h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey, I don't know if this is academic or anything, or if its some sort of valid arguement starter or just something to do with the strange, backwards place I went to school but I have two differnces to your theory. Firstly, the noise made, rather than 'belm' was 'duh' or 'muh' and secondly chinning was called bearding. The child who felt they were being lied to would made a movement which could vary between scratching stubble or stroking a long, luxurious beard, implying "Yes, and I have a beard." If the comment was particularly incredible they would also shout "beard" (except with an extended vowel in the middle, making it about three syllables rather than the more usual one) or say "yeah, beard". Don't know why I'm posting this. Anyway, liked the article, took me back.

I cant remember anything apart from we didnt and then at some point we did start to "chin" about what we perceived were other kids' exaggerated claims at about 9 years old. Before that I think we were too naive and /or lacked the cynicism to remark on cobblers our classmates told us.

I do have recollections of never "belming" then doing loads after the screening of "Walter" starring Ian McKellan as the mentally hanicapped man whose mother either died or was taken ill. the two things that happened were that as a term of affection you'r say "I love you, you looked after me pigedons when they took me away" or you'd as you say "belm" someone who said something stupid or say "stop being such a Walter".

Ah the things were so much more straight forward and unpleasant in the days before political correctness....

I think our belming (I don't think we referred to it by any particular name) really came to prominence with the arrival of the great Joey Deacon.

Yes, both practices have different names in different parts of the country.

And indeed there was certainly an epidemic of belming in 1980 or '81 (international year of the disabled, lest we forget, which I obviously have) and the massive media exposure of Joey Deacon. I'm pretty certain we were doing it before then, though.

SoRB