Star questions

By Hermione Gray

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A FEW Northern sayings have turned up this week.

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Steve wants to know the origin of, 'Do you think I came up the Irwell on my Mam's Piano ', which is used when someone tries to pull the wool over one's eyes.

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Woolley recalls his Scottish mum saying, 'Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana boat ', which has the same meaning. He wonders if it is just a case of different river, same method of transport

If you have any variations on this theme, or can offer an explanation for its use, please click here.

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The second Northern expression, 'It's Miller Gate' or 'Millagate', is used to refer to somewhere being extremely busy, but where did it start

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There are many places in the north of England called Miller Gate or Miller's Gate, Woolley points out. But 'Millergate' has another connection - it refers to an alleged cover-up over Glenn Miller's death. The US Army claimed the famous bandleader was killed in a war-time plane crash over the Channel, but there's a theory that Miller was a hero who worked undercover on secret missions.

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If you have any further explanations of 'Millergate' or, indeed, additions to the Glenn Miller conspiracy theory, click here.

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Finally from the North, Steve wants to know the origin of a Lancashire saying: 'It's all me, I and Peggy Martin', which is used to refer to someone showing off or exaggerating the truth.

The only Peggy Martin to turn up was a character played by Marilyn Monroe in Ladies of the Chorus, a film made by Columbia in 1948. Does anyone know if the line is from the film Or is there another Peggy Martin Your replies here please.
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Crossing the Atlantic for our last question, Susmith asks who said, 'Anybody who goes to see a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined'

Jayne b-t supplies the answer - Samuel Goldwyn, the Hollywood producer who is famous for lines such as, 'Include me out' and 'What we want is a story that starts with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax.'

If you know any more Goldwyn gems, please share them here.