tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post8201332575349261048..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: ...and one to grow onlynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-6485250830704932172016-09-20T02:41:39.988+01:002016-09-20T02:41:39.988+01:00I grew up in Canada, my lineage is from London, En...I grew up in Canada, my lineage is from London, England. My dad's step grandmom lived in our house - she was Scottish and English, my cousins are Australian English. So no matter where they moved that is who they were. We grew up with a pinch to grow an inch and a slap to grow fat. My sister would slap hard in the face and pinch hard in the face. AND say don't try doing this to me when it is my birthday because I'm older. Some of my other sibblings tapped and gently pinched like a grandma visiting I never ever did that to any one ever. With my children I gently gave an almost pinch as to put colour in the cheeks and said a pinch to grow an inch and then I would tell I won't give the slap to grow fat. My grandchild is 9 and she has never heard of it. THANK GOD.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-28411626252090481992008-11-11T21:22:00.000+00:002008-11-11T21:22:00.000+00:00Celebrity-stalker in Cairo one hot morning: (gigg...Celebrity-stalker in Cairo one hot morning: (giggles) "Imagine, Colonel Lawrence, ninety-four already!"<BR/><BR/>Lawrence of Arabia: "Indeed, Madam? Many happy returns of the day!"<BR/><BR/>Sophiesaurus: I, indeed, have heard people carefully pronounce URLs thus: "aitch tee tee pee, backslash, backslash, ..." Memory has mercifully obliterated the rest.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83569367652114822582008-10-17T09:55:00.000+01:002008-10-17T09:55:00.000+01:00Not just schoolboys. We did the bumps regularly a...Not just schoolboys. We did the bumps regularly at my all-girls school. Always with one extra 'for luck'.Roshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669423378438380019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-69936154370216882022008-10-13T17:58:00.000+01:002008-10-13T17:58:00.000+01:00Happy Birthday to youSquashed tomatoes and stewI s...Happy Birthday to you<BR/>Squashed tomatoes and stew<BR/>I saw a fat monkey<BR/>And i thought it was you!<BR/><BR/>Interesting to see the different variants. This one's UK c.1990 ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-54131849054438341732008-10-10T23:10:00.000+01:002008-10-10T23:10:00.000+01:00Sorry, there was an errant slash in the URL that I...Sorry, there was an errant slash in the URL that I gave there. <A HREF="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article4875062.ece" REL="nofollow">This</A> should work instead.<BR/><BR/>PS) I find it odd that some television presenters (in the UK at least) read out URLs and carefully emphasise "FORWARD slash" whatever, as though a backslash might creep in there one day, unless they're very careful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-64145093223088380032008-10-10T23:02:00.000+01:002008-10-10T23:02:00.000+01:00"A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.""...<I>"A pinch and a punch for the first of the month."<BR/>"A punch and a kick for being so quick."<BR/>Middlesex, England, 1950s.</I><BR/><BR/>...or "a poke in the eye for being so sly".<BR/>Surrey, England, 1970s.<BR/><BR/>And a belated Happy Birthday, Lynne! I have recently discovered your excellent blog and have spent a couple of happy hours fossicking in the archives, when I should have been doing something less interesting instead.<BR/><BR/>PS) I've just seen a review of <A HREF="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article4875062.ece/" REL="nofollow">A Field Guide to the British</A>, which looks interesting, though perhaps clichéd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-29761243921424073532008-10-10T13:00:00.000+01:002008-10-10T13:00:00.000+01:00At my school the tradition was Birthday Beats, whi...At my school the tradition was Birthday Beats, which involved punching someone's arm (and only they're arm. Strange punching them elsewhere was classed as bullying) as hard as you could while you counted the number of times. You'd punch them once for each year they'd been alive, and then you would punch them twice more - once for next year and once for good luck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14522774207722644182008-10-09T16:50:00.000+01:002008-10-09T16:50:00.000+01:00"A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.""