[PW] Re: a pinch and a punch...

[Sylvia Milne]

Unfortunately, the Opies  in "The lore and language of schoolchildren" do 
not give an origin for the phrase but say,

"In apparently every day-school in Britain it is the practice on the first 
of the month for children to go up to each other, before noon and say:
A pinch and a punch
For the first of the month
And no returns.

There are various replies such as
A pinch and a kick
For being so quick

A slap in the eye
For being so sly
etc. etc.




Sylvia Milne

Please visit me at
http://www.sylviamilne.btinternet.co.uk/plucked/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Narelle Seymour" <NSeymour at gleneira.vic.gov.au>
To: <list at project-wombat.org>
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2006 1:53 AM
Subject: [PW] a pinch and a punch...


> Hi all,
>
> Does anyone know of an authoritative source that gives the origins of
> the phrase "a pinch and a punch for the first of the month?"  We have
> tried Lit finder and many books of quotations and phrase origins.
> Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable shows the phrase but does not
> give much information.  We know that there are regional variations of
> this phrase in Australia, New Zealand and Canada but we don't want to go
> into the whole 'white rabbit' side question.
>
>
>
> Any help gratefully received,
>
> Narelle Seymour
>
> Reference Services Coordinator
>
> Glen Eira Library and Information Service
>
> NSeymour at gleneira.vic.gov.au
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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