EVERYDAY PHRASES.

Auckland Star, Volume 304, Issue 304, 23 December 1926, Page 18

EVERYDAY PHRASES.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Under the above heading in Saturday's issue of the "Star" "Stevie." in an interesting article, gives the origin of a score of phrases, more or less familiar. He is, however, too cocksure in his explanation of the origin of a few phrases. For instance, "Mind your p's and q's"; there are several explanations suggested upon good authorities other than the one given. The following is the most authentic: When scores were kept in public houses with a tally, "p" was set down for pints and "q." for quarts. Mine host would then say to the person sent out to make the score, "Mind your p's and q's," and not infrequently would the customer also give the same caution, that he might not be charged for quarts instead of pints. Again, "To hob nob." This, according to Dr. Brewer, reckoned to be the best authority on the origin of phrases, is a corruption of "Hah nab," meaning "have or not," hence hit or miss, at random. A similar construction to willy nilly. Saxon, habban, to have; nabban, not to have. Shakespeare gives an example in "Twelfth Night.": "He is a devil in private brawls . . hob nob is his word, giv't or take't." "Stevie's" explanation applies to a very similar phrase, but with a totally different meaning, viz., "Hob and nob together.' To drink as cronies, to clink glasses, to drink tete-a-tete. In the old English houses there was a hob at each corner of the hearth for heating the beer, or holding what one wished to keep hot. The little round table set at the elbow was called a nob; hence to hob nob was to~drink snugly and cosily in the chimney corner with the beer hobbed, and a little nob-table set in the snuggery. As a Welshman I am, however, particularly interested in the old jibe, "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief." It's origin, according to "Stevie," is ancient history, dating bao}s. to the period when the gallant little Welshman raided the English and stole their pet lambs, etc. But there is another version which is obviously the most authentic, and, may I say, the retort courteous:— Johnny was a Cockney, a thorough E_all__man, He came to my pantry and stole my frying pan. That is the reason Taffy stole his round of beef, Xow you've heard the story—which 18 the - biggest thief? Regarding "Stevie's" quotation from Pope: "Worth makes the man, the want of it the fellow," I am reminded of the following story: Longworth, meeting Longfellow one day, referred to the similarity in their names. "True," replied Longfellow, "But 'worth* makes the man, the want of it the fellow." For ready wit this is hard to beat.—l am, etc- R. P. ROBERTS.