..."A pinch and a punch for the first of the month."<BR/><BR/>"A punch and a kick for being so quick."<BR/><BR/>Middlesex, England, 1950s.Max Wheelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08488671125464364189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-54406840213472309522008-10-09T04:52:00.000+01:002008-10-09T04:52:00.000+01:00By the way, happy birthday, Lynne!By the way, happy birthday, Lynne!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-56834836731106922062008-10-09T03:36:00.000+01:002008-10-09T03:36:00.000+01:00Funny, but I assume the spanking isn't that popula...Funny, but I assume the spanking isn't that popular these day :$ <BR/><BR/>I don't French/ Canadians have any birthday tradition...<BR/><BR/>The only weird thing here is that quebecers call "birthday" "fête" instead if "anniversaire". Fête in France is the day of a saint... not a birthday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39281056077283741312008-10-08T22:05:00.000+01:002008-10-08T22:05:00.000+01:00My Australian friend adds Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! ...My Australian friend adds Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! after the birthday song (at least until she realized that no one else did it here.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-64443285444083430392008-10-08T22:02:00.000+01:002008-10-08T22:02:00.000+01:00We (American) would have an extra candle for good ...We (American) would have an extra candle for good luck. The pinch to grow an inch is familiar, but not strongly associated with birthdays for me. There is a latino tradition, from Mexico as well as Puerto Rico, of smashing the birthday child's face in the cake. A Puerto Rican acquaintance of mine threw a birthday party for her daughter, with a small cake for smashing and a big cake to cut up and serve to everyone. (I think the candles would have been in the big cake for obvious reasons, but don't remember this part.) <BR/><BR/>My parents also sing a happy birthday song for later birthdays, adult birthdays, that sounds like a dirge. Sung very slowly, sounding very ominous and glum, the tune belies the words.<BR/><BR/>Happy Birthday<BR/>Happy Birthday<BR/>You're another year older.<BR/>Happy Birthday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-88687811620647932072008-10-08T02:38:00.000+01:002008-10-08T02:38:00.000+01:00I had completely forgotten about "the bumps" until...I had completely forgotten about "the bumps" until I read your post! This used to be done at our birthday parties when I was a child (the 70's) by friends and the occasional grown-up.<BR/><BR/>I always enjoy reading your discussions of BrE vs AmE and CanE. As a Canadian who grew up in a very isolated village in Eastern Ontario (that had a strong Scottish heritage) I find it quite interesting to see where the BrE is much more familiar and where the AmE is what I would use. I think the fact that we had little TV and no cable when I was growing up definitely preserved the British and local usage but this has changed dramatically with the past generation's exposure to the internet/media/American programming. I can still recall that my father used the word 'lief' frequently and referred to other men as 'nice chaps'. These aren't usages I would hear in downtown Toronto now!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-11637216400575630452008-10-08T01:55:00.000+01:002008-10-08T01:55:00.000+01:00I never heard "one to grow on" but we did use the ...I never heard "one to grow on" but we did use the "pinch to grow an inch" when giving the birthday bumps. Maybe there was one for good luck, but the phrase "one to grow on" was definitely not used.<BR/><BR/>Someone mentioned the phrase "many happy returns". I never heard this used in Canada. I always associate it with Winnie the Pooh, which must have been the only place I came across the phrase as a child.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-73415288877059977692008-10-08T01:48:00.000+01:002008-10-08T01:48:00.000+01:00Our tradition (US) was a spanking with one (extra)...Our tradition (US) was a spanking with one (extra) for good luck and a pinch to grow an inch. The extra swat was never to grown on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-7099236200343473922008-10-07T20:38:00.000+01:002008-10-07T20:38:00.000+01:00At our school, 'a pinch and a punch' were reserved...At our school, 'a pinch and a punch' were reserved for the first of the month, unless you'd had the foresight to say 'white rabbits' first (why? I have absolutely no idea where this comes from). The bumps involved no contact with the ground, just being thrown in the air, but did usually end with having your head flushed down the toilet. You get a better class of violence at a private school...