Wicked Little Critta

Exerpted from “Wicked Little Critta” They Might Be Giants

What does this mean? Any insights in to this narrative would be appreciated.

Surely someone can help me?

According to this website, its not supposed to make any sense. Its just a bunch of New England slang strewn together.

Some of the references are hockey references … slang you would use in describing a hockey game or a hockey ‘move’. That’s about as far as I get!

“Mink Car”, excellent album.
DarkRabbit

What does the slang mean?

“Wicked little critta”: “wicked” is generally used in New England as a substitute for “very”. “Wicked pissah (pisser)” means “very good”. “Critta” would be “critter”; a “wicked little crittah” would probably be a badly behaved or mischevious boy, a Dennis the Menace type.

“Laying a patch” is the same as “burning rubber”, when you squeal the tires of your car, (“peeling out”) leaving tire marks on the asphault.

A “sissy bar” is, I believe, a particular part of a bike. The term is familiar, but I’m not certain of exactly what it is.

Havlicek was a hockey player, as Darkrabbit pointed out.

The word “ditch”, to my ear, means to leave, to throw away, or give up on. Example: “My friend ditched me at the party and I didn’t have a ride home.” There is also a more literal sense, in which you ditch your car (or bike) by driving off the road (and end up in the ditch.)

“Dink” is a derogatory term meaning a small, unimportant person. “Dinky” can also be used to mean “small”. “Dweeb” is fairly close in meaning. “Dink” is also children’s slang for penis.

Sorry. John Havlicek was a basketball player. Tho he did play for the Celtics.

This came up on alt.music.tmbg a while ago. A painfully detailed explanation can be found here.

Eek! You are so right. Apologies to all Celtics fans.

The site masafer links to gives a detailed description of a sissy bar. (Good thing, too; it’s been bugging me all day.)