an empty barrel isn't a specific criticism, but a way of saying she is inferior because of her color. Therefore, it is racist.

Black people are to be treated as innocent. A black person can never be criticized because that would imply they are somehow responsible for their behavior. People who treat people as equals are racist because they don't know, wink, wink, that we only hurt their self-esteem by treating them as equals.

Conversely, a black person can't really volunteer to serve in the armed forces or to be a police man, or in any other way gain credit for himself and his family, because, well, you know, they're not like us. Besides, their are no heroes, just like there are no criminals, you didn't build that, and you didn't destroy that. The new equality pertains to lower class whites as well as to blacks. They both equally less than their superiors, their betters, the powerful and the elite.

1 posted on 10/20/2017 7:13:01 AM PDT by Redmen4ever
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To: Redmen4ever

The full Greek Proverb about empty barrels is
“Empty barrels and insignificant people make the most noise.”


2 posted on 10/20/2017 7:17:57 AM PDT by Sasparilla ( I'm Not Tired of Winning.)
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To: Redmen4ever

[9] lock, stock and barrel

Refers to rifle barrel.


3 posted on 10/20/2017 7:18:03 AM PDT by OSHA (MSM Microscope. Republican - This end up >===) Democrat - This end up.)
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To: Redmen4ever

She threw the race card.

Which means she lost.


4 posted on 10/20/2017 7:18:05 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Rope. Tree. Politician/Journalist. Some assembly required.)
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To: Redmen4ever
When facing an empty barrel, you won’t convince them of anything. You won’t change their behavior. You don’t have to defend yourself. The maxim, “Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference,” has a lot of validity. Stand aside and let the empty barrels roll by.
5 posted on 10/20/2017 7:21:36 AM PDT by Qiviut (Obama's Legacy in two words: DONALD TRUMP)
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To: Redmen4ever

Cracker Barrel

;)


6 posted on 10/20/2017 7:21:39 AM PDT by maggief
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To: Redmen4ever

And empty threads like this belong in chat, not news. Empty barrels and all.


7 posted on 10/20/2017 7:26:13 AM PDT by LouAvul (The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.)
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To: Redmen4ever

The shallower the stream, the louder the babble


8 posted on 10/20/2017 7:27:40 AM PDT by RatRipper (Unindicted co-conspirators: the Mainstream Media and the Democratic Party)
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To: Redmen4ever

#9 “Lock, Stock, & Barrel” is about a different kind of “barrel” and doesn’t really belong in this list.

It is a reference to a GUN Barrel, not a barrel that is depicted by all the other idiomatic expressions listed.

But, then again, this is the NEW YORK TIMES! LOL!


9 posted on 10/20/2017 7:29:26 AM PDT by left that other site (For America to have CONFIDENCE in our future, we must have PRIDE in our HISTORY... DJT)
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To: maggief

Haha!

Empty Cracker Barrel.

Barrel of monkeys.


10 posted on 10/20/2017 7:30:02 AM PDT by polymuser (Enough is enough.)
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To: maggief

LOL! Watch for Frederica “The Hat” Wilson to call John Kelly a “cracker barrel” in response.

;^)


11 posted on 10/20/2017 7:32:00 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The ,Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: Redmen4ever
I think of the "Empty Barrels Make The Most Noise" proverb when I hear Hollywood actors say something political.
They look shiny and new on the outside but have nothing inside. They do well when propped up by a good script, skilled director and CGI effects but by themselves, not so much.

12 posted on 10/20/2017 7:43:48 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: Redmen4ever

Empty Barrel...

Funny...
I heard it in entire context
And took it as an
“Empty Gun Barrel”

He’s an Old Soldier.


13 posted on 10/20/2017 7:47:14 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (UNSCANABLE in an IDIOCRACY!)
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To: Redmen4ever

To imply that the phrase “empty barrel” is racist...is racist.


14 posted on 10/20/2017 7:59:45 AM PDT by Herodes
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To: elcid1970

Or should Kelly have called Frederica an “empty hat”?

;^)


15 posted on 10/20/2017 8:00:16 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The ,Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: elcid1970

Empty chair.


16 posted on 10/20/2017 8:04:28 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (It's not "white privilege", it's "Puritan work ethic". Behavior begets consequences.)
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To: Redmen4ever
The saying, correctly recited, is as follows:

Empty wagons make the most noise.

If you're going to quote an old bromide, you might as well get it right, so as to prevent misunderstanding by your audience.
17 posted on 10/20/2017 8:06:55 AM PDT by Milton Miteybad (I am Jim Thompson. {Really.})
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To: Big Red Badger
And took it as an “Empty Gun Barrel” He’s an Old Soldier.

And soldiers that participate in burial ceremonies are aware of the much louder noise (report) given by a rifle fired with blanks, not pushing a round out ahead of the charge.

I especially value what the General said was his personal way of dealing with the stunning first report of how the Congresswoman had baited the call from Mr. Trump, being there to listen in. The General took a long walk over at Arlington Cemetery visiting the graves of young soldiers and marines that paid the final price following his orders.

When General Kelly speaks, we all need to stop and listen as he really has something important that needs to be heard.

18 posted on 10/20/2017 8:10:04 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (Pass the spicy catsup. We've got Trump now.)
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To: RatRipper

An empty suit can not stand by itself.


19 posted on 10/20/2017 8:11:35 AM PDT by Dustoff45 (Pass the spicy catsup. We've got Trump now.)
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To: Redmen4ever

“Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.” — Mark Twain.

Today he might say, “Never pick a fight with someone who has forty million Twitter followers.”


20 posted on 10/20/2017 8:53:57 AM PDT by AZLiberty (The logical endpoint of "zero-tolerance history" is zero history.)
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