If you enjoy watching my films why not throw me a one-off contribution via paypal! www.paypal.me/julianmcdonnell Or if you want to chip in $1 or $2 a month you can support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/joolzguides Or contact me on my website for a private guided tour of London joolzguides.com/ Thanks everyone....one of these days I'll be a star!!!!!!!

@drakawinkle584

4 жыл бұрын

You've probably been told this before but..... You remind me John Cleese in build and sound like Jeeves from Wooster and Jeeves! Lol

@Pocketraisins

4 жыл бұрын

I don't know how true this is, but on the "minding your pints and quarts" I was told it had to do with dockside pubs. It was written if a man was paid and accepted any amount to be a ships hand, it was the same as a contract. Crews in search of said hands would covertly slip coins into a pint or quart of ale belonging to a very drunk patron. If they drank from the flask, it was acceptance of payment for time served aboard. Thus being "paid" they were now paid crewman and by the time they awoke from their drunken stupor, they were out to sea. It also brought on the glass bottomed ale mugs. One could simply lift their ale, look at the bottom for said coin and possibly avoid being shanghai'ed into service.

@RWBHere

Жыл бұрын

06:30 Not the origin I've heard, but you may well be correct. It also comes from the timber trade, when two man saws were used to cut wood. One man would be above the wood, and his assistant would be underneath, enduring all of the sawdust. He was the underdog, whilst the one above would be the topdog. Maybe the dogfights gave the names to the woodcutters?

"Stealing my thunder" was such a surprising story. You just can't make up something like that.

@WgWilliams

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, it's hard to imagine an alternative origin after hearing that one. Mainly, it answers the question I had of why would it be stated as "my thunder".

My dear old Mother had some expressions such as, “Well, I go to sea in a bucket” and, “Grass will grow there when butter’s cheaper.” A neighbour used to use the phrase, “Any road.” Whereas today we would say, “Um” when we want to join some ideas together she would say, “Any road.” Ex-pat living in SW Ontario, Canada

The origin of the "Ps and Qs" quote, from what I've read, was that barkeeps would keep a tab on a chalkboard-P for pint and Q for quart. Once the patron was starting to feel good, some of the Ps would suddenly change to Qs. Hence "Mind your Ps and Qs"

"Top dog, understanding" is from the old days of the saw pits. When men would use a large saw one would stand on the tree trunk and one down in the pit. When one pushed the blade, the other pulled, it was how planks were cut. The top dog refereed to the chap on the log, underdog was man in the pit, he would get saw dust in his eyes and more injuries....hence top dog was the best position.

@nigelcooper2550

4 жыл бұрын

craig davidson you are absolutely correct. Sod all to do with dog fights.

@catherinerobilliard7662

4 жыл бұрын

and the man who received all the dust in his eye was an underdog. Incidentally, the term "dog" comes from the andirons that support logs in an open fireplace, which look like a couple of dogs lying by the fire.

@craigdavidson2278

4 жыл бұрын

@@catherinerobilliard7662 the fire dogs...pair of objects (normally iton)

@DarkautumnAutumn1988

4 жыл бұрын

Correct

@Otacatapetl

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I was going to say this but you beat me to it. Good job I checked the comments first.

I heard that "mind your ps and qs" came from old printing tradition, where the type was set by hand; a p and a q are mirror images and, being next door to each other in alphabetical order, one had to be careful to get the right one. Mind you, b and d are also mirror images, but c is between them to make it a bit more obvious; also, bs would be in the second box, to make it even more obvious; p and q would not only be side by side, but in the middle of the boxes of letters. The difference between a pint glass and a quart glass should be fairly obvious, as one would be twice the size of the other - unless it was for keeping a tab to be paid at the end of the evening

@thunderbird1454

Жыл бұрын

P's & Q's......Pint - 600ml, Quart (quarter of a gallon) - 1135ml.

@who-gives-a-toss_Bear

Жыл бұрын

@@thunderbird1454 1 pint [UK] = 568.261 25 milliliter 1 quart [UK] = 1 136.522 5 milliliter

@bennybenicasa

Жыл бұрын

I like your etymology too... But I was always under the understanding that watching Ps and Qs meant balancing your books... as the basic economic model is broken down to a P(price) line and a Q(quantity) line.

@Gynra

Жыл бұрын

That was my understanding too, though I had heard about the pints and quarts explanation. Now, I don't know much about early printing methods, but is it possible that the letter "q" could have been on the same die as "u", as they almost always appear together as "qu"? This would have been an example of a cliché, which is derived from the printing profession (now I'm wondering whether the words cliché and clique are from a common source). This was a block of letters kept together containing frequently used words and phrases. I'm just guessing here as old English may have had a lot of words with just "q" on its own in them.

@robertcammack902

Жыл бұрын

Hi, I workled n a printing shop as a young man here in Argentina and the "ps" and "qs" worked here too. One of the old typesetters taught me to read the lines of type upside down. I finally got to use the "Linotype" machine - one of the most incredible things I ever saw. You just typed the letters and the machine cast the whole line in molten lead.

My wife and I were in "your neck of the woods" this past week. We recreated in reverse, your walk from Tower Bridge to Wapping, and went a little farther to Canary Wharf with the help first of the Jubilee and DLR.Had a fine visit to Museum of London Docklands, had lunch at "The Merchant" , a Fullers Pub just reopened after renovation; walked to Prospect of Whitby, Capt Kidd and Town of Ramsgate for liquid libation! Did not see any "whoppers" but "whew" it was darned hot over the bank holiday! Thanks for the inspiration!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yes, those pubs should give me commission! A lovely day for that walk! I was working but I would recommend that for anyone on a warm day.

I’m from New York and have lived here most of my life...I have seen a few of your videos about British idioms and we use them here all the time... (not.so much about the bathrooms ones...but I knew about them).. but anyways, it’s really neat to know where they came from and to actually see the place where they started. I’m new to this channel, I subscribed....you’ve got some pretty good content from what I’ve seen so far.... I look forward to seeing more!

It's fascinating to hear about the origins of these famous sayings that we just kinda use everyday and not even think about how it came about

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers.. I hope I didn't make any mistakes! I usually do!

Toeing the line comes from a Naval term. A line being a rope, the toe being a misappropriation of TOW (to pull). The implication meaning together with a shared effort. All using the same force to achieve the task... ... it was a heavy ship, but we all towed the line, and managed to tie her up alongside... Loving the films and learning stuff every time... 👌🏻 thank you 😊

Just discovered you 2 days ago. We’re major Anglophiles and love your tours. We’ll be back in the U.K. soon and will hire you gladly. Your videos need to be more popular!

Damn! I love you Brits! Your videos are groovy! Pip pip and tally-ho!

Nice video but I always thought that mind your p's and q's came from the printing industry as when block letters were reversed it would be easy to mix them up. Always fun to learn about British idioms and the origin of phases so thanks for the great video.

@peterwhitaker4038

3 жыл бұрын

there are so many ifs or buts where things come from. like a salute..comes from when the knights of the round table were ordered to remove their visa from their face by the only man higher than their authority..the King. that is what you do when saluting, but others will tell you it is to show you have no weapons in your hand.

@tomsurrey2252

Жыл бұрын

I agree!

@dannyboy-vtc5741

Жыл бұрын

​@@peterwhitaker4038 it existed in rome before any nights at all, so people would say it's the real origin of it, but it's not, it's just a hand gesture of greeting we as bipods naturally evolved to use, because many indigenous nations from different continents use it that never heard of romans, military salute is just an evolution, and certainly has a relation with head covers, but probably also existed in some places since antiquity, probably from taking the helmet down upon meeting your peers.

@margaretflounders8510

Жыл бұрын

@@peterwhitaker4038 I like your explanation, as I thought the handshake when meeting someone, was to show your right hand was empty of a weapon...

Above Board was of naval origin. The board was the deck and "All being Above Board" meant that the ship's crew was all on deck (as in ships coming into port) and thus were not at the gun positions below decks. A sign of trust and peace. "Gone by the board" was when a mast had been unseated/blown apart and had gone past the deck (the board) and into the sea.

I'm pretty sure "mind your Ps and Qs" came from printing, where a 'p' and 'q' could be easily confused. Mind you, the same could be said of 'b' and 'd', so what do I know?

@ivancash8221

4 жыл бұрын

ALSO IN THE PUBS , WHEN YOU GOT A DRINK ON TICK , YOU WROTE THAT YOU OWED THE PROPRIETOR FOR A QUART BUT SOME FOLK WROTE THAT THEY OWED FOR A PINT ... WRITING "P" INSTEAD OF "Q" !!!

@KellySmunt303

4 жыл бұрын

@@ivancash8221 why you come in here shouting?

