Phrase origin

[Thadeus]

Slow as Molasses in January... anyone have an origin?

It would seem common-sense, but after reading about the Great Molasses Disaster I wonder if the phrase is older or younger than the accident. The "disaster" occurred January 15, 1919.

It splashed onto city streets in all directions, speeding as fast as a man could run.

another link

~Thadeus

 

[GwydionM]

I checked 'urban legends' and they accept it as true. (Always a good place to start).

I then googled on the phrase and could find no earlier reference. Not everything is on the web, of course.

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An old man who lives in the UK

 

[KenCunningham]

There is mention of people being 'cooked' in the article. Presumably this implies that the molasses was warm or hot when the tank split. I'd take the meaning of 'Slow as molasses in January' to refer to the torpid properties of cold molasses at that time of year.

 

[ChrisHunt]

Here's more information (and a photo) on the molasses disaster. Brings a whole new meaning to "coming to a sticky end". Some things never change:

Before the explosion, the tank's owner, U.S. Industrial Alcohol, responded to warnings about structural problems with the tank by painting it brown, making it harder to see the molasses leaking out of the tank.

Hours after the explosion, a company lawyer was on the scene falsely blaming others for the disaster.

-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd