The image is a funny one. A mouse in someone’s pocket—it brings
to mind the possibility of an unsavory pet that someone carries with them, at least
in the 1800’s American West it would have been an undesirable one. Since
concrete was not used in the building of homes until 1875 in the Northeast, it
was customary to have hardwood floors and completely wooden homes.
Unfortunately, wood is not one of the building materials that keeps varmints
like mice out of the home, especially in winter. There is a reason Ralph Waldo Emerson
said, “If you build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your
door.” The rodents made life harder, and they were rarely seen as pets as some
do today.
But why, then, would a cowboy ask another if he has a mouse
in his pocket?
It’s a way of saying, don’t include me in what you’re saying.
You don’t speak for me.
For example, if one cowboy were to say to another, “We
really need to get this barn cleaned up before supper.”
But the other cowboy doesn’t see the chore as his
responsibility, he might ask if the first cowboy has a mouse in his pocket,
since his “we” couldn’t possibly refer to more than himself. The "we," therefore,
must refer to the first cowboy and the mouse in his pocket and not the second
one.
It’s a funny, yet mildly insulting way of telling someone
that they are not included in the “we” and are not interested in being
included. Have you ever heard this saying before? Used it yourself? Could you
see yourself using it now? Let me know in a comment!
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