@catherinerobilliard7662

4 жыл бұрын

Some also say it is shortform for please and thank you, so mind your manners

@michaelwilliams3861

4 жыл бұрын

I thought it meant, Please and thankQues

@taurengraybeard218

4 жыл бұрын

It's a printing term. p and q printing blocks are easily confused

For "mind your P's and Q's". I have heard that explanation as well as another. When setting the type for a printing press, you look at the letters, and they are reversed. Thus it would be easy to accidentally swap lower case p and q, as they are mirror images of each other. What prints as a p, looks like a q.

I enjoyed you slipping in a line of dialogue from 'Withnail & I' in this video 😄

Apologies for late responses folks. I'm in Istanbul at a festival and Fox News have also asked me to do some reports on the royal wedding! So I've been a bit busy. Hopefully get back to everyone soon! Thanks for watching!

@ChrisWilliams1962

6 жыл бұрын

So looking forward to seeing your take on the Royal Wedding!!! :D

@thomasbell8800

4 жыл бұрын

I know the money is needed, Joolz, but beware getting the stench of Murdoch upon you with future assignments. Trust me, it could very well cost you U.S. subscribers. I am an American print reporter, and we do not have a tabloid tradition as the Brits do. We regular fans of yours know you're apolitical, but potential newbies don't.

Once you're famous I hope you don't forget us little people who've been with you since the beginning.

@CallieMasters5000

6 жыл бұрын

Who? Never heard of 'em. ;-)

@TheJimbojetset1

6 жыл бұрын

he is famous my bin man knows of him

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers! Actually, watch out for me on Fox News!!! They've asked me to report on the royal wedding!!!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

It's coming, I just know it!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Don't worry....I'll thank you at the oscars!

This was great fun and I loved it. Your ability to quote also never fails to amaze me. Very many thanks, Joolz.

This was so entertaining Joolz! Brought back a rush of memories from my last and only visit to London same time last year.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Oh marvellous! Well that's good to hear.

Subscribed, I love your energy and enthusiasm! What a wonderful Chap! LOL TY for the top notch entertainment and info!

The school of Jules..!! Learning so much about our great city & 'the content' is always fresh!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers Anton!

Your shows are compulsive viewing, Joolz. The details of the areas you visit with your commentary make these the tops in KZread viewing. This video is mega, to say the least. Many thanks, and keep well.

I still remember it 'by rote' in my head. The way we used to say it in class. Sixteen ounces one pint, two pints one quart, four quarts one gallon - but then, I'm 74 years old!

you are a gem man, keep up the good work!

I love learning. Subscribed! The p's and q's answer was awesome. I always wondered what that meant. You should have more subscribers. You're great!

Explanation of stealing thunder great info-thanks-amazing!

Another superb video, well done. Very informative.

Good tour thanks for sharing.

Julian your video is amazing! I teach English as a second language in Brazil and I am going to use your video in class to show my students how people use the language based upon real facts and make a relation to real historical events ; I am so glad you have made this video; If you could create a series on the subject I would also appreciate very much indeed; Cheers mate;

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Marco...Yes, there are another 3 which I have done...they're on here somewhere!! Here you go! kzread.info/head/PLwoSGUROBQxDxx7an3yZEcuXk5UNKZZOA

@msantulova

5 жыл бұрын

@@Joolzguides I do exactly the same in Bulgaria 🤗. Cheers!

@jowelkhankhan7246

4 жыл бұрын

marco mennes ....pin...spek..u....pand...lable.. ...now....pi n.....UK.

@samiam619

4 жыл бұрын

Jowel khan Khan This is the second time I’ve seen a gobbledygook post by you. Are you drunk, or stupid?

Another excellent adventure walking about with Jules. Thanks. FYI: Martyn Green told me about "son of a gun" when I was singing in Pinafore in 1974 here in California (and yes, the Drake men sailed near by here, too).

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Oh cool. Well, I've heard a few explanations but I liked this one.

@tijuanagringo

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I was fascinated to hear how the lads and ladies lay down beside, betwixt and between the armament undercarriages (-; but then he went and took all the mystery out of the lyric "when the balls whistle free o'er the bright blue sea" . . . ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha :-)

@margaretflounders8510

Жыл бұрын

@@tijuanagringo LOL

Brilliant as always Joolz!

Cheers Joolz! Lovely tour

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks...a bit rushed this one but I'm glad you liked it!

Thank you! I love these!

Amazing stuff. Stealing your thunder was my fave

Very Interesting love knowing where all these sayings come from.

Leicester square great place to save some dosh on the theater, Matilda was brilliant. The only downside of playing with yourself, is paying for own pint afterwards. Another sunny day in London💂

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

I shouldn't play with myself really but it's a habit I guess!🙂

I learn a lot from these clips. I can't wait to visit London.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Actually so do I!!

