Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun idiomatic One's
signature .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun hero of American folk tales; portrayed as an enormously strong black man who worked on the railroads and died from exhaustion after winning a contest with a steam drill
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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No, my dear John Henry, that is not the proper step at this time.
John Henry Smith A Humorous Romance of Outdoor Life Frederick Upham Adams 1890
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Bonamassa calls John Henry "the ultimate working class hero".
Shropshire Star 2009
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The 24-year-old stallion will take up residence in the stall formerly occupied by another Horse of the Year, John Henry, which is already outfitted with a heater, and well-suited for an older horse.
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David Adey, "John Henry," 2010, mixed media installation, at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles.
ArtScene: Southern California's Top Ten Exhibition Picks for 2010 ArtScene 2011
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David Adey, "John Henry," 2010, mixed media installation, at Luis De Jesus Los Angeles.
ArtScene: Southern California's Top Ten Exhibition Picks for 2010 ArtScene 2011
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So we had to remove the bad guy's cigar in the short "John Henry".
BAAAD Influences Steve Hulett 2009
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But you can't help but notice a connection between the blues shouts in Arvella Gray's version of "John Henry," which manages to reference Maxwell Street in its lyrics, and the calls and shouts of the street's hawkers of one-jewel watches, discount socks, plumbing pipe, and day-old bread.
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Or have a look around this comprehensive "John Henry" site.
Week 40: Man of Steel, Consistency of Kleenex Douglas Wolk 2007
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The title of this week's issue is a line from the song "John Henry," specifically the line that Alan Lomax called "the Bill of Rights in one phrase."
Week 40: Man of Steel, Consistency of Kleenex Douglas Wolk 2007
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If, perhaps, you are not familiar with the original "John Henry," you might acquaint yourself with the amazing Josh White's rendition, Mississippi Fred McDowell's fragment of a version, or Mississippi John Hurt's less conventional one.
Week 40: Man of Steel, Consistency of Kleenex Douglas Wolk 2007
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