" Let's get the show on the road"

Posted by NeilB on March 25, 2001

In Reply to: " Let's get the show on the road" posted by ESC on March 20, 2001

: : Where does this come from? It's been doing my head in.Also where does this come from too( Doin my head in)

: LET'S GET THE SHOW ON THE ROAD -- "Let's get moving, swing into action. Here is a cliché of American origin that smacks of the circus and the traveling theater group. It dates from around 1910 but seems to have come into overwork during the 1960s." From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

: I've never heard of "doing my head in." How about "giving me a headache."

Being a native Scouser from Liverpool the phrase 'doin me ed in' is very familiar to me. Whether it originated in Liverpool or not I do not know but it means 'you are (it is) anoying me so much it is giving me a headache.'
Other Liverpool phrases include -
'Ar ey' - meaning 'Oh what a shame'
'Y'waa' - meaning 'Pardon me I didn't quite catch that'