Roll over in his grave

Posted by Brian from Shawnee on July 31, 2010 at 02:56

In Reply to: Roll over in his grave posted by Aka Darrell on July 30, 2010 at 18:55:

: : : Where did the saying "roll over in his grave" come from?

: : The usual form is "turn in [one's] grave, and it has been discussed before here: www.phrases.org.uk bulletin_board 19 messages 1118.html (VSD)

: 1858 "'He's been there every day, in the most open manner, my dear,' continued Mrs. Speers. 'Enough to make poor Mr. Pendennis turn in his grave,' said Mrs. Wapshot." - The History of Pendennis - His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy by William Makepeace Thackeray, page 154.

"Turn over" may have been the original but I'll bet the "roll over" version gained popularity from the 1956 Chuck Berry song "Roll Over Beethoven", covered later by the Beatles and many others.