K
Kate
Guest
Do you ever think about the proverbs and sayings that you were brought up with? Here in Australia my parents were full of anecdote and wise and sometimes hilarious utterings. I’ve been reminded recently about the “Fatty and Skinny” verses and wonder where they originated from. I thought they had a political base, as many of these rhymes did. One I particularly remember was
Fatty and Skinny went to the dance
Fatty fell down and wet his pants.
As a child I would giggle hysterically at this rudeness. It would take a lot more than that these days to make a child hysterical with laughter I suppose. Many young people today would not understand a word of some of the sayings my parents used. Some gems were (translations in brackets):
Marry in haste; repent at leisure
Don’t shut the door after the horse has bolted (too late to fix something after the event)
I’ll take that with a pinch of salt (in doubt - referring possibly to tossing a pinch of salt over one’s shoulder to ward off evil)
You’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it (made a choice you have to live with)
That will really put the wind up them (scare them)
You’ll get your water cut off if you don’t watch it (get injured or killed)
A wigwam for a goose’s bridle (when mum was asked what she was making and didn’t want to answer)
Red sky at night sailors’ delight; red sky in the morning sailors take warning
He’s gone to see a man about a dog or gone to water the horses (gone to the toilet)
Your blood’s worth bottling (You are a very good person)
It would freeze the balls of a brass monkey (It’s very cold today)
Children should be seen and not heard
Don’t spare the horses (Hurry up – dates back to horse and carriage days)
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink (you can encourage someone but not force them to do anything)
You’ll get curry for this (get into trouble)
She’ll be apples (everything will turn out all right)
You’re carrying on like a two-bob watch (misbehaving like a cheap watch)
They are two-a-penny (they are cheap to buy or obtain)
They are not the full shilling or not the full quid (They have a mental disability)
He’s three sheets to the wind or Full as a boot (He is drunk)
It really gets my goat (it really annoys me)
Like a bat out of hell (very fast)
Send ‘er down Harry (keep raining)
I’m honkey-dorey (I’m okay)
I’ll have a lick and a promise (a quick wash)
Never buy a pig in a poke (inspect something before you buy it)
You’ll get paddywhack the drumstick (you’ll get a spanking)
When the chips are down (when you’re in trouble or have little resources)
She’s the apple of my eye (the object of my affection)
You give me the pip (you annoy me)
Give me a bo-peep (Let me have a look)
They’ve got you by the short and curlies (They have you in a difficult position)
You’re home and hosed (You’re safe or successful)
Full as a goog (full as an egg = had enough to eat)
Once bitten; twice shy (I’ve been caught out once – never again – twice meaning the second time)
I’m flat out like a lizard drinking (I’m very busy/working hard)
I’ll give you a bunch of fives or a knuckle sandwich (a punch)
Up the creek or up a gumtree (in trouble or stranded)
Words such as bonza and corker (good), sheila (woman), bloke (man), drongo or nong (idiot), fair dinkum (this is true), cobber (friend), dag (misfit), dinkie die or ridgy-didge (honestly), dunny (lavatory), goog/googie (egg), kark it (die), skite (boast), yarn (tell a story), tucker (food), wowser (a prudish person), hard yakka (hard work), yonks ago (a very long time ago) are rapidly disappearing from daily use.
So 40 or 50 years ago you could hear a conversation something like this:
“He’s a bonza bloke, don’t you think?”
“Nah, he’s a drongo I reckon.”
“Fair dinkum? Aren’t you being a bit of a wowser?”
“I am not. He’s been after every sheila in the district like a bat out of hell.”
“He’s doing all right with that sheila down the road – she’s a corker!”
“Listen, you dag, that was yonks ago! She’s now stepping out with my mate Bob – ridgy-didge”
“Dinkie die?”
“I said so, didn’t I? I wouldn’t lie to a cobber like you.”
“Well, he’ll be up the creek if he thinks he can flirt with my sheila. I’ll give him a bunch of fives.”
The above excludes the rhyming slang bought to Australia by English migrants which formed a large part of our vocabulary too.
