Weird Expressions

OK lovers of this brilliant website, here's one to get you all going! Where did expressions such as those that follow come from? What do they mean, where did they originate and can you think of any to submit? Hey, this should be great fun!

What about...it's raining cats and dogs, stealing someones thunder, the mind boggles, swap me bob, like feeding a donkey strawberries, like a church tied to a hedge, like a stocking tied to a chickens lip, cock-a-hoop, codswallop, cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, by hook or by crook, willy nilly, sold a pup!

I can't wait to get this one up and running!

Good luck fellow POE friends

I was fascinated to hear where the word "shit" comes from.  Seems in the old days when people would transport manure they would put it in the bottom of the ship where it would get wet as the ship leaked out at sea.  Large amounts of gas would be produced and several times someone went down to check the cargo and blew it up when the lantern fire hit the air.  So they started putting the bags on shelves and marking them s.h.i.t.  "ship high in transit". 

Also the word posh.  When people would travel out on ships, the wealthy wanted the shady side of the boat, so they would mark their luggage p.o.s.h.  "port out, starboard home". 

I got this from an English professor here in the states.  A true ENGLISH English professor.  So I'm assuming it's correct. Anyway, makes a great  and highly believable story.

Hi Andrea

Welcome to a brilliant website.

Don't know about the first explanation (although I can believe it), but my brother in law who spent 30 years in the Royal/Merchant Navy said exactly the same about POSH, so it was good to be reminded.

I wonder what C. S. Lewis would have made of either!

I look forward to more 'snippets' from you in due course.

Regards, and thanks

Ron Brind (C S Lewis Tours Oxford)

Ron...here's one explanation I've seen re 'raining cats and dogs'....

It comes from mythology. Witches, who often took the form of their familiars - cats, are supposed to have ridden the wind. Dogs and wolves were attendants to Odin, the god of storms and sailors associated them with rain. Well, some evidence would be nice. There doesn't appear to be any to support this notion.

Thanks for that Gill....interesting, although I think your last sentence somehow sums it up. It's funny, or a coincidence maybe, that you responded when you did because I was using a 'spoonerism' to describe our weather here this morning. As I looked out of the window and told my wife, well at least its not raining Datsun Cogs!

What about spoonerisms? Anybody got any CLEAN examples (remember this is a family website please) like 'Datsun Cogs' for Cats and Dogs. So for example it's raining Datsun Cogs.

 'Well I've gone to Putney on a pig'.

This was an expression I heard all the time while growing up, though most times the latter part (on a pig) was left out.

I'd love to know where that came from.

Well you've got me there Sue. Where on earth did that come from? No doubt a poe member will answer it though!

Ron, the only one I know is hundreds of years ago the family pets would sleep on the not terribly supportive roof of a dwelling and when heavy rain came the they would actually fall through it....hence "It's raining cats and dogs."  This is from a book called "Have You Ever Wondered..." or very similar....it's a few years now sinceI read it.....sounds good to me!

Regards

Sue

Hi Sue

Thanks for responding, that sounds perfectly plausible to me, but already you see we have two explanations. I wonder what the next will be?...Interesting!