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Tag: Scotland

‘God help those who are caught helping themselves’

29th Jul 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

addition to proverb ‘God helps those who help themselves’—USA, UK and Australia, late 19th century—originated as a warning to shoplifters

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‘to squeeze a nickel until the Indian is riding the buffalo’: meaning and origin

21st Jul 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

to be extremely tight with money—USA, 1926—refers to the five-cent coin, struck from 1913 to 1938, featuring a Native American on one side and a bison on the other

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‘bang went sixpence’: origin and early occurrences

12th Jul 2020.Reading time 12 minutes.

UK, 1870—based on the stereotype of Scots being miserly—from the story of the Scotsman who complained that he had to spend, in London, the small sum of sixpence

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a Scots phrase: ‘who stole your scone?’

6th Jul 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

1928—addressed to someone who looks glum—‘scone’ (originally Scots, early 16th century) denotes a light plain doughy cake

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‘God bless the Duke of Argyll’: meaning and origin

19th Mar 2020.Reading time 14 minutes.

UK, 1825—the Scots, allegedly verminous, were said to rub themselves against posts erected by the Duke of Argyll and to bless the Duke when doing so

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‘let the moths out of your purse’: meaning and origin

25th Feb 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

don’t be so niggardly with your money—USA, 1935—the image is of moths that are living in a purse or wallet because it is not frequently opened

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meaning and origin of ‘not to have a scooby’

15th Feb 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

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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‘booze cruise’ #1: a Scottish acceptation

8th Feb 2020.Reading time 12 minutes.

1950—Sunday trip by car or bus, making use of the bona fide clause in licensing laws, by which non-residents got alcohol—coined by Scottish novelist George Blake

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meaning and origin of the phrase ‘wigs on the green’

7th Feb 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

Ireland, 1820—violent quarrel—refers to the fact that wigs are liable to fall or to be pulled off in a fray

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meaning and origin of the phrase ‘(and) the best of British luck’

22nd Jan 2019.Reading time 11 minutes.

UK, 1957—an expression of encouragement, but often used ironically with the opposite meaning—origin unclear

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