Origins

[Globalti]

Suprising that the owners of this brand haven't put it on the web:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brewers-Dictionary-Phrase-Fable-18th/dp/0550104119

 

[MontyVeda]

Any ideas for "Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs!" ??

 

[vernon]

Any ideas for "Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs!" ??

Bungalow owners with lofty aspirations?

 

[Spinney]

flash in the pan
going off half-cocked

both to do with flintlock pistols/muskets

 

[MontyVeda]

That would be my Desert Island book, I love it.

Mine'd be The Beginners Guide to Boat Building and Sailing

 

[MontyVeda]

That wouldn't be allowed

i think the loophole is to get it on vinyl

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Any ideas for "Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs!" ??

Befuddled memory, perhaps, but I was once told that if a miner had a mishap before leaving the house, he would sit by the front door until he was settled again. In a 2-up, 2-down house, the foot of the stairs would likely also be by the front door. A question of being fully composed to tackle the risks of the next shift's work.

 

[Dayvo]

Three sheets to the wind.

An incorrectly 'sailed' boat lurching 'drunkenly' in a strong gale. or something.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That's local to this area!

Stanley Royd, or Menston?

 

[Fnaar]

going off half-cocked

to do with flintlock pistols/muskets

Damn... I'd better phone Miss Goodbody before the Vicar arrives for his "awakening" therapy. She has quite a different understanding of the term.

 

[User32269]

THE UPPER CRUST....the rich Romans would have the nice fluffy top half of the loaf, the plebs would have the burnt crap scraped from oven.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I can mount a horse, or a bike, or a woman, but it just seems wrong to "mount" a pavement.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Up the creek without a paddle.

Severely Injured sailors used to be taken in whalers from the ships in Portsmouth harbour and towed up Haslar Creek to the naval hospital - hence they were "up the creek without a paddle"

 

[classic33]

Stanley Royd, or Menston?

The saying itself.

 

[Dave7]

Indian summer.
I enjoy checking old phrases/saying but am surprised to find many of them are of unknown origin e.g. last week I checked on the origin of "Indian summer"...........although everyone understands the modern meaning and that it's first use was (I think) in the 1800's no one seems to know its real origin or original (certain) meaning.