Bob the Brit

Archive for the ‘Phrases and Sayings’ Category

A last drink before going home.

There is some dispute about the origin of this phrase, but a popular (although unproven) explanation is the journey from Newgate Prison to Tyburn (around the site of what is now Marble Arch tube station). The story goes that condemned prisoners were allows a drink at an inn or tavern along their route.

This was their ‘one for the road’.

The legend further goes that one of the guards accompanying the prisoner was not allowed to go into the ale house and had to stay to mind the cart.

This guard was said to be ‘on the waggon’ and thus not allowed to drink, allegedly providing another modern saying.

Johnny Mercer used the phrase in the lyrics of his song One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) – written in 1943 for Fred Astaire. Since then it has proved popular as a title. It was used in 1984 for a Harold Pinter play, a Stephen King short story, a dodgy British film (2004) and a British television series, starring Alan Davies. It has also provided the title for albums by The Kinks (1980), April Wine (1984), Trouble (1994) and Ocean Colour Scene (2004).

The Australians, have modified the phrase to ‘one more for the bitumen’ and a good friend has (allegedly) translated it into Japanese – ‘ossimoto’ – if a friend raises a glass to me and say’s ‘ossimoto’ then a final drink is definitely on the cards!

Hobson’s Choice is effectively no choice – you get what you’re given.

Thomas Hobson was a coachhouse (livery stable) keeper in Cambridge – about fifty miles north-east of London – in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

To ensure that the horses in his stable were used equally and to prevent the over-use of the more popular or stronger horses, Hobson’s choice was always the horse in the stall nearest the door. 

It clearly paid off, Thomas Hobson was a very successful businessman, in 1614, he helped fund a much needed new water supply into Cambridge by building a causeway from ‘Nine Wells’ near Shelford into Cambridge city centre. The ‘Hobson’s Ditch’ channels still run along Trumpington Street.

Hobson was wealthy enough to be able to acquire and extend ‘Anglesey Abbey’ – a country house about five miles outside Cambridge and now owned by the National Trust.

Hobson’s Choice was quoted in ‘England’s Reformation’ – a poem by Thomas Ward published (posthumously) in 1688 :

Where to elect there is but one,
‘Tis Hobson’s choice—take that, or none.

Hobson’s Choice inspired a play of the same name, by Harold Brighouse and first performed in 1916, it was subsequently filmed in 1954 by the prominent film director David Lean, starring Charles Laughton.  

‘Blighty’ is a common term for ‘Old England’, indeed there’s a new satellite TV Channel over here playing ‘Brit’ TV… although since I’m not blessed with a wok on the side of my house I’m not privy to their output.

The term ‘Blighty’ can be traced back to the Hindu word ‘Bilyati’ – meaning ‘far away’ – it’s actually derived from the Arabic ‘wilyati’ meanining a ‘foreign country’.

For example ‘bilyati panee’ – meaning ‘foreign water’ was served with Gin in the Gin and Tonics that served to prevent Malaria - and so for the British soldiers serving in India in Victorian times ’Blighty’ was associated with home, and the name stuck.

The phrase ‘bless their cotton socks’ is quite common, often said as a ‘thank you’ and often ironically or patronisingly, but it appears to have an interesting historical origin.

George Edward Lynch Cotton who lived between 1813 and 1866 was a clergyman and educator. He spent a number of years at Rugby School and Marlborough College before becoming Bishop of Calcutta in 1858, performing missionary work and founding the famous ‘Cotton’s Schools’.

Cotton, as a religious man, was known to bless all the equipment used in his schools.

Seeing the abject poverty in Calcutta he regularly requested donations of warm socks for the children of the slums; and socks by the thousand were dutifully knitted and sent to Calcutta labelled  “Cotton’s socks for blessing”.

This soon became abbreviated to ‘cotton socks’ and the phrase ‘bless their little cotton socks’ entered into the language.

Cotton died in October 1866, when he slipped into the river Ganges at Kushtea after consecrating a cemetery. His body was never found, but the schools he founded in Bangalore, Bombay, Calcutta and Shimla continue to this day.

London,  is one of twenty three cities in England to have a Lord Mayor but, to my knowledge is the only city to be ‘blessed’ with two mayors; the City of London has a Lord Mayor – a role created in 1189 and elected each year by the Aldermen of the City, while the role of Mayor of London was introduced in the year 2000.

Lord Mayor

By far the most famous of the Lord Mayors of London is Dick Whittington who was Lord Mayor on four separate occasions between 1398 and 1420, hence the rhyme in the famous pantomime of Dick Whittington and his Cat:

Turn again, Whittington,
Once Mayor of London!
Turn again, Whittington,
Twice Mayor of London!
Turn again, Whittington,
Thrice Mayor of London!

The cat, incidentally was not of the feline variety, but rather a small sailing vessel, as Whittington was a prosperous trader before entering politics. But we Brits never let the facts interfere with a good pantomime.

The Lord Mayor is elected each November, and his (or her – there have been over seven hundred Lord Mayors, and thus far only one woman has served – Dame Mary Donaldson, elected in 1983) election is followed by the ‘Lord Mayor’s Show’ which is a ceremonial parade through the City of London. The great Livery Companies are represented along with various privileged military regiments. On occasions in 18th and 19th centuries the parade took place on barges on the River Thames, giving rise to the term ‘float’ beaing used for canival vehicles.

Mayor of London

In contrast the Mayor of London is head of the London Assembly and is elected by the population of Greater London.

The first Mayor of London was Ken Livingstone (Socialist) a former leader of the Greater London Council and long time thorn in the side of both Labour and Conservative governments.

 Ken Livingstone was elected in both 2000 and 2004, but unexpectedly beaten in 2008 by the eccentric Conservative Boris Johnson.