Where does the expression 'piss weak' come from

[n4wc]

We were in QSO with Tim early this morning and he used that expression to describe one of the groups signal strength.  I can't imagine a group of over sixty (me!) hams complaining about enlarged prostate in comparison to a weak AM signal.  I've heard this expression before and was wondering how it started, etc. ;-z

Bill   N4WC

[K1JJ]

 

Enlarged prostate to describe a piss-weak signal... Now that's a different take on it!  

Actually the first time I heard it was in the early 70's (1972 - when none of us even knew what a prostate was) from WA1QIX describing someone he could barely hear.  Maybe he will mention where it came from or his take on the original meaning.

T

[The Slab Bacon]

Or was it that famous right of passage when you have your first AM qso with the Timtron, and he tells you in his owm famous words: "I can hear ya, but yer kinda piss weak"     

[WA1GFZ]

I seem to remember a report from Tim spring of '67 running HB 6146 by 6l6s

[The Slab Bacon]

Actually, doesnt PW refer to a "peanut whistle" or low powered transmitter, then someone changed the meaning from peanut whistle to piss weak. At least that's the way I've always remembered it to be.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

[W9GT]

Actually, doesnt PW refer to a "peanut whistle" or low powered transmitter, then someone changed the meaning from peanut whistle to piss weak. At least that's the way I've always remembered it to be.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Not sure whether it was "peanut whistle" or "p*ss weak" that came first, but it dates back to the days of Hiram Percy Maxim.  Also...along the same lines is the "PW law".  This is one of Murphy's Old Buzzard axioms which basically states: " the weaker you are, the longer you will talk".  

73, Jack, W9GT

[W1ATR]

I don't know if it really originated as a hammy hambone term or not. I've heard people say it from time to time that had nothing to do with radio. My grandfather used to say it all the time. A fast cruise thru google shows "piss weak" being used for everything except radio.

Wherever it came from, it's one of my favorite things to say on the air.

[NE4AM]

I believe it is a deliberate mis-pronunciation of 'pip-squeak'.

[W2VW]

Jeffy.

[KF1Z]

Shows up in the early 1940s in the US... associated with "Piss-Poor"..

And before that in Australia Piss-weak, Piss-up, Piss-off etc...

[WA1GFZ]

may also be a beer term

[N3DRB The Derb]

Jeffy.

aww, teh UAN. I got to meet him at his place, cant remember how long ago. his antenna was made up of maybe 5 segments of different kinds of wire with no solder joints, about 15 to 20 ft up. He couldnt see well enough to solder at that point. I think he was running the AL80 he had full time by then, the Globe King having crapped out.

I made fun of him at the time - now I have eaten a big dish of humbling pie from my own experiences.

[Jim, W5JO]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=piss-weak

Some of you might not want to read all the definitions.

[ke7trp]

I heard one the other day on AM that reminded me of my Grandfather.. "Milk Toast".   I.E "Listen to that Milk toast SSBer trying to jam us"

Grandpa would say "That SOB Milk toast just cut me off!"  while driving.
C

[W1GFH]

http://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Category:Timtron

The comprehensive list.

[W3RSW]

I heard one the other day on AM that reminded me of my Grandfather.. "Milk Toast".   I.E "Listen to that Milk toast SSBer trying to jam us"
Grandpa would say "That SOB Milk toast just cut me off!"  while driving.
C

What a vivid memory that brings back, same category as chalk dust smell instantly reminding me of grade school.....

-from early youth, hot toast in a bowl, milk, sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top.  -What mummy used to make when oatmeal and eggs ran out.

[W1AEX]

I recall my drill sergeant exclaiming "Yo mamma be 'shamed her boy such a piss weak soldja!" to anyone he thought was slacking off. Seems to have universal meaning throughout our culture. It also seems natural that it should appear in radio conversation where there is a bit of obsession with the creation of a strapping signal, unless of course you like QRP, which is the art of being PW. Out of curiosity, how did Joe IWQ become branded with the nickname PW? Now that he runs a 4x1 and straps it might not fit!
 

[WA3VJB]

Jeffy.

Partially correct.

PW & hyellowee always used in conjunction

Notice the fine symbiosis between the two terms.

[steve_qix]

IOut of curiosity, how did Joe IWQ become branded with the nickname PW? Now that he runs a 4x1 and straps it might not fit!
 

Oh boy,  IWQ - he was the absolute king of Piss Weak back in the very early '70s.  Joe had some kind of rice box (I forget which one), and not only was his signal very weak, but his audio was really bad and somewhat undermodulated, adding to the PissWeak-Ness of his signal    Hence the name, PW Fallon.

[KC4VWU]

Nah, t was my poor mistreated junkyard dog Yahoowee 101 he was picking on. I'll try to improve on that PW status before next weekend. Maybe a little more ka-nuts with the GSB-101 behind it? 

[ke7trp]

Nothing Grinds my gears more then some AMer on a Rice box with crappy audio.  We have two in our normal group.  Low crappy muffled audio and they go on and on old buzzard key down.  You miss about half of what the guy is saying. I have heard Rice boxes that had great sound. 


C

[K1ZJH]

may also be a beer term

That was my take, for cheap beer. i.e. "piss weak" when sent
out for recycling

[WA1GFZ]

Miller lite, yellow in, yellow out

[KC4VWU]

It all depends on the way you look at it. I'm sure that everyone one here at one point in time was piss weak or had crappy audio. I'm also sure that most even had the luxury of an Elmer. Huh, what's that?! Give them time, I'm sure they'll get it all ironed out; myself included. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a strapping, nice sounding tx. that is full of scarce parts. It takes time; and a little help wouldn't hurt either. On the other hand, worst case scenario is they could become totally disgusted with it, give up, and become a macaroni.

Phil 

[steve_qix]

Nothing Grinds my gears more then some AMer on a Rice box with crappy audio.  We have two in our normal group.  Low crappy muffled audio and they go on and on old buzzard key down.  You miss about half of what the guy is saying. I have heard Rice boxes that had great sound. 

C

Oh, we have some folks here in the East who excel at PissWeakNess.  One is good old Piss Weak Bob (K1REC) who has more rigs than just about anyone, and insists on only using his weak rice box.  Then there's Piss Weak Tom (N1HCI) - who posesses a good sounding and functioning 813 modulated by 811s rig, but NEVER uses it - and insists on using the rice box.  There are several others also.   Bob and Tom are really good guys and I like talking with them, but sometimes it gets a little much  

Maybe they'll read this post and be spurred on to use their better-then-the-rice-boxes transmitters that they both own.  

Regards,

Steve