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-34124974279069664322008-10-07T16:36:00.000+01:002008-10-07T16:36:00.000+01:00the bumps were certainly administered in Ireland 3...the bumps were certainly administered in Ireland 30 years ago, and not only to boys. A few years after I left, they were banned from the playground of my National School after someone's arm was [accidentally] broken.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-69907438407077717772008-10-07T16:31:00.000+01:002008-10-07T16:31:00.000+01:00Parent and adult smacks or punches are meant to be...Parent and adult smacks or punches are meant to be gentle...<BR/><BR/>Friend smacks or punches are meant to be as hard as humanly possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-33718443275379450702008-10-07T16:16:00.000+01:002008-10-07T16:16:00.000+01:00Like Altissima, I remember punches in the upper ar...Like Altissima, I remember punches in the upper arm (Melbourne, nineties). These were always administered by schoolfriends (I was the oldest boy in the family) and I didn't realise they were "supposed to be gentle". Not enough a teacher would catch you, but enough it hurts a little. Otherwise what's the point?<BR/><BR/>And I know:<BR/><BR/>Happy Birthday to you<BR/>You're a hundred and two/three<BR/>You still go to kinder/kindie<BR/>and you can't count to two.<BR/><BR/>I also know the "live in a zoo" version, but I've never heard the "tomatoes and stew" one.Tristanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11952048144350203353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-28362935362469550902008-10-07T15:33:00.000+01:002008-10-07T15:33:00.000+01:00Growing up in Glasgow, west of Scotland, I think I...Growing up in Glasgow, west of Scotland, I think I remember<BR/><BR/>Happy Birthday to you,<BR/>squashed tomatoes and stew,<BR/>bread and butter<BR/>in the gutter<BR/>Happy Birthday to you.<BR/><BR/>I also seem to remember hearing quite a few variations over the years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-38548337364641897082008-10-07T13:59:00.000+01:002008-10-07T13:59:00.000+01:00oh, and our family sings "you belong in a zoo". I'...oh, and our family sings "you belong in a zoo". I've heard "you live in a zoo" before, but it's always sounded odd to me; perhaps because it doesn't fit the meter of the first verse?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-36886502119646681192008-10-07T13:56:00.000+01:002008-10-07T13:56:00.000+01:00Our family in Canada was a definitely in the bumps...Our family in Canada was a definitely in the bumps camp. One year in my early teens (unfortunately captured on video for posterity) I got the bumps given to me outside, and on the extra one I was promptly thrown into my little sister's wading pool!<BR/><BR/>Despite this less-pleasant memory, bumps certainly sounds a lot more fun than spanks, punches or pinches. =)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27611386204349308412008-10-07T13:25:00.000+01:002008-10-07T13:25:00.000+01:00Clearly a matter of globali{z/s}ation. I've also h...Clearly a matter of globali{z/s}ation. I've also heard<BR/><BR/>Happy birthday to you.<BR/>Marmelade im Schuh.<BR/>Aprikose in der Hose.<BR/>Happy birthday to you.<BR/><BR/>The third line ("apricots in your pants") seems to be one of those points where language beginners (in this case, Germans learning English) vent their frustrations by an appeal to the scatalogical.<BR/><BR/>-hAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-6368048159098746222008-10-07T13:18:00.000+01:002008-10-07T13:18:00.000+01:00We (BrE) used to sing:Happy Birthday to youSquashe...We (BrE) used to sing:<BR/><BR/>Happy Birthday to you<BR/>Squashed tomatoes and stew!<BR/>You look like a monkey,<BR/>And you act like one, too!Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-7190496716448747682008-10-07T12:51:00.000+01:002008-10-07T12:51:00.000+01:00I knew 'many happy returns' before moving to the U...I knew 'many happy returns' before moving to the UK, so I'm not sure it's BrE only, but it's certainly more popular here.<BR/><BR/>h- when we sang it, it was always "you live in a zoo".<BR/><BR/>Reminds me of "Jingle bells, Batman smells..." but that's another type of celebration.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.com