Words and phrases

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Something like "turns on a sixpence" has not been updated to new currency, and may be even less comprehensible to our foreign readers. I suppose youngsters (less than 50) had it explained while growing up. Are parents still having to explain it even though they never saw the coin?

Not just common sayings. This thought was prompted by an item on BBC radio 4 talking about an early microphone and repeatedly comparing it to a 'meat safe'. (Tuesday 1511/22 13:45) While I was familiar with them in Africa, standing with their legs in milk tins of water, they must have been rare in the UK for 70 years or more.

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 15/11/2022 14:31:48

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

that have lost their point of reference

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

One of my favourites from the visual world is Footage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footage

As this is almost obsolete in terms of the Unit of Measure, and many modern motion-picture cameras don’t use film or tape … what term will we use instead, I wonder … and will it trip so nicely off the tongue ?

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ Contrary to Wikipedia’s assertion, I don’t hear ‘Source’ being used in the same way.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 15/11/2022 14:41:26

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

I'm not sure how many even on here would recognise a MEAT SAFE if they saw one. ! A thin aluminium box with hinged door, coated in about 1" of plaster of paris on all sides other than the door. The top has a saucer shaped depresion that is kept full of water that due to latent heat of evaporation cools the box and it's contents.Dimentions, approx 12"wide 14"high , 10" deep As far as the microphone goes something of an exageration, 6" high I might have believed.

To update the original phrase to decimal currency ie the 5p coin would require the steering lock to be also modified to take account of the smaller coin ? Noel.

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

The devil to pay and no pitch hot.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Meat safe = gauze cover to keep flies off surely, or draughts off a microphone.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Horse Power…

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I suppose not many of the younger ones would understand the term, "just got to spend a penny" I don't know many places that you would have to do that now, even at today's prices, and being that the modern penny is only just a bit bigger than a sixpence, perhaps turned on a penny would work, and it would be just a little bit easier for them.

Regards Nick.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Bazyl – Camping and caravan days in the '50s.

Apart from a ladies (stand to be gender corrected) high heel, what else in common use turns on a sixpence (new penny) or centime piece ?

Bob

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

I suspect ‘Turn on a sixpence’ is a repurposed phrase having nothing to do with motion but as in 18th C 6d was the smallest piece of silver it has probably more to do with bribery of voters in the then corrupt parliamentary elections.

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

My step grandmother had a meatsafe but as my grandfather had bought a fridge it was not in use that I ever remember. She would not entertain an electric iron though and went to her grave only having used her flat irons and gas ring.

Mike

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 15/11/2022 15:13:51:

Horse Power…

Since the thread title is 'words or phrases that have lost their point of reference', how does this one fall under its purview?

Last time I had a roll in the hay at our local stables equine extinction had clearly not taken place.

Is it now considered some form of animal cruelty to tie a beast to a rope and see how far and how fast it can raise a weight?

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Bent as a nine-bob note.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

That'll be half a dollar please mate

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

It's raining stair rods.

[Swarf, Mostly!Participant @swarfmostly]

Posted by Speedy Builder5 on 15/11/2022 15:38:53:

Bazyl – Camping and caravan days in the '50s.

Apart from a ladies (stand to be gender corrected) high heel, what else in common use turns on a sixpence (new penny) or centime piece ?

Bob

I'm reminded of the story about Nubar Gulbenkian, the oil millionaire. His personal transport when resident in London was a customised black taxi with a Rolls Royce engine. When describing it to friends, he often said 'It will turn on a sixpence, whatever a sixpence may be!'.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by DC31k on 15/11/2022 16:46:15:

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 15/11/2022 15:13:51:

Horse Power…

Since the thread title is 'words or phrases that have lost their point of reference', how does this one fall under its purview?

Last time I had a roll in the hay at our local stables equine extinction had clearly not taken place.

…

Once upon a time everyone knew how much work an average horse was capable of doing. Now hardly anyone has a feel for it because horses rarely work, and not many have any experience of driving them.

And sad to say, despite successfully reproducing a couple of times, I've never had an actual 'roll in the hay'.

Dave

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Posted by Frances IoM on 15/11/2022 16:20:10:
I suspect 'Turn on a sixpence' is a repurposed phrase having nothing to do with motion but as in 18th C 6d was the smallest piece of silver it has probably more to do with bribery of voters in the then corrupt parliamentary elections.

Hi, many explanations on the web, and are saying much the same as this Turn on a sixpence and this is as I've always understood it.

Regards Nick.

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

my mother had a meat safe /dolly tub /dolly pegs and posser into the late sixties,she abandomed the flat irons when my uncle bought her an electric iron pluged into a two way switch in the light socket.At the railway club a loco driver used to do a disapearing trick with a sixpence under a matchbox.He showed me how he did it ,a threapenny bit was put under the upturned matchbox along with anybodys sixpence ,he would slide it about for a moment and then reveal the missing sixpence which he kept.He showed me the turned out threepence bit which just took a sixpence and as it was heavier than the sixpence it jumped on top of the sixpence .

Frank

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

180%

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Posted by old mart on 15/11/2022 20:09:59:

180%

Pure ethanol..

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I've got a few stair rods somewhere. Thought I'd scored some nice brass bar but turned out to be brass shim rolled onto iron rods. At school the main staircase had huge triangular brass ones, about 7ft long. Must still be in use.

[GeorgineerParticipant @georgineer]

Posted by old mart on 15/11/2022 20:09:59:

180%

180°, surely? Or 200° if you're in the USA.

George

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Nicholas Farr on 15/11/2022 18:50:04:

Posted by Frances IoM on 15/11/2022 16:20:10:
I suspect 'Turn on a sixpence' is a repurposed phrase having nothing to do with motion but as in 18th C 6d was the smallest piece of silver it has probably more to do with bribery of voters in the then corrupt parliamentary elections.

Hi, many explanations on the web, and are saying much the same as this Turn on a sixpence and this is as I've always understood it.

Regards Nick.

The Yanks have a similar saying: Stop on a dime. Refers to a vehicle with good brakes.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Bazyle on 15/11/2022 14:13:10:

Not just common sayings. This thought was prompted by an item on BBC radio 4 talking about an early microphone and repeatedly comparing it to a 'meat safe'. (Tuesday 1511/22 13:45) While I was familiar with them in Africa, standing with their legs in milk tins of water, they must have been rare in the UK for 70 years or more.

Milk tins is another one that is largely a thing of the past.

You must have had tame ants in Africa. I will never forget the smell of kero in our Tasmanian beach shack from the tins the legs of the meat safe sat in. Those ants must have been able to swim in water.

We still talk about inching along slowly, or indeed some lathes come with an inch button to slowly rotate the spindle. Can't imagine centimetring along slowly.

[Author]

Posts