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More Tea, Vicar?: An Embarrasment of Domestic Catchphrases
In this nostalgic and intriguing examination of the familiar phrases that become embedded in the daily lexicons of many households, Nigel Rees attempts to explain how and from where these colorful sayings have become the common go-to phrases for so many families. There are numerous phrases used by parents to deal with children's questions ("Why?" "Y's a crooked letter."), mangled words ("semi-skilled milk"), nannyisms ("Back in the knife box, Miss Sharp."), homey proverbs ("Custard boiled is custard spoiled."), and scores of restroom-related euphemisms—or, loophemisms ("I'm just going to turn the vicar's bike around"). Learn more about familiar phrases—the many variations on "age before beauty," and find perfect retorts for any situation—"The answer's a lemon." "Why?" "Suck it and see."
272 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2009
24 people want to read
About the author
Nigel Rees
136 books9 followersNigel Rees is an English author and presenter, best known for devising and hosting the Radio 4 long running panel game Quote... Unquote (since 1976) and as the author of more than fifty books – reference, humour and fiction.
He went to the Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby, and then took a degree in English at New College, Oxford (where he was a Trevelyan Scholar and took a leading role in the Oxford University Broadcasting Society). He went straight into television with Granada in Manchester and made his first TV appearances on local programmes in 1967 before moving to London as a freelance. He worked for ITN’s News at Ten as a reporter before becoming involved in a wide range of programmes for BBC Radio as reporter and producer.
In 1971, he turned to presenting. He introduced the BBC World Service current affairs magazine Twenty Four Hours nearly a thousand times between 1972 and 1979. From 1973 to 1975 he was also a regular presenter of Radio 4’s arts magazine Kaleidoscope. From 1976 to 1978 he was the founder presenter of Radio 4’s newspaper review Between the Lines and, from 1984 to 1986, Stop Press.
By way of contrast he kept up the revue acting he had started at Oxford by appearing for five years in Radio 4’s topical comedy show Week Ending... and then in five series of the cult comedy The Burkiss Way. Comedy appearances have also included Harry Enfield and Chums on BBC TV.
When he was 32, in 1976, he became the youngest ever regular presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme and had two years of early mornings with Brian Redhead before leaving in May 1978 at the time of his marriage to Sue Bates, a marketing executive. The other reason was the increasing success of Quote... Unquote, his quiz anthology on Radio 4, then in its third series. By 1978 it was also time for the first Quote... Unquote book. This gave rise to a whole series under various titles and devoted to aspects of the English language and especially the humour that derives from it. One of his five graffiti collections was a No. 1 paperback bestseller in the UK.
His reference books include the Cassell’s Movie Quotations, Cassell’s Humorous Quotations, A Word In Your Shell-Like and Brewer's Famous Quotations. Since 1992, he has published and edited The Quote... Unquote Newsletter, a quarterly journal (now distributed electronically) and devoted to the origins and use of well-known quotations, phrases and sayings.
For 18 years he was a regular guest in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4's Countdown. He is a recent past President of the Johnson Society (Lichfield) and was described in The Spectator (16 December 2006) as: "Britain's most popular lexicographer – the lineal successor to Eric Partridge and, like him, he makes etymology fun."
He went to the Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby, and then took a degree in English at New College, Oxford (where he was a Trevelyan Scholar and took a leading role in the Oxford University Broadcasting Society). He went straight into television with Granada in Manchester and made his first TV appearances on local programmes in 1967 before moving to London as a freelance. He worked for ITN’s News at Ten as a reporter before becoming involved in a wide range of programmes for BBC Radio as reporter and producer.
In 1971, he turned to presenting. He introduced the BBC World Service current affairs magazine Twenty Four Hours nearly a thousand times between 1972 and 1979. From 1973 to 1975 he was also a regular presenter of Radio 4’s arts magazine Kaleidoscope. From 1976 to 1978 he was the founder presenter of Radio 4’s newspaper review Between the Lines and, from 1984 to 1986, Stop Press.
By way of contrast he kept up the revue acting he had started at Oxford by appearing for five years in Radio 4’s topical comedy show Week Ending... and then in five series of the cult comedy The Burkiss Way. Comedy appearances have also included Harry Enfield and Chums on BBC TV.
When he was 32, in 1976, he became the youngest ever regular presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme and had two years of early mornings with Brian Redhead before leaving in May 1978 at the time of his marriage to Sue Bates, a marketing executive. The other reason was the increasing success of Quote... Unquote, his quiz anthology on Radio 4, then in its third series. By 1978 it was also time for the first Quote... Unquote book. This gave rise to a whole series under various titles and devoted to aspects of the English language and especially the humour that derives from it. One of his five graffiti collections was a No. 1 paperback bestseller in the UK.
His reference books include the Cassell’s Movie Quotations, Cassell’s Humorous Quotations, A Word In Your Shell-Like and Brewer's Famous Quotations. Since 1992, he has published and edited The Quote... Unquote Newsletter, a quarterly journal (now distributed electronically) and devoted to the origins and use of well-known quotations, phrases and sayings.
For 18 years he was a regular guest in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4's Countdown. He is a recent past President of the Johnson Society (Lichfield) and was described in The Spectator (16 December 2006) as: "Britain's most popular lexicographer – the lineal successor to Eric Partridge and, like him, he makes etymology fun."
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 5 reviews
December 28, 2019
I love books about slang and quips and pithy sayings. My mother used a lot of colloquialisms and when she died my sister and I tried to remember and collect the things she used to say. Reading books like this brings her voice vividly to life as so many of the lines are familiar.
A stroll down memory lane, again.
A stroll down memory lane, again.
November 20, 2022
I was given this book by my friends for my birthday, after seeing it at a village book sale, where someone bought it quicker than i could. I had had a flick through and found some very funny sayings.
After now reading it properly I can confirm its great. Some genuinely really interesting examples and explanations. Saying we hear regularly and didn't actually know the full saying or its origin meaning.
Also littered with brilliant witty one liners.
Would recommend this book to anyone, a great coffee table book to dip into at random and fine a new saying to bring into your life. We particularly like 'I hope your rabbit dies, and you cant sell the hutch'.
After now reading it properly I can confirm its great. Some genuinely really interesting examples and explanations. Saying we hear regularly and didn't actually know the full saying or its origin meaning.
Also littered with brilliant witty one liners.
Would recommend this book to anyone, a great coffee table book to dip into at random and fine a new saying to bring into your life. We particularly like 'I hope your rabbit dies, and you cant sell the hutch'.
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January 14, 2024"More Tea, Vicar? is a warm, nostalgic exploration of the informal phrases and sayings that pepper our family lives. Well-known author and broadcaster Nigel Rees provides a fascinating commentary on the origins and evolution of more than 500 homespun sayings, forming a valuable record of our shared domestic history."
~~back cover
This is a book to be leafed through slowly, in spurts. "More tea, Vicar?" is described as "for after a fart, or to cover any kind of embarrassment." "Another cucumber sandwich, Vicar?" is said laughingly after an involuntary belch. A very handy book of reference.
~~back cover
This is a book to be leafed through slowly, in spurts. "More tea, Vicar?" is described as "for after a fart, or to cover any kind of embarrassment." "Another cucumber sandwich, Vicar?" is said laughingly after an involuntary belch. A very handy book of reference.
June 18, 2011
Good bathroom reader. And here are some Hamilton family catch phrases: "What's for dinner?" Answer: "A poke in the eye with a sharp stick" or "boiled toothpicks" or, from the Riley side, "Warmed over monkey vomit."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 5 reviews