GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | ||||||
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17:39 Apr 18, 2009 |
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO] Art/Literary - Folklore | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Tony M France Local time: 00:34 | ||||||
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SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED | ||||
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5 +7 | go upstairs to bed |
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3 | up (wooden) stairs to bed |
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3 | all of the above and more.... |
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the wooden hill to bedfordshire up (wooden) stairs to bed Explanation: I think I recall this from what my parents said to me as a child to get me to go to bed. |
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the wooden hill to bedfordshire all of the above and more.... Explanation: While acknowledging the responses from Tony and Maureen, here are a few extra thoughts: 1. The "hand of glory" is a candle "rendered motionless all persons to whom it was presented" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_of_Glory) 2. Here you can read the words of the song: http://www.jilldaniels.com/UP-THE-WOODEN-HILL.htm 3. In response to the askers comment: There is a Wood Hill prison, and a Wooden Hill Primary school, but neither are in Bedfordshire. However, as Tony says, there does not necessarily have to be a direct parallel in all the references. Hope this adds to the interest of an unusual posting :-) Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_of_Glory Reference: http://www.jilldaniels.com/UP-THE-WOODEN-HILL.htm |
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go upstairs to bed Explanation: the wooden hill = the (usually wooden) staircase Bedfordshire = jocular reference to 'bed' -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 minutes (2009-04-18 17:46:11 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- However, I have no idea how that fits in with your context, unless it is the idea of frightening poor little children into going to bed with his gruesome ornament! -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 38 minutes (2009-04-18 18:17:22 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Not necessarily, Asker: this is such a very familiar idiom, there doesn't need to be any fantastical connection at all. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 jour13 heures (2009-04-20 07:13:52 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- In the light of Bill Gray's helpful research into the 'hand of glory', it sounds as if this not meant to be literally 'sending (children) upstairs to bed', but rather a more figurative use, meaning 'send people to sleep' (i.e. render them immobile', as Bill explains). -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 jour13 heures (2009-04-20 07:14:52 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- That would certainly seem to refute the idea of any literal 'parallel Universe' wooden hill or Bedfordshire. |
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