Colder than flugen

Posted by ESC November 26, 2008 at 19:26In reply to Colder than flugen posted by James Briggs on November 26, 2008 at 18:08:

My grandparents in Southern Kentucky used the phrase to describe a bitterly cold day as:

"It's colder than flugen!". I am not sure where it is from or what the spelling is. I have looked for it spelled flugen and floogen but have not found anyone who knew the origin.

It could be derived from the Swedish town Flugen. It looks as if it could turn pretty cold there. Do you have any Swedish connections?

I live in Kentucky. I'll ask around at work next week and see if anyone has heard this phrase.

Flugens -- An intensive, chiefly southern. Hell, the dickens, tarnation, often in "cold as (blue) flugens." Also, from 1830, "making money like flugens." Also, flugens, furiously, in a rush. Other spellings: flugins, flujens, flujin. From "Dictionary of American Regional English," Volume II, D-H, by Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan Houston Hall (1991, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., and London, England). Page 499.