CATCH – PHRASES DUE TO BRITAIN’S PRIME MINISTERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 288, 25 November 1911, Page 3 (Supplement)

CATCH - PHRASES DUE TO BRITAIN’S PRIME MINISTERS.

• WAIT AND SEE," • PLOUGHING THE SANDS.” ■■ PEACE WITH HONOUR.” Mr. Asquith's celebrated “ Wait and se» ’’ is but a good example of how a levy common piirase which has nitherto not' been specially notable becomes quite a popular saying when a famous man has uttered it in certain circumstances. Though many good folk thick the ” Wait and sec ” of the Premier ot England was a sort of original plirjse made on the spur of the moment, yet it is undoubted that Mr. Asquith was but repeating three words that he must have often heard his lather and mother say when a boy, for nothing is >o common in Yorkshire and Lancashire as for parents to say to curious children; ’■ Wait and sec ! ’’ LORD ROSEBERY’S SAYINGS Another now celebrated saying due to the Premier is ” Ploughing the 'ands. It was a f'-w years back, speaking with reference to the delay occasioned to Liberal measures by the unsympathetic House of Lenh, that Mr. Asquith assured Ills hi-ari-i-s at a great meeting that " We shall not much longer be content with ploughing tho sands." But the phrase has stuck, and now it is historic.

To another Premier of past days, I Lord Rosebery, bdong two famous say-; irgs of to-day, since he first made tnein • popular with the niass<lt vas he. who declared that, in all thing.- relating to Parliamentary changes, " the pre- j doniinaiit partner ” must bo quite sat- ; isi.ed, if tho thing vms to lie success-I fill. Thus we got the now common j phrase si: often quoted about ’* th”, pre■ | . tlcminant partner. and are like.y to 1 keep it ion” with us. Again, it was the ‘ luimer Liberal Lader who assiin'l us, i alter breaking nway Hom his old tomcades end keeping apart from the j Tolies, tliat he must go t n " piourhing ■ h.s loii"|v fiiriow." i > GLAIhfb.AE AND *• DIZZY.’ I Th''iigii t!i< late Mr. Gladstone was' ' tin lims;. natoi of his titiin, li«' gave tho political world tew happy phrases 1 oi tins kind upon winch it coiiid tasten I::- best one was undoubtedly that used m a sni’e'ch during the great .Midlothian campaign, w uen m- .said, liie rowing ' tiuu is with us!” Thi-s really fine sent< m e ha-. ii..-en quite a common one with all rts oi poliLiviails since that time, j Mr. iia.7o.ir has never Jie-n very sue- I j (w-Miii in tin, knnvli. of catvluii” the popular ear with a hai.py phrase. But i Salisbury and Lord Beaconsfield i i,;.i i_ more than once. AA ho can ioii • tin' latter s speech about the men . ’ v lignt and leading," which oh rase, I ; cun'll tonnd in burkes speeches a ; hundred years ago and more, still first t..;:i.” into 101 l recognition when Dis ra'ii thus uttered it. lhen, also, have i we not tile evv.'-mvmorable “Peace with ; h ■m>ur“ ui tlie bamjuel-.speeeh tit the • Mansion House alter the Berlin von t.-renee? , .... ■ THREE ACHES AND A COAV. ' The iamous phrase of which we have j heard so mm h during the past Session | “ To die in the last ditcti," owes its popularity to the late < olonel Saurderson, M.P. who, speaking ot the antiI cipated resistance of 1. Ister to Home ' Rule in I>"G, said: “ AVe shall resist to ’ tho end; we shall die in the last ditch ■ ere wv> give m ” Sime that speech the ' phrase has often been quoted. ” AVhat Lancashire says to-day Engi land will say to-morrow” is due to the i late John Bright’s speech when ic was M.P. for Birmingham, but lived near : Rochdale, and often addressed LanI cashire audiences. And we may as well ‘ inriuue The celebrated Three acresand ; a cow " in our list of happy phrases ' made famous by Ministers >f the ' Crown, for it was Mr. Jesse Collings, M.P., who acted as father to that his- | toric quotation in the first tilace.