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Old 01-15-2006, 04:44 PM   #39
johnfowles
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: New Jersey U.S.A. ex UK and Canada
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Quote:
Originally posted by SilverHeels:
or the English saying of "Cor Blimey"

I've often wondered why we use that expression. I think it originates from the very unpleasant 'Blind me' from way back - cant remember which period of time exactly - got to be Medieval or before. More distasteful, dont you agree?
I do believe that all these "curses" are in effect ways of saying things in an unblasthemious way. and a lot of such expressions owe their existence to the inventive humo(u)r of Londoners born within the sound of Bow Bells (in other words the bells of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside.) the famous "cockneys" most of whom in the 1780s were petty crooks or convicts and after the American Revolution stopped their expulsion to North America were sent down under where as we know they still cause trouble
Indeed corblimey seems to be an alternative to "gorblimey"
from G-d Blind Me and crikey and its mate cripes an alternative for "christ"
one of a number of great sites for British-american translation is at:-
http://www.peak.org/~jeremy/dictionary/
Ok I think this is enough off topic for one page so I will start a new small talk topic
"The english language"
at:-
http://www.corfid.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ul...c&f=2&t=000773

John Fowles

I need you here tonight, flyin' blind tonight
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