I am a newcomer, but have been following threads here for some time with great interest. I live grew up in Chicago, but have lived in Germany for over 20 years. I am writing a book here to help German blues fans understand the lyrics. They are crazy about the music, but entirely miss the meaning.

I have a question about one expression in Ethel Water's "My Handy Man" that I can't get my head around and would really appreciate any insights you could provide.

The expression is in this stanza:


"He flaps my flapjacks, cleans off the table,
He feeds the horses in my stable,
My man is such a handy man! He's God's gift!"

Does anyone have an explanation for "cleans off the table"?

I'm stumped.

Thanks for any help you can provide. I love this forum!