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My Nan's sayings

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My grandmother liked to recite the rhyme 'Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me went down to the river to bathe. Adam and Eve were drowned. Who do you think was saved?' And then she would pinch me gently. There was also 'Round and round the garden like a teddy bear. One step, two step, tickle under there!' which was a tickle under my armpit.
The strangest thing - and I'd love to know if anyone else has heard of this - occurred when I was very small and in my pushchair. She bought a fish from the fishmonger's and then she cut its head off. She then wrapped it in newspaper so that the head poked out and gave it to me, saying 'Here's a nice dolly for you!' Apparently I was delighted with it, and refused to be parted from it, so my mother was forced to take it and me together to Erdington Library.
I heard the Irish version of, Round and round the garden,looking for a farthing, where shall we find it,? Underneath her arm. It was your comfort fish Paula! A little boy at school had a plastic Jiff lemon on a string and pulled it along.
 
Regarding "Arse up the Warwicks" (see Lulubelle above) I believe refers to the battles and sieges at Meteran in Flanders where the Royal Warwickshire regiment defended so stoutly from 1914 to 1918. Incidentally where Bernard Montgomery as a lieutenant in the Royal Warwicks was injured. THe men of the regiment used to hide out in fox holes and shoot the enemy. My Grandad told me it was always referred to as arsing abart the hun.
 
Whilst on holiday my friend and I were discussing our grandparents' sayings and she reminded me of one of her granddad's 'Well, dog bite Old Roper' - there is a book called Old Roper by John Rose but I couldn't find a connection.

Mom would often say 'none of your half-larks (arf larks) here' if we were playing up. No idea where that came from either.
 
If a teacher got on to me at school, Tell er to goo an fry er fairce in drippin! Or if someone was an old misery.

Lady Penelope, I got, .....You sit on that chair, an don't you dare move! like a threatening rhyme. Nan was overtly strict.
 
As it has happened to me recently I recalled Nan's ominous voice booming, "Dream of the dead, trouble with the livin'!"
and she often pronounced head as jed,
And dead as jed.
'ees braaan bread or 'eees jed. Or he can stond on iz jed.
 
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