August 14, 2008

War paint

Originally published March 2, 2005

I don't know what made me think of it just now, but I heard my father say it dozens of times when I was young and we were getting ready to go out somewhere.

"Dad, where's Mama?"

"She's in the bathroom, puttin' on her war paint."

That meant mama was applying makeup. It was always "war paint" to my father, and as I grow older, I believe he had it pegged.

"War Paint," indeed.