English is a living language and, as has happened over the ages, all these sayings and words and being replaced by others which reflect modern day life. Listen to some teens chatting and you’ll be mystified by much of their vocabulary.
Fatty and Skinny went to the dance
Fatty fell down and wet his pants.
As a child I would giggle hysterically at this rudeness. It would take a lot more than that these days to make a child hysterical with laughter I suppose. Many young people today would not understand a word of some of the sayings my parents used. Some gems were (translations in brackets):
Marry in haste; repent at leisure
Don’t shut the door after the horse has bolted (too late to fix something after the event)
I’ll take that with a pinch of salt (in doubt - referring possibly to tossing a pinch of salt over one’s shoulder to ward off evil)
You’ve made your bed, now you have to lie in it (made a choice you have to live with)
That will really put the wind up them (scare them)
You’ll get your water cut off if you don’t watch it (get injured or killed)
A wigwam for a goose’s bridle (when mum was asked what she was making and didn’t want to answer)
Red sky at night sailors’ delight; red sky in the morning sailors take warning
He’s gone to see a man about a dog or gone to water the horses (gone to the toilet)
Your blood’s worth bottling (You are a very good person)
It would freeze the balls of a brass monkey (It’s very cold today)
Children should be seen and not heard
Don’t spare the horses (Hurry up – dates back to horse and carriage days)
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink (you can encourage someone but not force them to do anything)
You’ll get curry for this (get into trouble)
She’ll be apples (everything will turn out all right)
You’re carrying on like a two-bob watch (misbehaving like a cheap watch)
They are two-a-penny (they are cheap to buy or obtain)
They are not the full shilling or not the full quid (They have a mental disability)
He’s three sheets to the wind or Full as a boot (He is drunk)
It really gets my goat (it really annoys me)
Like a bat out of hell (very fast)
Send ‘er down Harry (keep raining)
I’m honkey-dorey (I’m okay)
I’ll have a lick and a promise (a quick wash)
Never buy a pig in a poke (inspect something before you buy it)
You’ll get paddywhack the drumstick (you’ll get a spanking)
When the chips are down (when you’re in trouble or have little resources)
She’s the apple of my eye (the object of my affection)
You give me the pip (you annoy me)
Give me a bo-peep (Let me have a look)
They’ve got you by the short and curlies (They have you in a difficult position)
You’re home and hosed (You’re safe or successful)
Full as a goog (full as an egg = had enough to eat)
Once bitten; twice shy (I’ve been caught out once – never again – twice meaning the second time)
I’m flat out like a lizard drinking (I’m very busy/working hard)
I’ll give you a bunch of fives or a knuckle sandwich (a punch)
Up the creek or up a gumtree (in trouble or stranded)
Words such as bonza and corker (good), sheila (woman), bloke (man), drongo or nong (idiot), fair dinkum (this is true), cobber (friend), dag (misfit), dinkie die or ridgy-didge (honestly), dunny (lavatory), goog/googie (egg), kark it (die), skite (boast), yarn (tell a story), tucker (food), wowser (a prudish person), hard yakka (hard work), yonks ago (a very long time ago) are rapidly disappearing from daily use.
So 40 or 50 years ago you could hear a conversation something like this:
“He’s a bonza bloke, don’t you think?”
“Nah, he’s a drongo I reckon.”
“Fair dinkum? Aren’t you being a bit of a wowser?”
“I am not. He’s been after every sheila in the district like a bat out of hell.”
“He’s doing all right with that sheila down the road – she’s a corker!”
“Listen, you dag, that was yonks ago! She’s now stepping out with my mate Bob – ridgy-didge”
“Dinkie die?”
“I said so, didn’t I? I wouldn’t lie to a cobber like you.”
“Well, he’ll be up the creek if he thinks he can flirt with my sheila. I’ll give him a bunch of fives.”
The above excludes the rhyming slang bought to Australia by English migrants which formed a large part of our vocabulary too.
English is a living language and, as has happened over the ages, all these sayings and words and being replaced by others which reflect modern day life. Listen to some teens chatting and you’ll be mystified by much of their vocabulary.