|
|
Question
#68018. hectorb
asks:
What is the origin of the phrase "No answer came the stern reply"? Someone suggested to me that it relates to a nineteenth century painting representing an incident in the English Civil War where a young boy is being asked by an inquisitor, "When did you last see your father?" also the title of the painting, but I can find no corroboration of this. Any help?
|
Baloo55th
 |
I agree with Peasy - the painting is not based on any actual incident, and I've never heard the phrase used in this context. A boy of the age of the lad in the picture would hardly be able to give a 'stern reply' - even if that was silence! 'Stern' isn't a characteristic of kids, whatever period they lived in. This is probably a case of folk etymology in action - someone has had a bright idea after seeing the picture. (Irrelevantly, I live about 20 miles from that
picture!)
Jul 10 06, 3:54 PM
|
hectorb
|
Folk etymology is what I have always thought Baloo, when I first heard it linked to the Yeames painting some years ago, but when I heard someone else make the link I thought I'd post this to check. Peasy - I'd seen those links thanks, and Nigel Rees' view that the phrase has no discoverable origin just got me trying harder!
He
Jul 11 06, 1:25 AM
|
Baloo55th
|
Nigel Rees is a pretty good authority on things like that. So is Leslie Dunkling for origins of phrases. (WHen I was small, I always thought that picture in the Walker was a copy. I never believed that London would allow something like that to be kept in Liverpool.)
Jul 12 06, 5:32 AM
|
|
Fun Trivia | 
Quizzes | 
Games
| 
People | 
Services | 
Help | 
Me
Sign up NOW for your free FunTrivia account. Compete,
join
teams, and meet people!
Have a question that you want answered? Are you able to answer questions from other FunTrivia guests? Then you have come to the right
place!
