The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #51740   Message #4150820
Posted By: Lighter
23-Aug-22 - 10:34 AM
Thread Name: Origin: Cosher Bailey
Subject: RE: Origin: Cosher Bailey
Robert Graves, Good-bye to All That (1930) [passage app. written in May, 1915]:

“[A very young Welsh soldier] appealed to me as an arbiter. ‘You’ve been to college, sir, haven’t you?’ I said, yes, I had, but so had Crawshay Bailey’s brother Norwich.’ This was held to be a wonderfully witty answer. Crawshay Bailey is one of the idiotic songs of Wales. (Crawshay Bailey himself ‘had an engine and he couldn't make it go,’ and all his relations in the song had similar shortcomings. Crawshay Bailey's brother Norwich, for instance, was fond of oatmeal porridge, and was sent to Cardiff college, for to get a bit of knowledge.) After that I had no trouble with the platoon at all.”