It's the same as 'once upon a time' or 'my mate wants to know' or 'there was this guy'... you know what's coming by the opening line.

I'm sick to death of 'I'll sing to you a .......' I'm very tempted to stand up and say 'no thanks' ~ like the short version of Green grow the rushes oh... 'I'll sing you one-oh. Oh no you won't you know!'

'Oh me name is ......' or 'Oh you are ... ' is a close run second in my book, but I have unashamedly used it!!

'When I was a young man/girl/maid' also gets up my nose. Where are the ones that start 'now I'm an old fart'?

LTS