THE BUTLER DID IT

[Jeff Thorpe]

THE BUTLER DID IT

A hackneyed phrase linked with any murder mystery,
even kids playing “Cluedo” are alert to this cliché
but, many similar idioms are strewn throughout history,
let’s carry out an overused utterance survey.

“The cart before the horse”, who hasn’t heard of that?
“Arse about face”, another close relation,
we all know some, deeply mired in this format
who simply complicate many a situation.

“Kill two birds with one stone”, do two things at one time,
a skill with which the fairer sex proclaim they are blessed,
a pedestal where upon mere males will never climb,
never ending argument ‘bout which gender is the best.

“Where there’s smoke there’s fire”, the mistrustful retort,
spoken over countless backyard fences,
individuals, governments, businesses, all pull up short
over perceived moral blemishes and fidgeted expenses.

“The Bush Telegraph”, it’s alive and well,
who on earth needs the much vaunted NBN,
the rumour mill casts further than a town crier’s yell
and has been proven accurate time and again.

“Cat’s out of the Bag”, the words that killed “Fine Cotton”,
the horse at the centre of racing’s great scandal,
a ring in scam so obvious punters all knew it was rotten,
presented to the Stewards like a lit up roman candle.

“The centre of attention”, the narcissist’s choice refrain,
it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way,
beer personalities thinking they’re champagne,
not first night performers, barely make the matinee.

To “Beat around the Bush”, none better than a politician,
talk on ad infinitum and say naught,
an election is near, treat all pledges with suspicion,
let’s hope the electorate gives its vote some thought.

“You reap what you sow”, what a prophetic verse,
told by parents to offspring almost since time began,
often received in exactly the inverse
yet, sage advice for anyone’s game plan.

“Once bitten, twice shy”, many have declared
in relation to experience or encounter from the past,
not willing to endure the circumstances paired,
avoiding like incident wherein one may be cast.

“Off the hook”, we know how fish must feel,
an out from any task on which we’re not impassioned,
“dodging of a bullet” has similar appeal,
rescue from a brief we have not fashioned.

“A Wet Blanket”, hardly a gregarious extrovert,
one who spoils a good time or event,
seemingly content wearing a hair shirt
time spent in whose company’s not quite heaven sent.

“Skating on thin Ice” is clear in implication,
any risky undertaking “hits the nail on the head”,
and may in due course require extrication,
“to spread oneself too thin”, a chancy trail to tread.

“Mutton dressed as Lamb” is where the barbs come out,
though a fairly true analogy in a lot of cases,
character lines or wrinkles, is there any doubt,
the test of time is cruel to legs, arms and faces.

“The Buck Stops Here” and this applies to me,
like some TV evangelists I am not without sin,
at times my writing lacks a certain creativity,
resorting to these idioms to get across my spin,
however, I would like to think my words are not as trite
as “The Butler Did it”, to make them sound all right.


Jeff Thorpe © 28 February 2016

[Shelley Hansen]

Lots of good time-honoured phrases here, Jeff!

It started me on a train of thought about dinkum Aussie sayings that we've basically lost over the course of the last generation - you know, the things we grew up hearing our parents say, but when you say them to young people today you get a "Yeah, right" look.

How many can you remember?

It's snowing down south (if a woman's petticoat was showing ... who even wears them these days??)
Don't sit there like a shag on a rock
We've got the sulky, all we need is the horse (if one of the kids was in a bad mood)
Windy enough to blow a dog off a chain
Off like a rat up a drainpipe
Flash as a rat with a gold tooth
Popular as a pork chop in Jerusalem
He's a legend in his own lunchtime
Are the Kennedys gun-shy? (when asked an obvious question)

Queensland author Hugh Lunn collected and documented many of these wonderful sayings in his book Lost for Words. It is well worth reading.

[Jeff Thorpe]

G'day Shelley

Some others :-

"Who said Ned Kelly's dead?"
Race Caller Ken Howard - "London to a Brick on"
Race Caller Bert Bryant about a racecourse tout - "Had more tips than a can of asparagus"
Bert Bryant again about a horse racing wide - "Covering more territory than Burke and Wills"

I've seen Hugh Lunn a couple of times giving presentations. Good value.

Cheers, Jeff

[Shelley Hansen]

Yep, love all of them Jeff!

Hugh Lunn authored the well known book Over the Top With Jim which was serialised on Sundays with Macca some years ago. It is a fabulous book - and anyone who grew up in the 50s or 60s will relate to so many of Hugh's memories. It is just one of a number of great books he wrote, and I love them all.

We met Hugh quite a number of years ago when he spoke at a function in Maryborough. He was a delight to meet and an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Cheers, Shelley