# 'You sock-dologizing man-trap!' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065 "2001-03-22T22:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/1 "2001-03-22T22:07:40Z")
A well-known quote from 1865. I know that a “man trap” can refer to either wanton women (possibly thru synechdochic extension) or the dying race of salt vampires of M-113. But what does “sock-dologizing” mean??? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/2 "2001-03-22T22:43:24Z")
I have no idea if this helps or not but “sock” can mean comin drama. I have no clue as to “dologizing” but given the source of the word I thought the sock reference might help narrow things a bit (or not). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/3 "2001-03-22T22:47:55Z")
Make that **comic drama** not **comin**. Sorry… ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/4 "2001-03-22T23:00:58Z")
Don’t know if this is correct, but it looks a lot like pig latin for the act of reciting the doxology. doxology-\> sock dology doxologising-\> sock dologising ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2001, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/5 "2001-03-22T23:15:11Z")
Squink, that would be a “spoonerism”, not pig Latin. Interesting, but probably coincidence. From Merriam-Webster online: > [@](#): > > Main Entry: **sock·dol·a·ger** > Variant(s): _or_ **sock·dol·o·ger** säk-'dä-li-j&r > Function: _noun_ > Etymology: origin unknown > Date: circa 1830 > **1** **:** something that settles a matter **:** a decisive blow or answer **: FINISHER** > **2** **:** something outstanding or exceptional ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/6 "2001-03-23T01:55:45Z")
zgystardst, it seemed too obvious to be a coincidence. My actual, physical, dictionary confirms that the doxology actually is involved here: From Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged… (1994) > [@](#): > > sockdolager n Slang > > 1. something unusually large, heavy , etc. > 2.a decisive reply, argument etc. > 2. a heavy, finishing blow; His right jab is a real sockdolager. > [coinage based on sock (2) + doxology (in slang sense of finish) + ER I wonder why the online version misses the etymology ? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/7 "2001-03-23T04:00:10Z")
My compact Oxford English Dictionary says it is “prob. of fanciful origin”. The speculation that it comes from “doxology” is reinforced by the fact that a doxology usually finishes a prayer or service. As I said, it is an interesting idea. However, we apparently don’t have any written documentation that that is how the word was coined. Without that evidence, the idea remains speculation - interesting and plausible, perhaps, but not proven. It’s also interesting that the first (most common?) form of the word given in the dictionaries ends in -ager, not -oger. If the word’s from “doxology”, how’d the “a” get in there? Again, we can speculate on the reasons. There’s another discussion of it here: [http://www.quinion.com/words/weirdwords/ww-soc1.htm](http://www.quinion.com/words/weirdwords/ww-soc1.htm) Then there’s something called false etymology: [http://www.xrefer.com/entry/597953](http://www.xrefer.com/entry/597953) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/8 "2001-03-24T12:50:11Z")
The line was delivered in the play “Our American Cousin”. The play was the one being performed at Ford’s Theatre when Lincoln was shot. John Wilkes Booth was an actor, and knew the play well. This was the line of the play that generally got the biggest laugh, and he shot Lincoln hoping that the noise would cover the sound of the shot and allow him to escape. Actual full line is: Stuck up British lady: “You clearly do not know the rules of polite society!” (Exit). Our American Cousin: “Don’t know the rules of polite society, eh? Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out - you sock-dologizing old mantrap!” (Big laugh, at least in 1865). JWB: “Bang!” (Jumps onto stage, breaks leg) “Sic semper tyrannis!” (Hobbles off). Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2001, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/9 "2001-03-24T15:35:28Z")
A mangled version of doxologizing, with implications of relying too much on dusty authority seems a better fit to this insulting usage than any of the previously cited dictionary definitions. It makes me wonder how the word ended up in the dictionary in the first place ? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/10 "2003-05-23T14:22:38Z")
I know this thread’s two years old, but the link from the [Our American Cousin](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=185725) thread prompted me to investigate, and any chance to throw the full version of the OED on-line is just too good to resist. Aside from the definitions provided above, the OED also says: > [@](#): > > 1. A form of fish-hook… > 2. Something exceptional in any respect, esp. a large fish. The earliest quotations for either of these date after the earliest quotation for definition 1 (“a heavy blow”), which leads me to suspect that there probably is some spooneristic connection between _doxology_ (the end of a church service) and _sockdolager_ (the end of a fight by knocking your opponent to the floor). ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/11 "2003-05-23T14:25:56Z")
I meant to include the quotation from definition 2, which seems to fit the usage in the line from _Our American Cousin_ the best: > [@](#): > > BARTLETT Dict. Amer. 319 Socdolager, a patent fish-hook, having two hooks which close upon each other by means of a spring as soon as the fish bites If that isn’t the picture of a man-trap I don’t know what is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/12 "2003-05-23T14:33:34Z")
I meant to include the quotation from definition 2, which seems to fit the usage in the line from _Our American Cousin_ the best: > [@](#): > > BARTLETT Dict. Amer. 319 Socdolager, a patent fish-hook, having two hooks which close upon each other by means of a spring as soon as the fish bites If that isn’t the picture of a man-trap I don’t know what is. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/13 "2003-05-23T14:46:33Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Shodan \* > \*\* > JWB: “Bang!” (Jumps onto stage, breaks leg) “Sic semper tyrannis!” (Hobbles off)._\* They cut that from later performances of the play. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-sock-dologizing-man-trap/59065/14 "2003-05-23T15:01:51Z")
The fish-hook origin does make sense. It reminds me of an episode of “Amos ‘n’ Andy” in which Kingfish is scheming (duh!) to get his MIL married to a (supposedly) rich guy. Once they’re hitched, Kingfish says, “That’s gonna put me in gaffin’ distance of that ol’ Flounder’s money!”