Meanings/origins of common/old sayings

[Lord Bracknell]

There's so many of these urban myths. Some of the ones referring to acronyms are laughable: 'Gay' is supposed to have come from San Fransisco equal rights campaigners carrying banners saying 'Good As You'.

Nah. They carried this banner:-

 

[KZNSeagull]

Carrying on with Pom, I often get called that but have also been called a Soutie which is short for sout piel meaning salt penis - Brits who have settled in SA have one foot in SA and the other in Britain, so one's penis must be dangling in the sea. That is actually quite funny for an Afrikaans joke.

 

[Icy Gull]

Tow rag as in low life, a bit grim this one

Originally a British Royal Naval term. This was a long piece of rope, either frayed at the end, or with a bit of rag tied to the end of it, permanently fixed to a ship, which was dangled into the sea, and therefore, towed, next to the wooden plank with a hole in it which was secured over the edge of the ship, used as a toilet. After the sailor had finished his ablutions, he lifted the rope out of the water, and then wiped his rear-end clean with the wet, frayed end of the rope, and when he finished wiping, the soiled end of the rope was dropped back into the sea to clean itself as it was towed along by the ship. a Towed Rag.

 

[Titanic]

"Wiped its face" an expression meaning something sold at no profit or loss, and apparently made up by Tim Wonnacott for the BBC TV show Bargain Hunt.

 

[cliveh27]

Many years ago, when they were building the football stadium at Selhurst Park, the workmen were nearing the completion of the main stand when the foreman realised that they didn't have enough material. In fact, all that was needed was two small pieces of wood, substantial enough to support the last row of seats. Knowing that the work had to be completed that day, ready for the opening ceremony, the foreman knew that he would have to improvise fast. At that moment, two C****** P***** supporters walked by, shouting and waving their arms around nonsensically. "Quick", shouted the foreman to his colleagues, as he had a brainwave, "Grab them - they look as thick as two short planks!"

 

[fire&skill]

Manure being transported by steamer round the British Isles; put down in the hold with a massive build-up of methane and a subsequent explosion risk. Crew were then advised to
'Store High In Transit/Transport'.

Men accused of rape; stuck in the lowest dungeon in the gaol, with a sign above the door saying 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge'.

 

[Brian Potter]

At the time of the plague, traders were reluctant to sail up the Thames into London and offload their cargo, for fear of becoming infected. One group did. And before the final leg up into London they would stop of at a riverside pub just outside the city for a drink. The sailors in question were from the Netherlands..hence the saying "Dutch courage"

 

[seagurn]

Why is a prostitute known as a Brass ?.

Maybe something to do with brass h'appeney the cost of a quickie maybe

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It was only recently that I discovered the term berk is an abbreviation for Berkshire hunt. I'll leave it at that.

 

[dingodan]

The term "salary" derives from the Latin word salārium, meaning salt. This is because people used to be paid in salt.

This is why a man can be "worth his salt".

 

[El Presidente]

The phrase 'going for a Burton' was coined in the First World War.

At the time beer from the Burton brewery was extremely popular, and squaddies who were being ordered to go over the top in the trenches would often say the phrase as they knew it was likely to be their final words, and therefore it was similar to a condemned man's last request.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The phrase "We're going up and we'll win the cup" was first invented by a group of Brighton and Hove Albion supporters attending a football match in Stoke-on-Trent on 19 February 2011. Word passed rapidly around the stadium and the phrase was rapidly put to music. Sadly, it transpired that the optimism of the singers was only half justified.

 

[Laughing Gravy]

From a recent e-mail I received:

There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble Arch, London, which used to have gallows adjacent to it. Prisoners were taken to the
Gallows, (after a fair trial of course) to be hung.
The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner, was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ''ONE LAST DRINK''. If he said YES, it was referred to as “ONE FOR THE ROAD”
If he declined, that prisoner was “ON THE WAGON”

They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive you were, "Piss Poor". But worse than that, were the really poor folk, who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot, they "Didn’t have a pot to Piss in" & were the lowest of the low.

Most people got married in June, because they took
Their yearly bath in May and they still smelled pretty good by June.
However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers, to hide the body odour. Hence the custom today, of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!"

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.
This posed a real problem in the bedroom, where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top, afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt.
Hence the saying, "Dirt Poor." The wealthy had slate floors, that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread
Thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh, until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the door-way. Hence: a thresh hold.

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle, that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight, then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: ''Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot, nine days old''.

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special.
When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon, to show off.
It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "Bring home the Bacon." They would cut off a little, to share with guests and would all sit around talking and ''Chew the fat''.

Bread also was divided, according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ''The Upper Crust''.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination, would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days.
Someone walking along the road, would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of ''Holding a Wake''.

