• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Me Dads old sayings

My late father used to say Charlies Dead which meant a ladies slip or underskirt was showing from the hem of her skirt . Confused me then and still does years later. Should be on Confused.com.

yes we always
My late father used to say Charlies Dead which meant a ladies slip or underskirt was showing from the hem of her skirt . Confused me then and still does years later. Should be on Confused.com.


yes we always said that but like you i still have no idea why it meant a slip was showing...i mean...who is charlie

lyn
 
i googled the origin of the saying charlies dead..here is what came up...sounds reasonable to me

Charlie's Dead
Posted by Smokey Stover on August 03, 2007

In Reply to: Charlie's Dead posted by Linda Jackson on July 25, 2007

: Charlie's Dead... was said when a ladies petticoat was showing below her dress or skirt... Where did this come from?

The following suggestion, from The Answer Bank, is the most plausible of those I have seen put forward.

"I think it was in the Daily Mirror recently; it refers apparently to King Charles II who was a bit of a ladies man. When he died, women out of respect flashed their petticoats." See:

[Dead link removed - ed]

King Charles' best known mistress was Nell Gwynn. On his deathbed Charles is said to have told his wife, "Don't let poor Nellie starve."
SS
 

Crocodile Tears​

Meaning: Tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere.
Origin: Written in the 14th century, a book called “The Travels of Sir John Mandeville” recounts a knight’s adventures through Asia. In the book it says that crocodiles shed tears while eating prey they captured. Even though it is factually inaccurate, the phrase ‘crocodile tears’ found its way into Shakespeare’s work and became an idiom in the 16th century, symbolizing insincere grief.
 
yes we always


yes we always said that but like you i still have no idea why it meant a slip was showing...i mean...who is charliey made undergarments for ladies lst

yes we always


yes we always said that but like you i still have no idea why it meant a slip was showing...i mean...who is charlie

lyn
i googled the origin of the saying charlies dead..here is what came up...sounds reasonable to me

Charlie's Dead
Posted by Smokey Stover on August 03, 2007

In Reply to: Charlie's Dead posted by Linda Jackson on July 25, 2007

: Charlie's Dead... was said when a ladies petticoat was showing below her dress or skirt... Where did this come from?

The following suggestion, from The Answer Bank, is the most plausible of those I have seen put forward.

"I think it was in the Daily Mirror recently; it refers apparently to King Charles II who was a bit of a ladies man. When he died, women out of respect flashed their petticoats." See:

[Dead link removed - ed]

King Charles' best known mistress was Nell Gwynn. On his deathbed Charles is said to have told his wife, "Don't let poor Nellie starve."
SS
Nice one question answered.

Barking Up The Wrong Tree​

Meaning: Be pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action.

Origin: This phrase refers to hunting dogs who chase their prey up a tree. Once it climbed the tree the dogs bark at them, yet sometimes the dogs would continue barking even if the prey was no longer there
View attachment 193184
My dog does that.
 
Back
Top