Proverb – Leeds's Singing Organ-Grinder

London organ-grinding tweets for October 2017

Lukewarm barrel organ-ish ephemera from Hackney, London and thereabouts.

A bull attacks the first public train service in Russia, causing the ceremonial organ-grinder to teeter dangerously.

Temps de la picor

The itching time came up yesterday, probably referring to Francoism, while I was prancing around in a new wig for purposes that will shortly be revealed. DCVB says “l’any de la picor” refers to distant times, and proverbologist Víctor Pàmies cites Joan Amades’s hypothesis that it comes from the Year of Fleas and Famine, 1471,…

WTF does “Cada hormigón con su espigón” mean?

It’s in Pedro Vallés Libro de refranes (1549) along with Cada gorrión tiene su espigón, which I’d translate as “To each sparrow his ear of corn.” Contrary to general belief, concrete of various types was known after the Romans lost it and the British rediscovered it, so is this saying something like “Reinforce your concrete…

An old Dutch A&E joke

And the abbot who thinks little of his neighbour the emperor’s worldly ambitions.

Hide the ducks, the musicians are coming

From the DCVB, re pato: —Amagueu els patos, que vénen els músics!: ho diuen per recomanar prendre precaucions davant un perill imminent (Val.). Els músics hostatjats tenen fama de menjar tot quant troben a la casa. One recalls a barbecue gig where all the meat and beer was consumed before the 50-odd guests arrived in…