Spectacles, Testicles...

[poliphilo]

"Spectacles, testicles, watch and wallet."

Ailz comes across this mantra in a novel she's reading where the narrator speaks of it having "religious connotations".

"Religious connotations?" She turns to me.

I know the phrase as the refrain of a poem by some author who's name I forget. I'd thought he'd originated it. Apparently not; it seems to be something they say in Yorkshire.

But religious connotations?

An idea begins to dawn- and I stand up to try it out- with sweeping hand movements, pointing to the items in turn.

Spectacles, testicles, watch and wallet.

It's a mnemonic for making the sign of the cross.

Go on, try it yourself....

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

If you're right-handed- as most people are- I suggest it's marginally easier to extract a watch from the left-hand breast pocket.

[ylla.livejournal.com]

But a real old fashioned watch on a chain would be easier to get from your right hand waistcoat pocket!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

You are probably right. I've been looking at pictures of men with pocket watches- and most of them- including Edward VII- are carrying them in the right hand pocket of their waistcoats.