Mudcat Café message #3461771

The Mudcat Café ^TM
Thread #148910 Message #3461771
Posted By: GUEST,Lighter
05-Jan-13 - 01:02 PM
Thread Name: Wrap Me Up In My Tarpaulin Jacket
Subject: RE: Wrap Me Up In My Tarpaulin Jacket

A "buffer" is kind of "duffer" or "poor fool."

The words were allegedly written by the English novelist George Whyte-Melville (1821-1878), tune by Charles Coote, but I haven't found proof of this.

The words were in print by 1873. The song was popular throughout the English-speaking world. It inspired all sorts of parodies.