FabSwingers.com forum: Story behind the phrases we use today

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Be interesting to hear where sayings originated from.

Examples:why do we say..

'keeping up with the Jones's'

'if the boot was on the other foot'

'don't let the bed bugs bite'

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Keeping up with the Joneses originated in the 80s, after Aled Jones made the nation weep with his haunting ballad "Walking in the Air". This song was written by the decade's best songwriter, Howard Jones.

Walking in the Air was number one for 50 weeks, so the other bands were told by their record companies to keep up with the Joneses.

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Here’s an interesting one:

Although the following is somewhat disputed, many scholars have cited the origin of the colloquialism, ‘Painting the town red.’ to a particularly riotous night that occurred in 1837 in Melton Mowbray. The story goes that the Marquis of Waterford and a group of his friends got gloriously inebriated one fateful night and literally ran around the town daubing red paint upon the buildings(!!!)

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

“Screaming from the roof tops”

If shit got really bad religious leaders would tell everyone to get on their roof and start praying HARD for the gods to fix it

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By *lavsecondMan
over a year ago

redditch

The phrase originates with the comic strip Keeping Up with the Joneses, created by Arthur R. "Pop" Momand in 1913. The strip ran until 1940 in The New York World and various other newspapers. The strip depicts the social climbing McGinis family, who struggle to "keep up" with their neighbors, the Joneses of the title. The Joneses were unseen characters throughout the strip's run, often spoken of but never shown. The idiom keeping up with the Joneses has remained popular long after the strip's end.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"The phrase originates with the comic strip Keeping Up with the Joneses, created by Arthur R. "Pop" Momand in 1913. The strip ran until 1940 in The New York World and various other newspapers. The strip depicts the social climbing McGinis family, who struggle to "keep up" with their neighbors, the Joneses of the title. The Joneses were unseen characters throughout the strip's run, often spoken of but never shown. The idiom keeping up with the Joneses has remained popular long after the strip's end."

I think you'll find it was Aled Jones.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Actually now I am realising that I posted on the wrong thread and now Pete you can say

Bob’s your uncle and Brigitte is his aunt

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Rope makers used to make rope from hemp with a temporary waterproofing. When it wore off customers would bring it back to the maker who would sell them more rope. The old rope could then be reproofed and sold on again. Hence ‘money for old rope’.

Something I learned in the Devil’s Arse only today….

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

“Turning water into wine” was a Greek idiom for making things better. Similar to our (kids) use of “cool” or “it’s a gas”. Not meant to be taken literally. So when Jesus went to the party and “turned water into wine” it simply meant that the party got suddenly better because of him.

Telling you this just in case you’ve wondered about why he should have performed such a banal miracle!

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By *lavsecondMan
over a year ago

redditch

I think you’ll find people were using that phrase long before young Aled started walking in any air

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Turning A Blind Eye:

Again, a controversial one but it is commonly believed that this phrase originates with naval hero Horatio Nelson, who used his blind eye to look through his telescope.

Why? Well, in this manner he was able to deliberately avoid perceiving signals from his superior/s, who were signalling him to withdraw from battle.

As history attests, ignoring the order, Nelson attacked nevertheless, and was victorious

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Actually now I am realising that I posted on the wrong thread and now Pete you can say

Bob’s your uncle and Brigitte is his aunt "

Bobby Machado. Now there's a blast from the past.

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By *lavsecondMan
over a year ago

redditch

I think you’ll find people were using that phrase long before young Aled started walking in any air

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Rope makers used to make rope from hemp with a temporary waterproofing. When it wore off customers would bring it back to the maker who would sell them more rope. The old rope could then be reproofed and sold on again. Hence ‘money for old rope’.

Something I learned in the Devil’s Arse only today….

I think you find it as when they hung criminals they sold off the rope , hence “money for old rope “

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think you’ll find people were using that phrase long before young Aled started walking in any air"

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

This is the correct answer!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Keeping up with the Joneses originated in the 80s, after Aled Jones made the nation weep with his haunting ballad "Walking in the Air". This song was written by the decade's best songwriter, Howard Jones.

Walking in the Air was number one for 50 weeks, so the other bands were told by their record companies to keep up with the Joneses."

It was actually a comic strip from 1913 in America! Nothing to do with aled or his merry band of snowmen

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Mad As A Hatter:

Nothing to do with Lewis Carroll’s literary creations but rather the result of a spate of Mercury poisoning as was experienced in 17th century France, wherein hat makers who used mercury for the hat felt, sometimes developed, ‘Mad Hatter Disease’, a condition which was marked by random bouts of shyness, irritability, and physical tremors (resulting in the sufferer often being labelled as ‘mad’)

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By *lavsecondMan
over a year ago

redditch

Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1 "

The same guy that directed Keeping Up Appearances? Talented guy. But it was definitely Howard Jones.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The same guy that directed Keeping Up Appearances? Talented guy. But it was definitely Howard Jones."

