re the "Bristol fashion" expression :
I had heard it was to do with the practice of having the mooring ropes going right round the boats (under the hull) to help keep them upright during the tidal variations (I think Bristol has MAYbe the second highest tides(???), after the Bay of Fundy) ... is this not true then??!

And so now you're telling me that the tour guide on Nelson's "Victory" was "pulling my leg" too, when he gave the traditional Brass Monkey explanation to us, in 1977 ... jeez!

And I really did believe that the Ancients daubed their skin with Woad ... how silly am I?!


OK, OK, so what about "pulling my leg" - and the variation "pull the other one, it's got bells on it" - origins?


Cheers! R-J