Meanings/origins of common/old sayings

[Deleted User X18H]

Why is a prostitute known as a Brass ?.

Brass Flute - Prostitute

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

I have always thought that pome was prisoner of mother england, and when a ship arrived in australia it would be called a pome ship and those that were on board are pome's.

f*** came from the consent to marry and then have sex, Fornocate (?) Under Consent of the King.

 

[withdeanwombat]

When football was only on the wireless , a little chart was provided in the press to enable one to follow the play.When the ball went for a goalkick,it was back to square one.

When ships came in at Bristol in the 17th Century,buyers for the cargo would meet at dockside where goods were sold.They had those big iron bollardy things that the ships were tied to known locally as nails.Buyers put their money down on these,thus cash on the nail. (I know there is a proper nautical term for the bollardy things,but I'm getting old and I cannot remember the name.Sorry.)

In rural parts in times past cows for market were loaded onto trains.It was hard,sometimes sweaty work,and those who had to do it were said to be cattle trucked.

 

[NMH]

'If she says she likes to swallow - she's a liar and wants your money'

My mum.

That's a terrible thing to say about you Mum isn't it?

 

[NMH]

When football was only on the wireless , a little chart was provided in the press to enable one to follow the play.When the ball went for a goalkick,it was back to square one.

Hmm, dunno about that one - could easier have been about the game of snakes and ladders, which is older and more international.
Americans say "back to square one" too, and I don't think they drafted the expression in from our 'soccerball'

 

[beardy gull]

Hmm, dunno about that one - could easier have been about the game of snakes and ladders, which is older and more international.
Americans say "back to square one" too, and I don't think they drafted the expression in from our 'soccerball'

Yes, I've heard the football one before but it doesn't really make sense.

From wiki......A number of recordings of commentary using the system survive; the phrase "back to square one" does not appear in any of them.

 

[cannedheat]

Working On Goverment Service.

 

[Brovion]

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'.

Both those are utter rubbish. (I did point out the 'shit' one earlier. 'shit' was being used in the English language as far back as Chaucer). Also all that stuff about 'dirt poor' and 'piss poor' is rubbish as well.

 

[cunning fergus]

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

I guess that makes it equally logical why those of a more darker complexion would be referred to in some quarters as darkies?

Interestingly, and on the same subject, the term blue blood has its origins in Spain where after hundreds of years of Moorish occupation the indiginous Spanish (whose bloodlines had not been contaminated with Moorish blood) would demonstrate that their blood remained pure by showing off their wrists whereby the veins would look blue through their pale skin.

As it happens (I think) it turned out that the upper classes in Spain were able to isolate themselves from the Moors in a way the commoners couldnt, hence it was attributed to the nobility.

Those Europeans eh?

 

[GoldWithFalmer]

whoduanickaboolockoff.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Turn a blind eye


The phrase to turn a blind eye is attributed to an incident in the life of Admiral Horatio Nelson.
Nelson was blinded in one eye early in his Royal Navy career. In 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen cautious Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, in overall command of the British forces, sent a signal to Nelson's forces giving him discretion to withdraw. Naval orders were transmitted via a system of signal flags at that time. When this order was given to the more aggressive Nelson's attention, he lifted his telescope up to his blind eye, said "I really do not see the signal", and his forces continued to press home the attack.
Despite popular opinion that he was disobeying orders, the signal gave him discretion to withdraw when he wanted to. Still, even at the time, some of the people on his ship may have thought otherwise, since they were not aware of the exact content of the signal.

BITTER END

Anchor cable was wrapped around posts called bitts. The last piece of cable was called the bitter end. If you let out the cable to the bitter end there was nothing else you could do, you had reached the end of your resources.

GIVE SOMEBODY THE COLD SHOULDER

When an unwanted visitor came you gave them cold shoulder of mutton instead of hot meat as a hint that they were not to call again.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

When ships came in at Bristol in the 17th Century,buyers for the cargo would meet at dockside where goods were sold.They had those big iron bollardy things that the ships were tied to known locally as nails.Buyers put their money down on these,thus cash on the nail. (I know there is a proper nautical term for the bollardy things,but I'm getting old and I cannot remember the name.Sorry.)

An earlier but similar explanation.

PAY ON THE NAIL

In the Middle Ages 'nails' were flat-topped columns in markets. When a buyer and a seller agreed a deal money was placed on the nail for all to see.

 

[cannedheat]

Freezing the balls off a brass monkey is a naval saying so i am told, not sure why though.

 

[Cappers]

Wrong end of the Stick (this one is quality!) - Anyone care to have a go?

 

[dexter]

"as dry as a nuns ****" , i suppose it speaks for itself really ( dry as in like a desert)

 

[SUIYHP]

Wrong end of the Stick (this one is quality!) - Anyone care to have a go?

Romans had one the first known toilets, which were usually for soldiers, it involved a public faecesarium (Made up name) where they would all quite happily take a crap over a bench with holes in it, and the poo plopped right down to a river and forded away they had no loo rolls so they used a sponge on a stick to wipe their bums, though you sometimes didn't get the right end...

It probably isn't that, but thats what we were taught at school so don't blame me.

 

[Cappers]

Romans had the first toilets, they had no loo rolls so they used a sponge on a stick, though you sometimes didn't get the right end...

It probably isn't that, but thats what we were taught at school so don't blame me.

Spot on!
Glad you didn't get the wrong end of the stick

 

[Gordon the Gopher]

Not a saying but the origin of the two fingered salute is great!

According to a popular legend, the two-fingered salute or V sign derives from the gestures of longbowmen fighting in the English army at the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years' War.[7][17] According to the story, the French claimed that they would cut off the arrow-shooting fingers of all the English and Welsh longbowmen after they had won the battle at Agincourt.[18] But the English came out victorious and showed off their two fingers, still intact. Historian Juliet Barker quotes Jean Le Fevre (who fought on the English side at Agincourt) as saying that Henry V included a reference to the French cutting off longbowmen's fingers in his pre-battle speech.[19] If this is correct it confirms that the story was around at the time of Agincourt, although it does not necessarily mean that the French practised it, just that Henry found it useful for propaganda, and it does not show that the two-fingered salute is derived from the hypothetical behaviour of English archers at that battle.