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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Waving a wooden leg -- wellerism?

I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by the range of eccentric expressions volunteered by listeners.
One that amused me was as follows:
"Too late" she said "and waved her wooden leg"
I wondered if this was a kind of "Wellerism" an indeterminate attribution "as even blind Freddy knows ...", "every man and his dog" etc ...
A number of very amusing offerings are listed here:

"Stand back and let the gentleman see the monkey"
"Carrying on like a pork chop" How does a pork chop carry on? "as useful as a wigwam for a goose's bridle"
"sitting there like cheese at four pence" (I understand this was of Yorkshire origin.)
"You must think you're Lord Blooody Muck almighty!"

I wonder what other eccentric phrases posters remember from their youth?
cheers
Chrissy
  

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89 Answers
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[nq:1]I wonder what other eccentric phrases posters remember from their youth?[/nq]
"Well, roll me over, Batman."

http://www.genjerdan.com/nvm/tdis/index.html
Of course it's music. It has notes in it, doesn't it?
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[nq:1]I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by the range of eccentric expressions volunteered by listeners. A number of very amusing offerings are listed here: "Stand back and let the gentleman see the monkey"[/nq]
Always "let the dog see the rabbit", in my youth.
[nq:1]"as useful as a wigwam for a goose's bridle"[/nq]
My mother was a great knitter. When asked what she
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My parents said, " a wim-wom to wind the sun up"
Interesting how the wim-wom is common to both.
I presume that your "wam" is pronounced similarly to my "wom"?

m.
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[nq:2]I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by ... here: "Stand back and let the gentleman see the monkey"[/nq]
[nq:1]Always "let the dog see the rabbit", in my youth.[/nq]
What does that mean, just "stand back"?
[nq:2]"as useful as a wigwam for a goose's bridle"[/nq]
[nq:1]My mother was a great knitter. When asked what she was making, she would always say "wim-wams
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Daniel J. Wojcik filted:
[nq:2]I wonder what other eccentric phrases posters remember from their youth?[/nq]
[nq:1]"Well, roll me over, Batman."[/nq]
I'm sure my grandmother never realized the basis of either expression, but she'd often let out a "****, Sam, thank you ma'am" (her own adaptation, I think) or a "get off the table, Mabel, that quarter's for the waiter"..

She was
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Lord and Lady Muck were equally familiar to my Northern tribe. And whenever someone attempted to justify a foolish act with an explanation beginning 'I thought ...' they were interrupted with 'You know what thought did? Followed a muck cart and thought it were a wedding'.
Nothing to do with High Muckamucks, Muckymucks, Mugwumps or anything else.
John Dean
Oxford
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[nq:1]I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by the range of eccentric expressions volunteered by listeners. One that amused me was as follows: "Too late" she said "and waved her wooden leg"[/nq]
The couplet I recall is "Too late, too late, the sailor cried. He waved his wooden leg and died". Another version was quoted by Eric Morecambe: "He gave a cough, his leg fell off, and f
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[nq:2]I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by ... follows: "Too late" she said "and waved her wooden leg"[/nq]
[nq:1]The couplet I recall is "Too late, too late, the sailor cried. He waved his wooden leg and died". Another version was quoted by Eric Morecambe: "He gave a cough, his leg fell off, and floated down the river"![/nq]
Preceded by:
They stood on the bridge at
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[nq:1]I was listening to Sydney radio this afternoon amused by the range of eccentric expressions volunteered by listeners. One that ... like cheese at four pence" (I understand this was of Yorkshire origin.) "You must think you're Lord Blooody Muck almighty!"[/nq]
My mother would use this one when she thought I was being a little too demanding. Other alternatives included:
Who are you ...