Need Help with two references I heard as a child in the 50s

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   Billie Kelpinposted 8 years ago

   I'm wondering if anyone knows the meaning of a word sounding like "dapus".   My father used to use it in the context of being clumsy or perhaps left-handed?  It could have been "dabis", but phonetically it sounded like da'pis.  He would use it jokingly if I spilled something or tripped over something.  I'm left-handed, and I think that might have been a reference to it or just a reference to me being awkward or clumsy.  Again, he never used it in a mean way - just gently teasing me.
   
   My Aunt Marion also used to call me "Molly Putz" (again I'm not sure of the spelling).  I think Molly Putz was a character of a children's book (perhaps German) and I think Molly was probably getting into awkward situations, perhaps like Amelia Bededlia
   
   I know these references are obscure, but writers on hubpages know "a LOT of stuff"!
   
   Cheers and thanks,
   
   Billie

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      sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Billie
      I found reference to both questions.
      According to the "Dictionary of American Regional English," the term "Molly Putz" is used to describe a fool or an objectionable person. For example, "Molly Putz could have done a better job,"
      But where army and navy expansion go hand in hand, there we may look for trouble. ...... President J. M.Dapis. ...... with his left hand, and with great dexterity pitchforked the contents into his mouth with ...... in which two skilled acrobats give a highly amusing act of assumed clumsiness and amateur attempts at acrobatics that ...
      Not sure if they are helpful.

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         Billie Kelpinposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Sally Bea,
         You are amazing!  I've been looking for these meanings for YEARS!  I write about being left handed a LOT and my children's book "Lucky, the Left Pawed Puppy" is to empower little left handers and all children who, at times, feel 'left out'.  I had REALLY not realized how directly my dad's and Aunt Marion's comments related to my handedness.  I'll have to search Molly Putz a little further because my Aunt Marion wouldn't have meant objectionable, but something implying a bit foolish   Thank you so much!

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            Billie Kelpinposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Sally,
            Do you happen to have the link for those references?  I'd love to read the whole articles!

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               sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Hi Billy,
               I found this one which is slightly different from the first, I think it is a better one for Molly Klutz http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/putz.htm. 
               I need to check the second because I found that info on the first page of a google search for Dapus which I think should be spelt Dapis.  I will post the link when I am sure I have the right one.

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                  Billie Kelpinposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  thanks so much!

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                     sallybeaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     If you go to the above link, please put Putz into the search for a word section, it will take you to a link and then another and the definition will be found on the second link - hopefully:)
                     
                     The second word you heard was I believe doofus http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doofus so you can probably scrub the first bit of text I copied into my first reply.

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   Jodahposted 8 years ago

   "Dufus" or "duphus"

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      Jodahposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      or "doofus"

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         Jodahposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         "Molly Putz" rhymes with "klutz" meaning clumsy.

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         ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         That's the first word I thought of too as I remember hearing that one a lot when I was younger.

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            Billie Kelpinposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Christin,
            
            I'm not sure whether you're referring to "Dapis" or "Molly Putz", but what I DO find interesting is that I so often agree with your comments in the forums and yet we were raised, apparently, decades apart, yet hearing the same phraseology that has stuck with us.  PS.  I notice you're from the midwest.  Milwaukee is the city where I grew up.  Thanks for responding!

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