# "More \_\_\_\_\_ than you can shake a stick at" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 26, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803 "2002-11-26T01:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![julietverni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@julietverni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/julietverni)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/1 "2002-11-26T01:31:38Z")
Does anyone know the origin of the phrase “More \_\_\_\_\_ than you can shake a stick at”? ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/2 "2002-11-26T04:12:20Z")
I guess you shake sticks at threatening animals to get them to go away, so If Im in over my head with shit I will attempt to shake a stick at it so it will go away. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/3 "2002-11-26T04:52:46Z")
Maybe shaking a stick at means threaten. So if lets say theres a poodle, you grab a stick and you hold and shake it in a threatening manner and hopefully the poodle runs off. But if there are maybe 50 poodles you’d not want to shake a stick at them for fear of them calling you bluff. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/4 "2002-11-26T05:11:14Z")
It’s pretty old, wherever it came from. From the OED online: > [@](#): > > b. fig. Chiefly in phrases. to shake boast: to boast, swagger. to shake the feather: see FEATHER n. 8b. more than you can shake a stick at (and vars.): more than one can count, a considerable amount or number (colloq., orig. and chiefly U.S.). > > 1818 Lancaster (Pa.) Jrnl. 5 Aug. 3/1 We have in Lancaster as many Taverns as you can shake a stick at. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/5 "2002-11-26T05:58:09Z")
Well, I heard it come’s from cowboys counting cattle as they pass through a gate by pointing at them with a stick. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/6 "2002-11-26T06:33:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, I heard it come’s from cowboys… The 1818 quote from **Exapno** would probably preclude cowboys. ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/7 "2002-11-26T14:02:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > \*\*The 1818 quote from **Exapno** would probably preclude cowboys. \*\* Ah, but I’m sure the cowboys didn’t invent the process of counting the herd with a stick. I would venture a quess that shepherds and goatherds from time immemorial have used their staffs (a big stick) to help keep track of their charges. When viewed from a distance it would certainly appear that they were shaking their stick at the flocks while counting or herding them from one place to another. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/8 "2002-11-26T16:21:11Z")
Make’s sense to me, **Stana Claus**. I’m pretty sure the phrase didn’t originate from counting taverns. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/9 "2002-11-26T18:06:08Z")
To address this in a scientific manner we would have to determine how many poodles we _know_ you can shake a stick at and then add one more and see what happens. So, how many poodles are you certain you can shake a stick at? (Someone is grinding his teeth seeing so many phrases ended with a preposition) ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/10 "2002-11-26T18:55:57Z")
Actually, it seems more like something people say because it’s alliterative and has a nice ring to it. There’s probably not much more meaning to it than that. It reminds me strongly of phrases my grandfather used to use like “best food I ever flapped my lips around.” He meant them to be amusing and have an interesting ring to it. The repetition of the “f” and “p” sounds were a definite part of it. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-_____-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/138803/11 "2002-11-26T20:01:27Z")
“(Someone is grinding his teeth seeing so many phrases ended with a preposition)” That’s something he’ll just have to get used to.