Night Watch Hazard Mystery Solved - Random Phrases Sources Revealed
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Thu 24 Apr 2008 20:42
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15:49.606S 145:07.120W
Thanks to our faithful readers, Don's night watch
hazard mystery has been solved. Below, for those of you that are
interested, are the sources of the random phrases that have been rattling
around in Don's head during night watch.
Random Phrase: 'Just like that, and Bob's
your uncle.'
Credit for source identification: Chris
Hayes
Identified Source:
Bob's your uncle is a commonly used _expression_
known mainly in Britain and Commonwealth countries. It is often used immediately
following a set of simple instructions and roughly carries the same meaning as
the phrase "and there you have it." For example, "Simply put a piece of ham
between two slices of bread, and Bob's your uncle."
In 1887, British Prime Minister Robert
Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, appointed his nephew Arthur James
Balfour as Minister for Ireland. The press had a field day when he referred to
the Prime Minister as "Uncle Bob". Balfour later went on to become Prime
Minister himself. This theory claims that to have "Bob" as one's uncle is a
guarantee of success, hence the implied meaning, "and if you do this, you cannot
fail." Another theory is that the phrase derives from the slang "all is bob",
which means "everything is good".
Random Phrase: 'An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry - every good thing to make us all merry.' Credit for source identification: Chris
Hayes
Identified Source:
Peter Paul and Mary Song, 'A
Soalin''
Hey ho, nobody home, meat nor drink nor money have I none Yet shall we be merry, Hey ho, nobody home. Hey ho, nobody home, Meat nor drink nor money have I none Yet shall we be merry, Hey ho, nobody home. Hey Ho, nobody home. Soal, a soal, a soal cake, please good missus a soul cake. An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry, One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all. God bless the master of this house, and the mistress also And all the little children that round your table grow. The cattle in your stable and the dog by your front door And all that dwell within your gates we wish you ten times more. Soal, a soal, a soal cake, please good missus a soul cake. An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry, One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all. Go down into the cellar and see what you can find If the barrels are not empty we hope you will be kind We hope you will be kind with your apple and strawber' For we'll come no more a 'soalin' till this time next year. Soal, a soal, a soal cake, please good missus a soul cake. An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry, One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all. The streets are very dirty, my shoes are very thin. I have a little pocket to put a penny in. If you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do. If you haven't got a ha' penny then God bless you. Soal, a soal, a soal cake, please good missus a soul cake. An apple, a pear, a plum, a cherry, any good thing to make us all merry, One for Peter, two for Paul, three for Him who made us all. Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace.. This holy tide of Christmas of beauty and of grace, Oh tidings of comfort and joy. Random Phrase: 'Balls!' said the Queen,
'If I had to, I'd be King'. And she had two, and she was
King.'
Credit for source identification: Bill Noe
and Bill Maloney
Identified Source:
"Balls" said the Queen. "If I had to I'd be King."
The Duke laughed, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. (etc.).
It is, of course a play on the homonyms "to" and "two". There are several
versions, one of which is "The Castration of the King" which becomes quite lewd
in several versions (i.e. 'Twas the Night of the King's Castration: the last of
the Royal Balls was coming off...), and runs on and on employing many such
puns.
Don claims not to have ever seen 'The Night of the
King's Castration', so the way in which the 'Balls!' random phrase found its way
into his head is still a bit of a mystery....but at least the source has been
identified.
Thanks to Chris Hayes, Bill Noe and Bill Maloney
for source identification. Don will most certainly become more productive
during future night watches as a result of your help.
Much appreciated. Or, as the Brits would say,
'Thank you very much indeed!'
Anne
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