What a lovely expression!

Names, naming and words by Lois

I came across a wonderful expression the other day, meaning ‘this thing has been going on for a long time’. The thing in question was a dispute between annoyed residents and an idiotic council. Someone asked how long it had been going on for, came the answer:

“This yarn has been fraying for about five years.”

Wonderful! I just want an opportunity to use it!

9 Comments

      1. Nancy Farmer

        Poet, the joke goes thus:

        Three pieces of string walk into a bar. One of them goes up to the bar and orders three pints.
        “Are you a piece of string?” asks the barman. The piece of string says yes.”Sorry, we don’t serve pieces of string in here”.
        Disappointed, the piece of string goes back to his friends. Another of them attempts to buy a pint, but with similar outcome.
        The last piece of string says “don’t worry, chaps, I’ll fix this”, and proceeds to scrunch himself up in a tangle and fluff out his ends.
        He goes up to the bar and asks for the three pints. The barman peers at him suspiciously “Are you a piece of string?” he asks.
        “”No” says the piece of string, “I’m a frayed knot”

        …you never saw that one coming did you 😉

        By the way, Lois, I ended up on your blog by spotting the photo as link from Poetmcgonagall’s – I know that steel frayed knot – it’s in Bridgwater, isn’t it?

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      2. poetmcgonagall

        Thanks for solving the mystery, Nancy! I used to live in a sort of commune in the Lake District, a house called Rigg Beck. Our thoroughly eccentric landlady kept a visitor’s book, where everyone who passed through was expected to contribute something according to their talents. Ted Hughes has a poem in it, from when he was in hiding with his lover, Assia Wevill, after Sylvia Plath’s suicide.

        Anyway, the piece of string joke was written there. Over the years – I left in 1988 – I’d forgotten the joke but remembered the punchline.

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      4. Lois

        Thank you for this joke… it’s now replaced my joke about the white horse going tinto a bar as my favourite joke! It will have many encores!
        Yes, it is Bridgwater, a town I like very much despite the fact it is the butt of many jokes in Somerset…

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      5. Nancy Farmer

        I Like Bridgwater, too, Lois, it’s almost my nearest town… I know what you mean too, it has more character than some of the other places around that consider themselves to be nicer… I am pretty equidistant between there and Glastonbury, which one might say had a little too much character at times! Though I like that place too…

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      7. Nancy Farmer

        Poetmcgonagall – I love your story of the commune in the Lake District, in fact I love the lake District… it is my usual place for a holiday, to the extent that ‘yes, the lakes again’ is my usual reply to questions on the subject. I particularly like to go up Helvellyn on my birthday, if possible. Spent many years booking a place in Rydal which seemed to be a favourite haunt of American President Woodruff Wilson… though that is my total knowledge on the subject. Sadly in April we seem to have stayed there for the last time as it has changed hands and no-longer appears on the list of holiday cottages…
        If you are ever down that way spring or autumn, let me know, I might meet you on top of a mountain!

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