Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA05498 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 10 Feb 2001 18:41:37 GMT Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 18:39:23 +0000 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Blue Peter. Was: Sources of novelty Message-ID: <20010210183923.A596@reborntechnology.co.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745C54@inchna.stir.ac.uk> <3A855618.AD4B2266@pacbell.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.12i In-Reply-To: <3A855618.AD4B2266@pacbell.net>; from bspight@pacbell.net on Sat, Feb 10, 2001 at 06:54:16AM -0800 From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Sat, Feb 10, 2001 at 06:54:16AM -0800, Bill Spight wrote:
> Dear Vincent,
>
> > (My mind is
> > instantly drawn to Blue Peter and all those uses for old cereal packets and
> > washing-up liquid bottles (for our non-Brits, this is a long running
> > children's TV show)).
>
> Now there is an expression, "Blue Peter," that I had heard before. It
> was a carding signal in whist that passed over into bridge, where it
> became known simply as a peter. It has a verb form, too, to peter.
>
> Is Blue Peter a character on "Blue Peter"?
>
> Does anybody know the history of the expression, "Blue Peter"? I would
> not be surprised if it antedates whist, particularly since it has shown
> up in children's television.
Blue Peter: a blue flag with a white rectangle hoist when a ship is
about to sail: a call for trumps in whist...
From my Chambers Concise Dictionary. The TV programme had a sailing ship
for its logo, and a naval-seeming hornpipe or such as its signature tune.
(I believe the prog survives, but I don't know about its logo and tune.)
I'd guess the whist usage derives from the same source, but it would be
interesting to know exactly how it came about.
-- Robin Faichney robin@reborntechnology.co.uk=============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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