meaning and origin of ‘not to have a scooby’
to have no idea at all—Scotland, 1990—‘scooby’ (short for ‘Scooby Doo’, name of cartoon dog in U.S. television series and films): rhyming slang for ‘clue’
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meaning and origin of ‘it’s all part of life’s rich pattern’
an ironically resigned, yet far from submissive, reflection upon the vicissitudes of life—UK, 1937 in The Games Mistress, a monologue by Arthur Marshall
Read Moremeaning and origin of ‘up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire’
‘upstairs to bed’—UK, 1923: title of a song by Nixon Grey—‘Bedfordshire’ jocular extension of ‘bed’ (1665)—‘the wooden hill’ metaphor for ‘the stairs’ (1856)
Read Morehistory of ‘come up and see my etchings’
USA, 1935—used as an invitation to sexual dalliance—in 1937, William Hays’s censorship office apparently banned it in cinema films
Read Morehistory of the phrase ‘(it) takes one to know one’
USA, 1926—only a person with a given personality, characteristic, etc., is able to identify that quality in someone else—particularly used of homosexuals
Read Moremeaning and origin of the phrase “’arf a mo’, Kaiser!”
“half a moment, Kaiser!”—1914 as the caption to a drawing by Bert Thomas, published in the Weekly Dispatch (London) to advertise a tobacco fund for soldiers
Read MoreThe Guardian’s mystery man’s adventures
1983—a mystery man whom the British journalist Alan Rusbridger challenged (as a prank) The Guardian’s readers to identify in order to claim a £10 book token
Read Morehistory of the British name ‘Chalkie White’
1973—a mystery man the Daily Mirror has challenged its readers to identify in order to claim prize money—‘Chalkie’ typical epithet for people surnamed ‘White’
Read Morehistory of the British name ‘Lobby Lud’
1927—a mystery man The Westminster Gazette’s readers were challenged to identify in order to claim prize money—‘Lobby Lud’: the Gazette’s telegraphic address
Read Morethe phrase ‘(still) going strong, like Johnnie Walker’
UK, 1910—extended form of ‘going strong’ (continuing to be healthy, vigorous or successful)—from the advertising slogan for Scotch whisky Johnnie Walker
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