@jowelkhankhan7246

4 жыл бұрын

easy rhino .. OK...I....now.. selep....

@MartinWillett

4 жыл бұрын

Do yourself a favour and go to England instead.

The story I heard about p's and q's is from the printing trade. If you were putting the letters in place, you were looking at the reverse of each letter, so it was easy to confuse a p and a q.

Always so much to learn😉

Wonderful old pubs, such history. Gin Palaces the lot. London has great buildings

There seems to be some controversy about some of the terms you described. Above board may have been used at the gambling table, but what I have read in a book of nautical terms, is that pirates would hide their crew below deck or boards, to surprise their victims and an honest ship would keep it crew on deck or above board. As far as the son of a gun, the explanation I heard was that orphaned boys would be employed to load the guns on wooden ships, since these young men had no family, it was said that the cannon or guns were the only father they had ever known.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Nice! I like these. Yes, there are many that derive from nautical terms. My friend who is a marine archeologist told me a few and there are a few possibilities for sure.

love it great work Joolz

Those pub songs you play in your videos are so fun!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

My favourite evening!

Another great video thank you sir!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers David. Nice surname.

I just love these videos!

Apart from the obvious and eloquent entertainment value, I learned something very useful here. Having English as my second language, I was under the misconception that minding your Ps and Qs meant minding one’s own business rather than bringing oneself under some measure of control. Thank you for that and the great stories!

@markthervguy

4 жыл бұрын

It is a reference to mind your own business. The bar keep would say that if the discussions became rowdy so as to mind your drink instead of argue.

Excellent as always - such a good storyteller. You make London seem the way millions of tourists wish it would seem to them while visiting. Better to stay home and watch this kind of video or other films about London. Less crowded that way for your and fellow Londoners.

@Joolzguides

5 жыл бұрын

Ha ha! Well...the idea is to encourage people to visit! But I'm glad you enjoy them. Thanks!

Many moons ago I used to work on that replica of the Golden Hinde. Good times.

Fascinating! Your idioms came to our side of the pond in the United States! I've always wondered where our slang originated!

@margaretflounders8510

Жыл бұрын

Especially the "son of a gun" one I've heard in films...movies.

I'd prefer the idioms written into the picture like in the other videos.

Love your guides.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alex.

nice one keep up the great work!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend.

Brilliant videos. You’re a cross between Mark Corrigan and Richard Dwfrais (phone Jacker)! Love it, very entertaining.

Jules, this is such a fun and informative video. You make it so enjoyable to watch 😊👏

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Oh...and I se you've gone for yet another spelling of my name. When you emailed me it was Juls, now it's Jules.... I guess it's my fault for going for the wacky spelling as a kid!

@theintrepidguide

6 жыл бұрын

Haha to be honest, I have no idea which is the correct spelling :P

Hello. I just found your channel, and I am enjoying your content. FYI, a bar in the town where I went to university was still serving a yard of beer until they closed last year. Sorry to see them go as they were one of the few remaining links with my college years 30 years ago.

I knew all of the idioms except jumping the gun. Thanks always enjoy your vlogs.

You can still buy pints in some states in Australia and yard glasses are often available for purchase at most smoke shops

FANTASTIC,BRILLIANT!!!!!!

Loved the nod to Withnail 👍

im in suburban detriot and have learned so many interesting things about london and what not, also your pitcarin movie was excellent. thanks for all the great content...

@Joolzguides

5 жыл бұрын

Cheers! That's appreciated!

I love watching your videos and finding out more unusual facts about London...keep up the good work.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Trying to keep them coming. It's hard work though to get one done every week though.

@jowelkhankhan7246

4 жыл бұрын

andrew marsh ...u.. halp....me...mele.. uase. vesa

@jowelkhankhan7246

4 жыл бұрын

andrew marsh ...pand.. m . ... spek.. halp

Awesome Jules!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you. And nice name by the way!

Glad you managed to drop a line from Withnail and I in there ;)

So interesting to learn the entomology of these everyday phrases.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

I'm learning as I go too.

@splurge7218

6 жыл бұрын

Jonnie Bangkok I think you mean etymology.

@jonnieinbangkok

6 жыл бұрын

splurge 72 Yep...my bad 😅

@ulrikschackmeyer848

4 жыл бұрын

Who knows? Perhaps he's learning on the fly? 😂

@majorlaff8682

Жыл бұрын

Idiomatic insects and their origins, perhaps?

