Hispanic gent (citizen...) has a mowing business, plus general handyman service. I've kept his mowers running for several years.
Contacted me a couple of days ago, wanted to know if I was interested in a job helping him turn an old garden back into mowable lawn. Paid, of course. Sure, why not? Went over today.
BIG garden and hadn't been used in many moons, owner getting on in years. Overgrown and rougher than a cob, looks like the feller liked raised beds.
First pass, got tangled up in some of that black weed barrier cloth. Turns out the whole garden was that way: Strip of cloth, raised bed, another strip of cloth, raised bed - rinse, repeat. All sunk into the ground with grass and weeds growing up through it so you couldn't see it. Make a pass, stop and cut that shit out of my tiller. Make another pass...
First time, I went at it with a pocket knife, but my shoulder wasn't long making it abundantly clear that that was not going to be an option. I bet Reynaldo and his helper cut 100 yards of that crap out of my tiller tines.
Looks good tho, pretty much all leveled out after three passes at 90° to each other and a bit of back-dragging with the bucket here and there.
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
June 08, 2025, 07:33 PM
m1009
Kudos to you! I bet that was a pain to get through…. I’d probably been cussing a storm about it, lol.
June 08, 2025, 07:37 PM
ZSMICHAEL
Rougher than a cob. Never heard that before. Must be a Maine expression.
June 08, 2025, 08:22 PM
vthoky
It’s a common expression here in VA, too.
God bless America.
June 09, 2025, 12:51 AM
P220 Smudge
quote:
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Rougher than a cob. Never heard that before. Must be a Maine expression.
Heard it growing up in west Texas.
______________________________________________ "If the truth shall kill them, let them die.”
Endeavoring to master the subtle art of the grapefruit spoon.
June 09, 2025, 04:55 AM
PHPaul
quote:
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL: Rougher than a cob. Never heard that before. Must be a Maine expression.
I'd expect it to be common anywhere that grew much corn. Picked it up as a kid in Michigan.
One I first heard in Maine, describing a road: "Rougher than thunder".
Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
June 10, 2025, 05:27 PM
selogic
I've heard it in Louisiana a few times .
June 11, 2025, 07:35 AM
Ranger41
I always thought "rougher than a cob" referred to the times when corn cobs were used in the outhouse. Otherwise it was pages from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ranger41,
"The world is too dangerous to live in-not because of the people who do evil, but because of the people who sit and let it happen." (Albert Einstein)