My grandfather said that he knew a fella who was courtin' a fair young lass. Her family was fairly well-to-do, not rich, but comfortable, and owned a nice farm (this was back in the days when you could make a decent living farming, which shows you how far back it was).

He was sitting on the porch with the young lady and her folks one evening when the pressure built up to the point the Something Had To Give.

Faced with an embarassing situation, he arrived at a creative solution. Just barely before the critical moment he'd stand up, stretch, fake a stumble, and catch himself on the rope of the bell they used to call folks to dinner. The ringing of the bell would cover the eruption.

All went exactly as he'd planned it, except for one little detail.

The bell was no longer used and they'd removed the clapper.