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Between you me and the gatepost

Posted by R. Berg on October 26, 2007

In Reply to: Between you me and the gatepost posted by Baceseras on October 26, 2007

: : Please can you tell me where the phrase "Between you me and the gatepost" comes from? My friend Laura's Grandma Jean says it all the time and we are wondering if it is one of Jean's special sayings or not.

: : P.S This is my first visit to your site which has been great fun. Thank You.

: The phrase is more often used humorously and contrary to fact, but it literally means, "I'm telling this to you only, here where there is no one to overhear us." The gatepost may get into it by association with another old phrase, "deaf as a post", meaning perfectly and absolutely deaf --- which is also, often, (and like "blind as a bat"), meant humorously and contrary to fact.

Grandma Jean didn't make it up. It's been around a long time. The version I used to hear substituted "lamppost" for "gatepost." ~rb

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