Does anyone know what the literal reference to "slow on the uptake" is and where it originated? I have only ever found similar phrases, but this one. I know its meaning.
Learn English – Origin of “slow on the uptake”
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I believe it is an Irish slang phrase.
You couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo (phr): bad aim, woeful hurler/darts player/soccer player etc.
Below are some Google findings which make me think this way:
- Dublin Slang
- Everyday English and slang in Ireland
- BBC - Northern Ireland - Voices
- Irish Vocabulary, Everyday English and Slang on Irish Celtic Jewels
- Everyday English and Slang in Ireland (scribd.com)
I also came accross an interesting forum thread which mentions this phrase. Here is an excerpt:
Jackie Milburn: - My dad used to say "son, yer couldn't hit a cow's arse with a shovel"
Juande the Spurrier: - There is a shovel that is called a banjo, because it's shaped like the musical instrument. Seems a farmer might be more likely to have a shovel than a banjo.
With further research, I found out that banjo is a shovel type indeed.
Banjo (as a shovel):
Banjo (as a musical instrument):
It means "an exemplar." One who should be emulated.
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Best Answer
Uptake (n.) meaning ability to understand is from the beginning of the 19th century. There might be an analogy with the later meaning that refers to a "pipe leading up from the smoke box":
According to Ngram the expressions "slow/quick on the uptake" are both from the early 20th century.