Nice one, thank you

Another great video Julian :)

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Charlie!

This is so interesting thank you

"Son of a gun" - Boys born afloat. Dubious origins from Joolz !

@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819

4 жыл бұрын

pmailkeey of unknown father.

I love your segways to each topic

Amazing! As ever

Fascinating 👍👍

I'd like to know the origins of the phrase "Bob's your uncle." It's not one we use in America and I've always been curious about it.

@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819

4 жыл бұрын

Laundry Faerie from the behaviour of Robert Walpole.

@kylewilliams5761

4 жыл бұрын

Because of my Uncle Bob.,

@janet-granite7175

4 жыл бұрын

Probs robert peel - at least he's why we call the police bobbies

@hgwells1899

4 жыл бұрын

Not to mention your aunt's Fanny

@kylewilliams5761

4 жыл бұрын

@@hgwells1899 as I said in our recent family orgy. " You leave Aunt's Fanny out of this.!!"

I live and work in London. TKTS is the place to go to for tickets. Legit and the one to go to. Love London.

hi...would love a video on idioms which are related to ships and seafaring...

1:37 Could also be related to getting paid "under the table" as bord is table in Swedish as the cockneys used lots of different words and phrases to confuse the Old Bill. Under the table dodgy, above bord and kosha.

Joolz. w Ias born in London (Brixton, actually) during the war. Ive learnt more about London through your films than I thought possible. I would dearly love to have a pint or three with you.

I am agog with pleasure at discovering your video presentations, sir. Pip Pip! 🇬🇧

Old theatres intrigue me. So many books and crannies to poke around in. Creepy too some of them

Watching in Dec 2020! lol Merry Christmas to all!

Brilliant Jools.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Cheers mi'deers. I actually mis-read your name as Stiffness. Whoops!

@stfitness

6 жыл бұрын

Fun London Guides - Julian McDonnell Films Easy mistake Jools, easy mistake.

Joolzie, Another marvelous vid! This kind of subject matter is right "in my wheelhouse" Haha!...Ahem...ok..that must've hurt...anyway, have a Great week Joolsie! Cheers!

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Yes, in Istanbul this week. trying to enjoy myself so I'm not sure if I'll film or not.

You are SO good, Julian! (that's what she said) My mum's mum was from Aberdeen and her dad from Birmingham, and I'm dying to get the family tree back into the UK. 😄 Been there many times, and miss it sooooo much! But for now, I'm stuck in boring California. Hehe! So your fabulous and fascinating videos help a lot! Thank you! I will check out your site, for sure. And sharing! 😊👍🇬🇧❤️

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you Lindy. Look out for me on Fox News Las Vegas for my reports on the Royal Wedding soon!!!

Clever man that Joolz.

I liked the cigar and hat shop sections. Typical english humour. Jools sounds like Hugh Laurie.

Thanks for the walking tour Joolz! I think you can go on and on about London and never hit a blank square (i,e. a dull corner).

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, that was the idea. I can keep going until I die.

I actually learned stuff. Great video.....box office Wow.

I've always been under the impression that toeing the line referred to a bout of fisticuffs! If either fighter was unable or unwilling to toe the line in the arena usually a scratch in the dirt, they lost the fight. This in the same sense as toeing the start line before a race.

Brilliant!

There are some wonderful interesting very old buildings in London. I hope they remain forever

Learnt something new today!

Something I noticed that might be of interest. Is the name of the pub , The Hat and Tun . A tun is a old name for a very large barrel . I can't remember how much it held, but it was roughly 600 gallons of wine. That is where we get the name tonnage for ships . It's nothing to do with how much it weighs . But how many large barrels it could carry .

Love the withnail & I reference

Love this

great post

Excellent.

I really fancy a game of shuffleboard now!!! Great video as usual! You never fail to entertain.

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

The funny thing is, once again they didn't want me to film in their pub. I keep telling them it's good advertising but they're just so scared. Strange really.

@ChrisWilliams1962

6 жыл бұрын

Makes no sense at all. Who turns down free advertising?

@Joolzguides

6 жыл бұрын

Drive me nuts!

@ChrisWilliams1962

6 жыл бұрын

Isn't that when you stick a steering wheel between your legs?

@msantulova

5 жыл бұрын

@@ChrisWilliams1962 😁

Gracious, what a delightful RP accent! I didn't think there were any left. Not once did you pronounce "fings" instead of "things"--a rarity these days. 'Spoken from a true admirer across the North Atlantic. 'Cheers.

I see you sneaked in another little Withnail & I quote! Great vid . Toodles!