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Light dawns ova Mahblehead

The point in a conversation at which a particularly dense person finally comprehends something: "I asked Debbie and Rick if I could come along, too, and they were all, like 'We kinda got plans,' and stuff. Then I was all, 'Light dawns over Marblehead! Hel-LO!' They wanna be alone together!" At least, that's what Laura Mitchell says. Kathy Palmacci says the expression is actually "light dawns ON Mahblehead:" "I've lived in Somerville my entire life, and we've always said that," she says.

Possibly the most incongruous use of the phrase, eva, was in the movie "Cocktail, when a City College of New York professor yells it at Tom Cruise.

Comments

And afta this one should be the word "LIKE".
It's an unmistakable staple of every true Bostonian's verbage.
ie: OMG...I was, like, talking to him, right, and I was like, OMG!!! Like, ya know what I mean? hehehe Follow? Shua.
~ Jaleia :)

Jaleia on May 31, 2004 10:50 PM.

I grew up in Boston. Presumably the double entendre that makes this term punny is the play on Marblehead. A serene sunrise scene in a classic coastal New England town comes crashing down when you realize that you're the last jackass to get the joke. Marble head.

Rosencrantz on January 26, 2005 09:26 AM.

Growing up in Southern Cow Hampshah it was always "Dawn breaks on Marblehead."

Magnus on September 2, 2005 10:40 AM.

Actually, Jaleia, I've lived in California, Canada, North Carolina, and Massachusetts, and the word "like" is unfortunately not limited to Bostonians. It has a tendency to be a staple in the vocabulary of many teenage girls.

Andrea on March 11, 2006 10:00 PM.

^^ and boys

Lorrie on January 21, 2007 09:12 PM.

Um, I grew up in Swampscott, which as far as I know is still right next to Marblehead, and I never heard of this phrase before reading this page. :)

Greg E. on December 5, 2007 06:50 PM.

I was in a class (in Florida) when the instructor used this phrase. I knew right away that she had some New England connection. She said she was from New York but her dad was from Boston and always used it.

Bob Sullivan on January 16, 2008 04:30 PM.


I grew up in Newton and I heard it all the time. I never got the Marblehead town association part of it until I moved to Marblehead.I never knew there was a Marblehead.Funny whenever I talk to Marbleheaders they say they never heard this phrase. Maybe it was used to make fun of Marbleheaders and thats why they never used it, As in a head as hard and as thick as marble.We used to use it to make fun of others "Like Duh!Light Dawns on Marblehead." Then one day Im at the library and there throwing out all these books. I find this old book of poetry and there in the pages is a poem with the words "as light dawns o'er Marblehead... I turned and looked to the east or something like that.'I can't remember it clearly,I lost track of the book and now I am going crazy trying to find this book again so I can find out how old this poem is so I can solve this question. No one seems to know this poem and I can't even remember the Author. All I remember is he was Male. Its just a small irritation in a whole world of irritations. "Duh! Like., I think Marblehead is getting to me.

Monica on April 5, 2008 08:56 PM.

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