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, thread it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night, (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, ''Saved by the Bell '' or was considered a ''Dead Ringer''

Great post buddy.
Really enjoyed reading that.

There are some great old saying that originate from the 18th century Royal Navy, well worth a look up on the web

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

crock of shit



1. Fatalism..... Shit happens.
2. Confucianism....... Confucius say, "Shit happens."
3. Taoism........ Shit can only happen if you're constipated.
4. Calvinism..... Shit happens because you don't work hard enough.
5. Buddhism..... If shit happens, is it really shit?
6. Seventh Day Adventism...... Shit doesn't happen on Saturday.
7. Zen...... What is the sound of shit happening?
8. Hedonism.... There is nothing like a good shit happening.
9. Hinduism..... This shit happened before.
10. Mormonism...... This shit is going to happen again.
11. Mormonism.... Editors note--This has been deleted because you can't say "shit" in Utah
12. Islam..... If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
13. Islam..... If shit happens, take a hostage.
14. Iranian Fundamentalism..... You better stay off my shit list.
15. Moonies.... Only happy shit really happens.
16. Stoicism.... I can take this shit.
17. Protestantism..... Let this shit happen to someone else.
18. Catholicism.... Shit happens because you are BAD.
19. Judaism......... Why does shit always happen to us?
20. Hare Krishna...... Shit happens Rama Rama Ding Dong.
21. Zoroastrianism...... Shit happens half the time.
22. Christian Scientist..... This shit isn't really happening.
23. Existentialism...... You create your own shit and make it happen.
24. Rastafarianism..... Lets smoke this shit!
25. Nihilism .....Who gives a shit what happens?
26. Jehovah's Witnesses.... Knock knock. "Shit happens."
27. Agnosticism.... I don't know shit.
28. Southern Baptistism..... Shit only happens to moderates.
29. Southern Baptistism...... Shit will happen! Praise the Lord!
30. Unitarianism .......Any kind of shit you want happens.
31. Secular Humanism..... Shit should happen equally to everyone.
32. Analytical philosophy....... Define "Shit" define "Happen."
33. Panglossianism....... With all this shit, there must be a pony around here somewhere.
34. Atheism...... No shit.
35. Shakespearianism....... To shit, or not to shit, that is the question.
36. Akoslamism....... My grandfather was Big Shit.
37. Sadism..... I enjoy making shit happen
38. Satanism .......Holy Shit!
39. Energiserism....... It keeps shitting, and shitting, and shitting...
40. Deism...... Shit is nature, nature is god, so thanks for the compliment.
41. Figism...... Shit happens, and it's all my fault.
42. Goatism..... Good Morning! Shit happens.
43. Peer Pressurism...... Everyone's shitting, you should too.
44. Feminism...... Our shit is better than mens.
45. Bobbitism...... SHIT HAP
46. Gulliblism...... Did you know, "shit" isn't in the dictionary?
47. Capitalism..... I have more shit than you do
48. Nazism...... Ve haff vays uff makink sheet happen.
49. Nazism...... We make shit happen to Jews.
50. Communism....... Everyone is treated the same except for the leaders: like shit!
51. Masochism.... I like it when shit happens.
52. Puritanism...... The Scarlet S
53. Jainism..... Shit happens, if it don't hurt shit.
54. Monism..... There is only one shit.
55. Snobism....shit dont stink
56. Theism.... All shit is God's shit
57. Classicism.... This shit is ancient.
58. Cocainism..... This is good shit!
59. Daltinism..... What color is shit?
60. Darwinism...... May the best shit win.
61. Dualism ...... Good shit, bad shit
62. Egotism...... My shithole
63. Egotism...... I am the shit!
64. Exorcism...... Get the shit out.
65. Hitlarism..... Heil shit!
66. Gnosticism....... Good shit, bad shit
67. Hypnotism..... You are feeling shitty... very shitty
68. Televangelism..... Your tax deductable donation could make this shit stop happening.
69. Amishism....... This shit is good for the soil.
70. Einsteinism...... Shit is relative.
71. Einsteinism..... The faster the shit, the bigger it is.
72. Freudism ......Shit is a phallic symbol.
73. Freudism..... Sometimes shit is just shit
74. Americanism..... Who gives a shit?
75. Realism..... I think I need to take a shit.
76. Denialism.... What shit?
77. Lysdexiaism.... Happ Shitens.
78. Pink Floydism...... Shit a Brick
79. Snappleism...... Made from the best shit on earth
80. Neil Armstrongism....... One small shit for me, but a giant heap for mankind.
81. Politically Correctism...... Nutritionally Corrected Output happens.
82. Unixism Core..... dump happens
83. Waldoism..... Where is that little shit?
84. Motherism...... Clean up your shit
85. Ghettoism..... I live in a world of shit
86. Creationism....... And God said, "Let there be shit."
87. Xenophopianism..... Strange shit can't be trusted
88. Metamucilism...... Oh Shit!
89. Sodomism..... Shit packing
90. Hangoverism...... I feel like shit!
91. Star Warsism...... May the shit be with you
92. Star Warsism .....Use the john, Luke!
93. Star Trekism..... To boldly shit where no man has shit before
94. Farmism....... Manure
95. Gumpism....... Life is like a box of shit...
96. Bubbahism...... Fried shit, and baked shit, and shit sauce...
97. Shitism ......This shithead has a shitload of time on his hands.
98. Nikeism.... Just do shit.
99. Intellectualism.... Deep shit.
100. Pizzaism.... Shit delivered in 30 min. or less.
101. Euphemism...... Excrement happens
102. Old McDonaldism....... Here a shit; there a shit; everywhere a shit shit.

