What’s the origin of the phrase ‘The collywobbles’?
Colly is an English dialect word meaning coal dust. Blackbirds were hence known as colly birds. The song Twelve days of Christmas is usually sung as ‘my true love sent to me, four calling birds’… but the actual line is ‘four colly birds’.
Speech-101, knocked it out of me. Came in handy during ’89 and all those public speeches that Y2K will have no effect on telephone service. I guess I can uncross my fingers now.
plural noun informal, chiefly humorousstomach pain or queasiness: an attack of collywobbles.• intense anxiety or nervousness, especially with stomach queasiness: such organizations give him the collywobbles.ORIGINearly 19th century: fanciful formation from colic and wobble.
eromlig about 4 years ago
Soon he’ll be rolling in colly flowers.
h.v.greenman about 4 years ago
I thought collywobbles were weeble dogs
I Mad Am I about 4 years ago
Here’s a “Murder of Crows” for ya -
What’s the origin of the phrase ‘The collywobbles’?
Colly is an English dialect word meaning coal dust. Blackbirds were hence known as colly birds. The song Twelve days of Christmas is usually sung as ‘my true love sent to me, four calling birds’… but the actual line is ‘four colly birds’.
Darth_Walrus_1975 about 4 years ago
They need to put out a Wiley’s Dictionary book and/or calendar.
hariseldon59 about 4 years ago
See definition of ‘melancholy’ for a similar pun.
rshive about 4 years ago
May your colly never wobble.
dcdete. about 4 years ago
Okay. So now to get the joke I have to look up in another dictionary what a collywobble is.
ERBEN2 about 4 years ago
Is ok to kiss a Collywobble ?
donwalter about 4 years ago
collywobble doodle all the day…hic…
farco1 about 4 years ago
according to the British “Collywobbles” means a stomachache.
Michael G. about 4 years ago
Lassie in the briar patch?
zeexenon about 4 years ago
Speech-101, knocked it out of me. Came in handy during ’89 and all those public speeches that Y2K will have no effect on telephone service. I guess I can uncross my fingers now.
scshot about 4 years ago
This strip is getting worse with Mason!
MFRXIM Premium Member about 4 years ago
plural noun informal, chiefly humorousstomach pain or queasiness: an attack of collywobbles.• intense anxiety or nervousness, especially with stomach queasiness: such organizations give him the collywobbles.ORIGINearly 19th century: fanciful formation from colic and wobble.