A wigwam for a goose's bridal

Posted by Smokey Stover on August 08, 2009 at 03:20

In Reply to: A wigwam for a goose's bridal posted by ESC on August 07, 2009 at 22:27:

: : : 'wigwam for a goose's bridal' my mother used this phrase when we asked what she was cooking. Another phrase she had if we asked what were we going to eat - 'scratch it and pull-it'. I'm guessing this was reference to a hen scratching for worms. Does any one have a different explanation? Would love to know.

: : Are you sure she said "bridal" as in a wedding, rather than "bridle"? And where was your mother from? Because many years ago I read somewhere (can't remember the title or author of the book - sorry!) that in rural Warwickshire if someone asked "what are you doing", and you didn't consider they were entitled to know, a stock answer was "Making a snoffle [local pronunciation of "snaffle"] for a duck". Head harness for aquatic poultry - there has to be a connection, surely. (VSD)

: 2007 discussion: www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 56 messages 611.html

In the service of answering questions not asked, I think it is possible that some people reading this page may not get the pun, pull-it = pullet. A pullet is a young chicken, and like others of its kind does a lot of scratching around.