ratty and brown?

[Paucle]

Inside joke?

[Staley]

Not inside, but definitely a joke. They did one on TV once which asked "what's brown and sticky?" The answer was "a stick."

[Paucle]

Thanks for that and as long as I'm at sea, what's with the "cow's bible"? Another allusion that escapes me.

[Staley]

The omasum (the third "chamber" of the cow's stomach) is also called the bible (and "manyplies") because of the many folds of surface inside it. When I saw it, it sounded like a trivia question to me.

[Paucle]

again,thanks, something I'd never heard before. When I looked up "osmasum" it mentioned the many-thing but no bible.

Bible is also something a farmer had better do if he wants more cattle. Just to buy cow is insufficient.