cat : bag :: dish : ?

[fflo]

That is, if one has some dish, as in "dish the dirt," that one has been heretofore mum about, and one shares it, that's letting the cat out of the bag (as the expression goes), or, in parallel metaphor, letting/getting the dish out of the what? the cabinet? the oven? I guess if we're dishing dirt as in serving portions of it up to people, the cabinet might be the answer. But if it's been baking, it could be dish (or a dish) just out of the oven---a dish heretofore uncovered (untold) OR covered (up), depending how you look at it, so covered dish or uncovered dish, maybe in some funny 9"-by-13" casserole carrying basket... ? Fresh hot dish, sufficiently baked or at least out of the oven now, so there for diners, ready or not?

I dunno---I think maybe the serving up of portions in clean dishes out of the hutch works better. Have an opinion?

[Poll #591635]

Comments

[fflo.livejournal.com]

I think the dish is also the dirt in that we talking of having some dish to, well, dish. That which is to be dished being "dish."

Hearing the word "dish" in my head over and over again makes for a funny effect. One dish, two dish, red dish, blue dish; I dish, you dish, we all dish for dished dish.

I like that you seem to assume I am not of malevolent mind. I like to think I'm not, too, as you might imagine.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

One dish
Two dish
Red dish
Blue dish
This one has a little star
This one has a little car
My what a lot of dish there are.

I'm thinking that there is a regional difference in usage for this expression. I've never heard of anyone having the dish on someone or having some dish on anyone. I've always heard of having the dirt or some dirt on a person, and "dish" only came into play as a verb describing what you did with the dirt.

Hmmm.

[fflo.livejournal.com]

might be subcultural---as in queer. queeny, a bit, to speak of the dish, maybe.