Shorter Dictionary of Catch Phrases
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vk.com/englishlibrary Shorter Dictionary of Catch Phrases vk.com/englishlibrary The Partridge Collection A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English Eric Partridge Edited by Paul Beale Eighth Edition ISBN 0-415-06568-2 (hb) A Concise Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English Edited by Paul Beale Based on the work of Eric Partridge ISBN 0-415-06352-3 (pb) Origins: An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English Eric Partridge Fourth Edition ISBN 0-415-05077-4 (hb) A Dictionary of Catch Phrases Eric Partridge Edited by Paul Beale Second Edition ISBN 0-415-05916-X (pb) A Dictionary of Clichés Eric Partridge Fifth Edition ISBN 0-415-06555-0 (pb) Shakespeare’s Bawdy Eric Partridge Third Edition ISBN 0-415-05076-6 (pb) Shorter Slang Dictionary Rosalind Fergusson From the work of Eric Partridge & Paul Beale ISBN 0-415-08866-6 (pb) You Have a Point There Eric Partridge ISBN 0-415-05075-8 (pb) vk.com/englishlibrary Shorter Dictionary of Catch Phrases Rosalind Fergusson From the work of Eric Partridge and Paul Beale London and New York vk.com/englishlibrary First published 1994 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 © Routledge 1994 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 0-203-38012-6 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-38629-9 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-10051-8 (Print Edition) vk.com/englishlibrary Foreword This volume has been derived from the magisterial work of Eric Partridge and his collaborator and successor Paul Beale. Most of the entries have been adapted from material in the second edition (1985) of the classic A Dictionary of Catch Phrases, although articles have also been specially written for items that came into currency in the 1990s. The focus throughout is on expressions that are in current daily use, and familiar throughout most parts of the English-speaking world. Items originating in Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all to be found within these covers. We at Routledge are proud to publish this companion volume to the Shorter Dictionary of Slang (1993) as a tribute to Eric Partridge on the occasion of the centenary of his birth on 6 February 1894. vk.com/englishlibrary A Abyssinia! a pun on ‘I’ll be seeing you!’. It probably predates the Abyssinian War of 1935–6 and may have arisen from the British campaign of 1899 against the ‘Mad Mullah’ or from General Napier’s expedition of 1868. Similar puns include Alaska (=I’ll ask her) and Jamaica (=did you make her). accidentally on purpose apparently accidental, but really—and often maliciously—on purpose. The phrase has been used in the UK since around 1880 and in the USA since around 1885. accidents will happen in the best-regulated families see it happens in the best-regulated (or best of) families. according to plan used ironically for anything, however trivial, that does not go according to plan. In World War I communiqués the phrase was a frequent excuse for failure, e.g. an enforced retreat. act to follow, a hard (or tough) refers to any outstanding performance or especially able person. It often carries the implication ‘don’t blame me if I fail’. The phrase originated, probably before 1920, in vaudeville, referring to an outstandingly successful act that might well cast a shadow over the following act. act your age! don’t be childish!; act like an adult and use your intelligence! Adopted from the USA around 1920. See also be your age!; grow up! against my religion, it’s see it’s against my religion. age before beauty used jocularly when giving precedence or priority to an older person, as on entering a room. The phrase originated in the late 19th century. There are a number of standard retorts, such as ‘no, dust before the broom’ and the classic ‘pearls before swine’, attributed to the US writer Dorothy Parker. age of miracles is not past, the a delighted exclamation of surprise at a gratifyingly unexpected occurrence. In its original opposite form the age of miracles is past, the phrase was used contentiously by freethinkers during the 18th century, challengingly by agnostics during the 19th century and by most cynics and sceptics in the 20th century. aha, me proud beauty! means ‘now I’ve got you where I want you!’ The phrase originated in melodrama, traditionally addressed by the villain to a hapless and helpless female, in the late 19th century. Since the 1920s or earlier it has been chiefly used for comic effect. ain’t nobody here but us chickens! (, there) used on occasions when unexpectedly few people are present, or as a warning that others had better stay away. The phrase originated in the USA in the late 19th century and was adopted in the UK around 1950. It was based on a story about a chicken-thief surprised by the owner, who calls ‘Anybody there?’ and is greeted by this reply. Several variations of this story exist, and the line subsequently became the chorus of a popular song. The phrase was revived in the 1980s in the UK television comedy series, Nightingales. ain’t you got no homes to go to? see time, gentlemen, please…. Alaska see Abyssinia! vk.com/englishlibrary 2 alive and well and living in… a slogan or response, as in God is alive and well and living in Hampstead; ‘I haven’t seen old Jack for years—he must be dead by now.’ ‘No, he’s alive and well and living in Manchester.’ The phrase may date back to the early 20th century. In the late 1960s it was used in the tide of the show Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in Paris. all ashore that’s (or as is) going ashore! used e.g. by the driver of a car hastening the passengers, or rather the passengers’ friends, who are taking too long to say goodbye. In its original nautical context the phrase probably dates back to the days of the earliest scheduled passenger liners. all bitter and twisted applied to somebody who is badly warped by life’s mishaps, e.g. a man psychologically scarred by wartime experiences. The phrase is sometimes used compassionately, but more often unthinkingly and insensitively. all chiefs and no Indians applied to any concern or establishment that seems to be management-heavy. Since around 1950. The phrase probably originated in the USA, together with the variant too many chiefs and not enough Indians. all clever stuff see it’s all clever stuff, y’know. all contributions gratefully received (, however small) a request for or response to the donation of anything, not necessarily money, as in ‘I’ve only got half a cheese sandwich left, but you’re welcome to that if you want it.’ ‘All contributions gratefully received—thanks!’ Since around 1925. all day! said in response to such questions as ‘It’s Wednesday (or the 25th) today, isn’t it?’ The phrase is also added to the reply to such questions as ‘What day is it today?’ or ‘What’s the date?’, as in it’s Friday, all day! Since around 1890 or earlier. all done with mirrors (, it’s) applied to anything that seems very clever or extremely ingenious. Since the late 19th century. The phrase occurs in Noël Coward’s Private Lives (1930): ‘Death’s very laughable, such a cunning little mystery. All done with mirrors.’ It originally referred to the mirrors used in stage illusions and conjuring tricks, such as Pepper’s Ghost. Variants include all done with pieces of string, a possible allusion to the contraptions designed by W.Heath Robinson, and (in US usage) all done with a simple twist of the wrist. all dressed up and no place (or nowhere) to go originated in the song ‘When You’re All Dressed Up and Have No Place to Go’, popularized around 1914–15 by the US comedian Raymond Hitchcock. all dressed up like a Christmas tree wearing one’s best clothes; flashily dressed or overdressed. Since the late 19th century. There are numerous variants of the phrase, including all dressed up like a pox-doctor’s clerk (since around 1870) and (all) dressed (or done) up like a dog’s dinner (since around 1925). The variant all dressed up like a ham bone, dating from around 1850 but virtually obsolete by 1970, probably referred to the paper frill used to decorate a joint of ham on the bone when it was brought to table. all good clean fun see it’s all good clean fun all hands on deck! a rallying call for assistance, as in come on, all hands on deck—let’s get this mess cleared up! Of nautical origin. all human life is there! popularized as an advertising slogan for the News of the World in the late 1950s.