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Any more context available, Kate?

Posted by GPP on August 23, 2003

In Reply to: The clock struck one posted by Henry on August 22, 2003

: : : : : : The dresser in Hay Fever says the phrase "...Writhing about the scullery like one 0'clock". Can anyone out there help me with what the reference to one o'clock is?

: : : : : Hell, I need some help with 'writhing about the scullery', never mind about one o'clock.

: : : : Well, scullery is part of the kitchen. What time do rich folks eat? Maybe it refers to the kitchen staff running around fixing and serving food and cleaning up.

: : : : Merriam-Webster online:

: : : : Main Entry: scul·lery
: : : : Pronunciation: 'sk&-l&-rE, 'sk&l-rE
: : : : Function: noun
: : : : Inflected Form(s): plural -ler·ies
: : : : Etymology: Middle English, department of household in charge of dishes, from Middle French escuelerie, from escuelle bowl, from Latin scutella drinking bowl -- more at SCUTTLE
: : : : Date: 15th century
: : : : : a room for cleaning and storing dishes and cooking utensils and for doing messy kitchen work

: : : But it's not helping me with anything in that phrase.

: : Pardon me? I was addressing the person that originally posted the question.

: A recent posting included the Geordie phrase "He/she's like one-o-clock half struck."

Coward is, as usual, engaging in mocking banter here. As it stands, this line seems pretty nonsensical without additional context. Much of Coward's dialogue and his song lyrics tend to have some sort of hidden sexual connotation; the phrase you've quoted might be meant to simply conjure up an image in the hearer's mind--the specific image depending on the individual hearer--rather than actually MEANING something. I'm not familiar with Hay Fever; is this line spoken dialogue, or from a song?--just from its meter, I had guessed it's a song.

No offense intended, ESC; you're entirely correct. From the phrasing of the original question I had jumped to the conclusion that Kate already knew the individual words.

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