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Steve Cosgrove's avatar

Don't lose your head! A guillotine-inspired expression used figuratively since the early 19th century.

Based on a vague memory, I checked and verified that this slicing machine was used in Germany by the Nazis to dispatch around 5000 enemies of the state, including the White Rose group who led resistance in Munich to Hitler.

Thanks to Google, I also ran across a guillotine recommended to be used to dispatch rodents after their use in scientific experiments - a mini-guillotine that you can buy online.

And now I'm getting guillotine ads on Facebook. Don't tell Stephen Miller!

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Betty Carlson's avatar

Very interesting, although the part about the experiments made me a bit queasy. It led me to look up the last execution in Rodez -- April 1936 and Deibler arrived from Paris to do the slicing. The previous one had been in 1910, after a murder committed right in our village! I had no idea.

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Jeffrey Polaski's avatar

I almost forgot to read this. Where is my mind today?

Oh, there it is, on the fireplace mantel!

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Carolyn Smagalski's avatar

Wow! That is some crazy history! Sharp witted and to the point!

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Nancy's avatar

No idea of this legacy--especially the origins of Divine's nomenclature and Bowie's Jean Genie. As always, another great piece, Theresa!

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alan heavens's avatar

I didn’t like Laverne and Shirley but would have only used it on Lenny and Squiggy and maybe Carmine

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