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

Helene Hanff points out in 84 Charring Cross Road, that 18th Century America was populated mainly by the offspring of 17th Century Brits, (and Germans and Dutch and French, of course). I still get shivers when I read an 18thC book which says that someone has "gotten" something.

And there is the traditional folk song:
"The Working Class
Can kiss my arse
I've got the Foreman's
Job at last!"
Sung to me by a self-styled working class 'ero from Gloucestershire.

Not to blow my own trumpet but .. oh sod it, Tootle .. I have written an article on the Stone of Destiny (Scone) which currently sits in the queue here; http://www.h2g2.com/A391141

Can't remember if it's been covered here or not, but I've just used the phrase that something gets my goat, meanning to get annoyed about something. So any ideas where that one comes from.

My dictionary says it comes from the old English 'gat'.

Well, that's perfectly clear then, isn't it!

gat meaning goat? but how does that relate to getting ones goat (I'll have to go to the using one thread and say yes now ) meaning getting angry about something?

See - there's a "one" that can't easily be replaced.

Unfortunately I know nothing of goat getting...

Could it be that goats are considered irritable animals. Thus if something gets your goat, it is getting you to act like a goat. Just a thought.

Perhaps stealing goats used to be seriously irritating.

Well I guess if I only had a goat and someone got it, I'd be a bit angry.

Hmmm, but why not "gets your cat" or "gets your goldfish"?

Short for get my goatee. If someone pulls you around by the beard it makes you pretty pissed off doesn't it?

Painful too!!!!!

What, so it's a saying only for men? And the occasional bearded lady, of course.

Of which I'm not one, I hasten to add!

Good reason to scrape my face in a morning then

What, or else you would end up a bearded lady?!

Not the last time I checked.

Well, you learn something new every day, as we say back home...

Today I was offered a pot plant by a close friend. I was shocked. At first I thought she was joking, but after just a second I realised she was quite serious. What could I say?

Cutting a long story short, where I come from a pot plant is Marijuana. It seems that you Brits have shortened 'potted plant' and caused my confusion.

You never know - at about the turn of the 18th century it used to be compulsory to grow hemp on any spare ground which was used to make rope for the large empire building navy. There's some way that this is linked to the expression "money for old rope", but it escapes me.
(What detrimental effect on short term memory? )

I think money for old rope is simply, if you hung about the docks you could collect lots of old bits of rope that had been discarded by the ships. You could then twist this all together into one large rope and sell it on, presumably not telling anyone it is made of shitty offcuts. Kind of like doing up write off cars and selling them again. Certainly cheaper than actually growing the stuff.