I can’t tell if you’re taking the piss or not?

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1 "

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter"

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

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By *humper.Man
over a year ago

northumberland/scotland

Hungover.

Not sure on the exact story but it's along the lines of...

"back in the day" if you'd been to an Inn and had a skin full and couldn't afford a room, they would park you blind d*unk, stood up... "hung over" a rope that was tied from wall to wall. There would be rows of d*unks wake up in an empty stone floored room, in the morning... literally "hung over"

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

Sleep tight I think is from when beds were strung with rope, the tighter the rope the more comfortable the bed, not sure about the bed bugs bit however

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more…."

I thought that was Bruno?

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By *humper.Man
over a year ago

northumberland/scotland

Cracking idea for a thread OP

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By *ed VoluptaWoman
over a year ago

Wirral.

"Hungover.

Not sure on the exact story but it's along the lines of...

I though that came from witnessing a hanging. It was a special occurrence & people congregated to catch the spectacle (it was before TV!) and they all celebrated in the nearest tavern. Then, back to work, usually with a sore head, thus hungover

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?"

Frank Bruno?

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

"Sleep tight I think is from when beds were strung with rope, the tighter the rope the more comfortable the bed, not sure about the bed bugs bit however "

Oh and fact check

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeping_up_with_the_Joneses

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Cracking idea for a thread OP"

Awwwww Xx bless you

Thankyou

That's actually made my day.

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

[Removed by poster at 28/09/22 19:48:28]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Sleep tight I think is from when beds were strung with rope, the tighter the rope the more comfortable the bed, not sure about the bed bugs bit however

Oh and fact check

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeping_up_with_the_Joneses

See?

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno? "

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

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By *Y87Man
over a year ago

Cockermouth

There were quite a few which recently got banned from being used in sport by the BBC, the one I remember was...

Sold down the river

In the 19th Century, people were literally sold down the river to plantation owners further south where brutal conditions awaited. The use of that phrase in a sporting context waters down the association it has with (word which can't be used on the forum).

It's and odd thing language.

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By *dam_TinaCouple
over a year ago

Hampshire

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The same guy that directed Keeping Up Appearances? Talented guy. But it was definitely Howard Jones.

I can’t tell if you’re taking the piss or not?"

You can't?

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

Freeze the balls off a brass monkey is a navy term and refers to cannon balls falling out of the brass tray they were kept in if it got so cold the tray contracted

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter…. "

Can't really see what Frank did wrong.

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By *ORDERMANMan
over a year ago

wrexham

Walking in the Air was number one for 50 weeks, so the other bands were told by their record companies to keep up with the Joneses."

Bunkem

Keeping up with jones been around a lot longer

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Son Of A Gun: Olde world navel speak for offspring born upon a ship where the resulting babies were officially recorded as such in the naval logs.

There is an altogether more alarming, alternative version for the saying’s origin however which details the somewhat unusual practice of aiding birth by tying expectant mothers to the cannons (and then firing them??!)

The latter is (hopefully) likely inaccurate…

….I sincerely hope….

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

Can't really see what Frank did wrong."

It's Bough if I recall and he quite liked kinky swinger's clubs

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

Can't really see what Frank did wrong."

He lost to Mike Tyson for starters and in doing so, subsequently lost me a bet

I was a naive but hopeful fool

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more…."
he was framed because he was doing so well in his career I'll never believe no other

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

Can't really see what Frank did wrong."

Frank the snowman?

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

Garibaldi

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

"Garibaldi "

Oops sorry wrong thread

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

Can't really see what Frank did wrong.

He lost to Mike Tyson for starters and in doing so, subsequently lost me a bet

I was a naive but hopeful fool

Well let that be a lesson. Never rely on daytime TV presenters. You've seen what happened to Phil and Holly.

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By *wist my nipplesCouple
over a year ago

North East Scotland, mostly

"Disagree all you wish but it howard clarke wrote it and it never topped the charts at no 1

The golfer howard Clarke? Never knew he was also a songwriter

Noel Clarke? We don’t talk about him no more….

I thought that was Bruno?

Frank Bruno?

Frank Boff you say? Another disgraced presenter….

Can't really see what Frank did wrong.

He lost to Mike Tyson for starters and in doing so, subsequently lost me a bet

I was a naive but hopeful fool

Well let that be a lesson. Never rely on daytime TV presenters. You've seen what happened to Phil and Holly."

I heard - and I quote - they would NEVER jump a queue.

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

As happy as a sandboy

In days of yore, when folk would ride their horses to and fro the equivalent of lidl along ye olde High Street, the govt not having provided enough public horse toilets would often urinate, little boys Under the height of 14 hands would walk behind the horses and throw sand on the steaming horse urine to stop people getting wet feet....when the shoppers got home they would tip the sandboy and make them very happy.

