18 July 2010
Having a lifting belt caused me to wonder the other day where the expression ‘belt up’ came from. As we know one of its meaning is ’shut up’. I turned to my Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, but that was no help. The expression has been in use much longer than the introduction of seatbelts, so it can have nothing to do with that. Does anyone know the answer? This musing leads me to repeat something I heard in the early hours on radio four — being an insomniac I listen to the wireless halfway through most nights. I have often wondered where the word ‘pee’ derived, being something that I once took for granted without much thought but now has to be planned. I was not surprised to hear that it is probably a diminutive for ‘piddle’, which is what we know small children, kittens and puppies tend to go in for. However, I was amused to learn that Queen Victoria disapproved of the word and hence the word ‘puddle’ came into being. Complete trivia, but you never know, it might be useful in a pub quiz at some stage.
Anyway I shouldn’t be wasting my time on a Sunday morning writing such nonsense as the Osborne family, Nancy, Brian, Anne and their twins Kate and Tom are due here shortly for lunch. Not much of a day but I hope fine enough for us to play our annual game of croquet. This year I shall have to be more of a pain than ever and supervise all concerned from my wheelchair.
The weather did perk up and indeed was fine enough for us to have our lunch in the garden. In the event, although the croquet equipment was brought out no serious game was played. By the time we had lunch and half the team had visited the food fair in the village hall it was time for tea and a five o’clock farewell. It was great to see the Osborne family again in such good form. Kate and Tom have now left school and face an exciting future. Anne, the eldest, had just returned from a rather smart holiday in the South of France, landing at midnight, she quite sensibly took 40 winks in the sunshine in the afternoon. Mum Nancy then went on with Kate to Aldborough for a little mother/daughter bonding.