# Novel ways of saying "for a long time" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 25, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032 "2004-05-25T18:47:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/1 "2004-05-25T18:47:41Z")
Heeding **Dex** ’s call in the [latest Staff Report](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcoonsage.html), some suggestions for phrases to replace “coon’s age”: In a [sea urchin’s lifetime](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3232002.stm), For the lifespan of [SV40 cell lines](http://jaxmice.jax.org/services/sv40.html), In an geological epoch, For the [half-life of Thorium-232](http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/thorium.htm), Any others? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/2 "2004-05-25T19:37:41Z")
Since a Cubs championship? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/3 "2004-05-25T19:47:26Z")
Since Strom Thurmond was in knickers? In a Microsoft release window? Since the Grand Canyon was a ditch? In a slow-hamster SDMB posting? RR ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/4 "2004-05-25T19:57:13Z")
Since dolphins lived on land ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/5 "2004-05-25T20:21:42Z")
Since Microsoft was honest. Since _Star Trek_ was good. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/6 "2004-05-25T20:54:33Z")
Since people paid attention to Michael Jackson for the music Since we’ve had a decent, respectable human being as the leader of our country. Since the White Sox fielded a team worth mentioning Since my whiskey was just a field of grain ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/7 "2004-05-26T04:20:12Z")
Since hockey teams really had a seventh man. Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/8 "2004-05-26T04:26:10Z")
“For an Og’s nap…” ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/9 "2004-05-26T14:21:18Z")
In an acorn’s stretch Since Cecil started fighting ignorance In a glacier’s marathon ---
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/10 "2004-05-26T18:02:56Z")
For a month of new moons on Monday Since the first Saturday night Until they build a second avenue subway line in New York Until all of the galaxies have a family reunion in Fresno Ever since things have fallen down instead of up ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/11 "2004-05-26T22:50:19Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > In a glacier’s marathon I _like_ it! - amny of the other suggestions are a little too _agenda-driven_ for my liking, but this one is good. ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/12 "2004-05-27T06:57:58Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Since people paid attention to Michael Jackson for the music Revise it and you’ll have something: Since Michael Jackson was a musician. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/13 "2004-05-27T16:34:29Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I _like_ it! - amny of the other suggestions are a little too _agenda-driven_ for my liking, but this one is good. Huh? Sea urchins are “agenda-driven?” ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/14 "2004-05-27T20:16:38Z")
> [@paperbackwriter](#): > > Huh? Sea urchins are “agenda-driven?” It was supposed to be a secret, but then you blabbed. I just hope the powerful Sea Urchin Restitution Foundation doesn’t get wind of this. If you turn up dead one day of a couple thousand small puncture wounds, it will be a crying shame. Also, I feel I must point out for all you Dave Barry fans out there that “Glacial Sea Urchins” would be a good name for a rock band. RR ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/15 "2004-05-28T16:25:23Z")
“Since Moses was a pup” (credit to Robert Heinlein); “Since the circus came to town” (I guess some places don’t see the circus much); “Since potatoes were invented” ("…was invented" originally, but solecisms make me itch) ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/16 "2004-05-30T01:59:24Z")
“Since Hector was a pup” is an oldie, of course. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/17 "2004-05-31T18:30:12Z")
Since Star Wars began with the line “Yesterday in a galaxy far, far away” ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/18 "2004-06-02T15:21:54Z")
Or the perenniel military favourite: “Since Christ was a corporal”. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/19 "2004-06-02T15:47:39Z")
… since rocks were soft. … since dirt was new. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032/20 "2004-06-08T16:02:07Z")
…since God wore short pants. …since Lad was a pup. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-ways-of-saying-for-a-long-time/247032.md?page=2)