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

I don't believe the term hung like a donkey refers to donkeys actually being hung, I'm not yet sure of it's origins but I've asked on Mumsnet, they usually seem to know most things

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"Garibaldi

Oops sorry wrong thread "

The Italian revolutionaries thread

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By *ob Carpe DiemMan
over a year ago

Torquay

"Garibaldi

Oops sorry wrong thread

The Italian revolutionaries thread"

It was the biscuit one

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Grabbing (or getting) The Wrong End Of The Stick:

Contrary to the commonly held, altogether cruder, origin for this phrase, this saying ostensibly came into use somewhere between the 1400’s-1800’s and literally denotes grabbing a specifically fashioned walking aid such as a cane by the wrong end, thus negating its function to steady oneself.

…..but you want to hear the crude version, right?

Well, according to some, it actually stems from ancient Rome wherein people used a crafted stick with wadding on the end with which to wipe their arses. ‘Getting the wrong end of the stick’ in said instance, was therefore…..a highly undesirable occurrence….ahem

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Give The Cold Shoulder:

During medieval times in England, after everyone was done gormandising, the host would apparently often give his guests a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of the beef or pork as a ‘takeaway’ or ‘doggy bag’ in effect which served as a way of indicating that it was time for everyone to leave.

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"Grabbing (or getting) The Wrong End Of The Stick:

…..but you want to hear the crude version, right?

Left holding the shitty end of the stick?

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

"Grabbing (or getting) The Wrong End Of The Stick:

…..but you want to hear the crude version, right?

Left holding the shitty end of the stick? "

I believe the saying has indeed evolved over time to encompass the latter, commonly held historical connotation.

Note: No ancient Roman’s were harmed or deliberately undignified in this message…

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Rule Of Thumb:

A decidedly sexist, historical origin to this one; It is believed that the saying stems from a 17th century English Judge named, Sir Francis Buller who decreed that husbands were perfectly entitled to beat their wives with a stick provided that it was no wider than the man’s thumb(!!!!)

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

I think we all know "hasn't got a pot to piss in" originates from the idea of someone being too poor to own a chamberpot

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think we all know "hasn't got a pot to piss in" originates from the idea of someone being too poor to own a chamberpot

From the tanneries, they used to buy urine to tan the hides and it comes from people who couldn't afford a pot couldn't be paid for their piss!

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By *humper.Man
over a year ago

northumberland/scotland

"Hungover.

Not sure on the exact story but it's along the lines of...

Oh, now I'm doubting myself... that makes sense too.

Pretty sure I'm right though

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Flogging A Dead Horse:

An intriguing one; whilst it might elicit imagery of cruelly overworking a poor old nag to death (and continuing to flog it to work still afterwards) the saying actually refers to a term that apparently dates from the 17th century, wherein a so named, ‘dead horse’ denotes work which a person had been paid for in advance (but has already, possibly unwisely, spent).

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Walking in the Air was number one for 50 weeks, so the other bands were told by their record companies to keep up with the Joneses."

Quite amused by the number of people who are incapable of recognising satire

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Jaywalking:

A simple and straightforward one; Jays, a member of the crow family, have been observed to sometimes become disoriented by city lights and noise and to act somewhat erratically and out of character in contrast to how they do in their natural, wooded habitat, as a result.

The term, ‘Jaywalking’ therefore, came about to describe the act of walking awkwardly across a road.

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By *ensuallover1000Man
over a year ago

Somewhere In The Ether…

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place:

This phrase apparently originated in America in the early 1900s to describe a dispute between copper miners and the mining companies in Bisbee, Arizona. The miners demanded better working conditions, which the companies refused to supply which left the miners with two unpleasant choices: to continue to mine in the same terrible conditions (the rock) or else face unemployment and poverty (a hard place).

The phrase came into more popular use during The Great Depression of the 1930s.

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By *ed VoluptaWoman
over a year ago

Wirral.

"Hungover.

Not sure on the exact story but it's along the lines of...

Oh, now I'm doubting myself... that makes sense too.

Pretty sure I'm right though

I think I like yours better

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Daylight robbery. Homeowners used to be charged a tax on the amount of windows their house had.

Hence the term - daylight robbery

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By *ackformore100Man
over a year ago

Tin town

"I think we all know "hasn't got a pot to piss in" originates from the idea of someone being too poor to own a chamberpot

From the tanneries, they used to buy urine to tan the hides and it comes from people who couldn't afford a pot couldn't be paid for their piss! "

Are we back in the squirting thread?

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By *ed VoluptaWoman
over a year ago

Wirral.

Mad as a hatter.

In medieval Europe, hat makers used mercury in the felt process. The poison slowly leeched into their bloodstream through the scalp, with symptoms such as weird or unexplained behaviour.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Freeze the balls off a brass monkey is a navy term and refers to cannon balls falling out of the brass tray they were kept in if it got so cold the tray contracted "

It would contract but enough to displace the cannonballs? I had understood that if it got very cold the water froze and “froze the balls ONTO a brass monkey”. The phrase has since been corrupted.

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