 

[Triggaaar]

How about Poms (POHMs) - Prisoners of his majesty, the question is why are we the Poms now?

I am told it comes from Pomegranates. A Brit in a hot country will have a face resembling a Pomegranate from sun burn.

Pomegranates sounds unlikely given how it's mainly used by Aussies and presumably before we went there much on holiday. I thought it was POME (prisoner of mother England) but POHM is also believable. Either way, I've assumed it to be used by some Aussies to refer to those that really were prisoners a few hundred years ago. It would now be best used to describe Aussies with English (or British) heritage. I always find it odd that they call us pomes, as we're clearly not.

 

[Gwylan]

Pomegranates sounds unlikely given how it's mainly used by Aussies and presumably before we went there much on holiday. I thought it was POME (prisoner of mother England) but POHM is also believable. Either way, I've assumed it to be used by some Aussies to refer to those that really were prisoners a few hundred years ago. It would now be best used to describe Aussies with English (or British) heritage. I always find it odd that they call us pomes, as we're clearly not.

According to Worldwide Words (I highly recommend this site for origins of words and sayings), the explanation IS that poms is short for pomegranate (but via a twisty route)
World Wide Words: Pom

 

[KZNSeagull]

Pomegranates sounds unlikely given how it's mainly used by Aussies and presumably before we went there much on holiday. I thought it was POME (prisoner of mother England) but POHM is also believable. Either way, I've assumed it to be used by some Aussies to refer to those that really were prisoners a few hundred years ago. It would now be best used to describe Aussies with English (or British) heritage. I always find it odd that they call us pomes, as we're clearly not.

Found this on Wiki (the font of all knowledge!!):

The origin of this term is not confirmed and there are several persistent false etymologies. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) strongly supports the theory that pommy originated as a contraction of "pomegranate".[3] The OED also suggests that the reason for this is that pomegranate is extinct Australian rhyming slang for immigrant; it cites an article from 14 November 1912, in a once-prominent Australian weekly magazine The Bulletin: "The other day a Pummy Grant (assisted immigrant) was handed a bridle and told to catch a horse." A popular alternative explanation for the theory that pommy is a contraction of "pomegranate", relates to the purported frequency of sunburn among British people in Australia, turning their fair skin the colour of pomegranates.[4] However, there is no hard evidence for the theory regarding sunburn. Another unofficial explanation is that P.O.M.E. stands for 'Prisoner of Mother England' or that P.O.H.M.E. stands for 'Prisoner of Her Majesty's Exile'. However, the OED states that there is no evidence for these terms or abbreviations being used and that they are an unlikely source. It has also been suggested that POM stands for "product of Mother England".[5] Historian Richard Holt maintains the origin of the term comes from English cricket tours of Australia where the English gentlemen amateurs would drink Pommery Champagne in preference to Australian beer.[6]

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Great post buddy.
Really enjoyed reading that.

There are some great old saying that originate from the 18th century Royal Navy, well worth a look up on the web

Shame none of it is true.

 

[bhaexpress]

I am told it comes from Pomegranates. A Brit in a hot country will have a face resembling a Pomegranate from sun burn.

I was told it was because the British had red faces like apples, of Pommes in French.

 

[Mistasita]

going back in to the world of footy for a moment.....what about the 'and Leicester' bit in the Chelsea ballad 'we all follow the Chelsea over land and sea - and Leicester'
I was there the day when some a booze laiden crowd comedian shouted the immortal words in the pause between the repeat chorus, and it stuck to this day....
The game was a 1-1 draw on 2nd Feb 1985 at the old Filbert street , and Joey Jones ( ex - Liverpool ) showed what commitment , and affinity with the fans was all about.
Great Days. Yea ok , I do follow the Albion and Chelsea live with it.