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shit-kicking

English translation: very good

17:37 Jan 9, 2008
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: shit-kicking
[A country-and-western band played shit-kicking music from the raised podiam in the middle of the park.]

What kind of music in this context, please?

Thanks!
Poj
Local time: 20:17
Selected answer:very good
Explanation:
It means it was f**cking brilliant, ie, very good.
That's my understand of it.
HTH

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Note added at 30 mins (2008-01-09 18:08:39 GMT)
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CORRECTION: ---my understanding of---

I forgot to make it clear it is not a 'kind of music'. Presumably they played country-and-western music because they are a country-and-western band. However, whatever they played, was very good.
Selected response from:

Paula Vaz-Carreiro
Grading comment
Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +16very good
Paula Vaz-Carreiro
5shit-kicking
Toonces8
2 -1hard rock music
Jonathan MacKerron


  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +16
very good


Explanation:
It means it was f**cking brilliant, ie, very good.
That's my understand of it.
HTH

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2008-01-09 18:08:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

CORRECTION: ---my understanding of---

I forgot to make it clear it is not a 'kind of music'. Presumably they played country-and-western music because they are a country-and-western band. However, whatever they played, was very good.

Paula Vaz-Carreiro
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Robert Kleemaier: 'rocking' would a term some demographics might use; in any case, you're bang on, Paula
1 min
  -> Thanks Robert :-)
agree  NancyLynn
3 mins
  -> Thanks Nancy
agree  Tony M: Yes, 'to kick shit' meaning to really get things moving etc.
6 mins
  -> Thanks Tony. Yes, it comes from " to kick the shit out of something".
agree  Ali Bayraktar
7 mins
  -> Thanks Ali
agree  R. Alex Jenkins: Yeah, the music kicks shit alright :))
9 mins
  -> Thanks Richard :-)
agree  Patricia Townshend (X)
17 mins
  -> Thanks Patricia
agree  Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales: Damn right! :-)
43 mins
  -> :-)) Thanks Elizabeth
agree  Edith Kelly
54 mins
  -> Thanks Edith
agree  Richard Benham: I suppose this is right. Where I come from, "shit-kicking" often has a negative connotation, referring to, e.g., demeaning work, as in "I'm just a shit-kicker around here."
55 mins
  -> Yes indeed. "shit" is one of those words that can have either a negative or positive connotation. You can praise one thing to the heavens and damn another to hell with the same word :-)
agree  Mark Berelekhis
59 mins
  -> Thanks Mark
agree  Clauwolf
1 hr
  -> Thanks C
agree  Jonathan MacKerron: voll kraß
2 hrs
  -> (Er...what does that mean?) Thanks Jonathan
agree  Dana Rinaldi
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Dane
agree  orientalhorizon
7 hrs
  -> Thanks O.
agree  kmtext: Shit is arguably the most versatile word in English. There was an e-mail doing the rounds a while back which detailed its numerous and various uses.
14 hrs
  -> :-) I got similar one about the 'f' word. Thanks K.
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
1 day 20 hrs
  -> Thanks Marju
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): -1
hard rock music


Explanation:
which for some reason we call "shit-kicking" when them there southern C&W homeboys play it

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 80

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Ken Cox: C&W is not rock
1 hr
  -> nearly all googles of "shit kicking music" have to do with C&W
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1060 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
shit-kicking


Explanation:
The term "shit-kicking" means "country," or "country and western." Slang terms which "can" equate are words like like "hillbilly," or "redneck."

In the example sentence given, it wouldn't mean "brilliant," "great" or "hard rocking." The term we commonly use in the U.S. for this would be "ass-kicking, " or "kick-ass." I have never heard anyone say "Man, that music totally kicks shit!" "Shit-kicking" is reserved for country-and-western descriptions or for describing getting beaten up or heavily defeated in some way ("He got the shit kicked out of him").

Even though it is already stated that a country-and-western band is playing, this doesn't meant that a person using this sentence is concerning themselves with redundancy. Normally slang like "shit-kicking" is used to emphasize or create a stronger image or stereotype that the speaker is trying to impart, so redundancy isn't an issue. Such an example would be when a writer uses a phrase like "an icy, cold wind."

The term "shit-kicking" comes from the image of country / farming /ranching type people ("country" people) working on their land, doing things like cleaning horse, livestock or other farm animal stalls, during which they would do a lot of "shit-kicking," or stepping through and shoveling of animal feces and urine.

I hope this helps! :-)

Example sentence(s):
  • There was a country band at the fairgrounds this weekend playing some good ol' shit-kicking music.
Toonces8
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