CATCHWORKDS.

Otaki Mail, 19 March 1923, Page 4

CATCHWORKDS.

HUMOUR WITHOUT MEANING

j t'hc Magistrate who recently mcjuh ed the meaning ..,; Ihe phrase "Then J you are, then!" as used by a witness _ was at once imormeU by an omni scient constable that the saying wa a very popular catchword. Tha could uot have helped him much, loi the essential ol a catchword is iha it shall huve uu meaning. This pai ticuiar oil-.- i s dead, and when a catch j word is dead, luckily it is, as novelist: j sometimes say, "quite dead." Whc t has heard oi a catchword being resur retted iasks an English wrtter ; One wonders what would happen to somt oJ the insane sayings il they achieved a second time on earth. One must be middle-aged to recall the "Whoa Emma!" and "Tommy make room lot your uncle," ol the early 'seventies. Both these classic saying- originated in comic songs. On the other hand, no one seems to he aware 01 the origin ol the question "How's your poor feetV which spread ail ovei London about the same period. Dues your mother know you're out?" and 1,..-; your hair cut!" were oi i:,.,ei date. In ihe year ISSO or thereabouts n was considered the height oi Cockney smartness to hurl the formei question at every person, young, middie-aged, and old. About the sain« time, ine question, AVotcher?" .-Una- .•ire-::-, enjoyed an enormous vogue, -ciia.se me!" wa, .suddenly dropped hi favour o! an optimistic assurance to the effect that "Now we shan't he long." Hardly had this statement gone the way 01 al! catchwords when it was replaced by a phrase somewhat mure belhcose than the ordinary catchword, "Let 'em ail come!'' was the , challenge, and this brave outburst was j eventually superseded in it. turn by •My word: u i catch you bending!" • It is believed thai Mr George Robey , was the originator or this gracefully veiled thieat, "\'c<; in these an I abbreviation oi "Not in these trou.senV'j held a brief, Inglorious sway,' but it was capable o: being under-, stood and therefore died young. Dux-j ing the war the catchwords did not ' arise to any extent. The politicians were too busy inventing them, and, like spirits, they do not seem to come "when you call on them." Perhaps the only phrase that enjoyed a kind [ of vogue was D'ye get me, Steve?''j This "was Canadian, and not home-' grown. "There you are. ihenj" is} waning. The next catchword wilT doubtless be equally silly. For silliness is the Hfeblood of the successful catchword. A phrase that held any kind of sense would not las* five minutes.