Re: Phrase

Posted by DGW on June 29, 2003

In Reply to: Phrase posted by J. McEvoy on June 28, 2003

: Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "your arse in parsley" meaning "I don't believe you" or you are talking rubbish or anything similar?

I've seen it more often as "Your arse and parsley". This is equivalent to "Your arse", "My arse", "My eye", "In a pig's eye", etc., etc., meaning "The preceding was bullshit" or something like that. I think this version is said to be Scottish.

The parsley makes for euphony. "Parsley" is old British slang for [usually female] pubic hair, and I speculate that this might be the original sense of the "parsley".