I have a collegue that is a walking euphemism - he’s got an expression for everything and everything so as not to insult anyone. His vocabulary is gargantuan and he loves making up new phrases for everyday things.
I have heard several times, “if I had my druthers I’d…”
I get the meaning, but have no idea what a druther is or where it came from?
Anyone?
“I’d rather…”
I believe it’s a contraction of “I would rather…”
If I had my druthers I’da beaten Malacandra
“Druther” comes from saying “I’d rather”.
pwned! 
It’s a phrase I’m familiar with, so he definitely isn’t making it up. According to phrases.org it is an American phrase and druthers is a contraction of “would rathers”. The cite they use is
“If I was a youngster, I 'drather set up in any perfession but a circus-driver, but a man can’t always have his 'drathers.”
and over time apparently drathers became druthers
Wow… I always thought druthers was one of those words that you couldn’t singularatize. But if druthers is High Grand Grammatical Poopah Approved, and at its core it’s a contraction of I’d rather, than can one legitimately and properly (i.e., without fear of the Word Use Thugs coming down on you) say things like:
He’s just an idiot who doesn’t want to be a delivery boy. Druther not force it on him.
or
To be honest, druther be a crying little pussy than a faggy Goth kid.
or
The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what y’druther not
or
… well, you get the point. Is druther*_*** proper English?
Nope. It’s slang. Lexicographically-wise slang, originally, until use got so widespread that people using it were unaware of its origin. It always seemed obvious to me, but then again, I’ve been able to not pick up on things that seem abundantly obvious to others.
I like that word.
Thanks all. I’ll have to think up something much more witty for the next time I see this friend…
I’d put it right up there with: That’s a whole nuther thing.