英语词汇gammon and spinach的起源、历史背景-英语词源词典

gammon and spinach. The expression gammon and spin- ach for “nonsense, humbug” is not as familiar today as it was in Dickens’s time, when he used it in David Copperfield: “What a world of gammon and spinnage it is, though, ain’t it!” The phrase, most likely an elaboration of the slang word gam- mon, which meant nonsense or a ridiculous story, is probably patterned on the older phrase gammon and patter, the lan- guage of London underworld thieves. The nonsense part of it was possibly reinforced by the old nursery rhyme “A Frog He Would A-wooing Go” (1600) heard by millions: “With a row- ley powley gammon and spinach/ Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.”

词汇	gammon and spinach
词源	gammon and spinach. The expression gammon and spin- ach for “nonsense, humbug” is not as familiar today as it was in Dickens’s time, when he used it in David Copperfield: “What a world of gammon and spinnage it is, though, ain’t it!” The phrase, most likely an elaboration of the slang word gam- mon, which meant nonsense or a ridiculous story, is probably patterned on the older phrase gammon and patter, the lan- guage of London underworld thieves. The nonsense part of it was possibly reinforced by the old nursery rhyme “A Frog He Would A-wooing Go” (1600) heard by millions: “With a row- ley powley gammon and spinach/ Heigh ho! says Anthony Rowley.”
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