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Now Sayings get passed on through time,
And wives tales can seem quite sublime;
From whence did they come?
those sayings that Mum
did clearly know all in her prime
And wives tales can seem quite sublime;
From whence did they come?
those sayings that Mum
did clearly know all in her prime
W
Whacked With the Ugly Stick- Referring to a person who may not be very attractive, or nice looking. A stick that has the ability to turn someone into an ugly person. The ugly stick is a traditional Newfoundland musical instrument fashioned out of household and tool shed items, typically a mop handle with bottle caps, tin cans, small bells and other noise makers.(wiki). If beaten or whacked by this stick, it would caused a substantial amount of damage to your face or body. - Apologising for leaving Mr. Spraggon to the care of his very ugly stick of a wife, (The New monthly magazine and universal register, 1849) What the Dickens?- When a person is questioning, 'what is going on?', why is this happening? This expression is supposedly referencing Charles Dickens, as Dickens introduced many new words into the English language in his novels (as did Shakespeare) When in Rome- 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do', means that if you're in a strange or unfamiliar environment, try to fit in with the other people there. Don't stand out in the crowd, act or do as others are doing and obey their rules. From Medieval Times- “if you should be in Rome, live in the Roman manner; if you should be elsewhere, live as they do there”; which is attributed to St Ambrose. When the Chips are Down- When we're in a bad situation. "When the chips are down, we should all pitch in and help" This comes from the chips used in gambling. By placing your chips on the table, you've already made your bet & there's no changing the outcome. Whip Into Shape- To make someone perform better, or get into shape, or make something more practical or useful for it's purpose. Athletes in ancient Olympics, when training, would be whipped by their trainers if they didn't perform well enough. Wouldn't Touch it with a Barge Pole- This means that you wouldn't come anywhere near something, perhaps because it's dodgy or of a very low standard. As a Barge Pole is a very long pole used to guide a barge or boat, the length of the pole is how far that you should stay away from whatever you're referring to. Wouldn't touch it with a Forty Foot Pole- (or Ten Foot Pole) Same meaning as wouldn't touch it with a Barge Pole Wreak Havoc- Havoc means widespread destruction. Wreak, means to bring about. So to wreak havoc is to bring about widespread destruction. (wiki) Wrong side of the Bed- Getting up or waking up on the wrong side of the bed is a common saying that simply means you start off the day feeling tired, unhappy, uncomfortable or grumpy. (wiki) Apparently, back in Roman times, it was considered bad luck to get out of bed on the left side. |