| 释义 |
knees up, Mother Brown
A light-hearted popular song beginning thus; a popular dance in which the knees are vigorously raised to the accompaniment of the song. So ellipt., as knees-up n., spec. a lively party or gathering. Also occas. in extended uses.
1939Weston & Lee Knees up Mother Brown! 3 Ooh! Knees up Mother Brown! Well! Knees up Mother Brown!..knees up, knees up! Don't get the breeze up Knees up Mother Brown. 1945Daily Mirror 8 May 1/2 We are dancing the Conga and the jig and ‘Knees up, Mother Brown’. 1958Times 15 Aug. 9/4 ‘Knees up, Mother Brown’ is an injunction to apprehend nothing but jollity. 1961A. Wilson Old Men at Zoo iv. 213 Matthew..was involved with a circle of old women out on the spree who were doing ‘Knees up Mother Brown’. 1963P. Willmott Evolution of Community vii. 75 We went to another house on the banjo for a ‘knees-up’. 1966K. Martin Father Figures iv. 88, I happened to get leave on Armistice Day and crossed to London in time to witness the glorification in Trafalgar Square. We danced round and round all night long, singing ‘Knees up, Mother Brown’ and other fragments from English folklore. 1966A. Prior Operators xvi. 259 He..turned to see Emmie doing a knees-up, her skirt held high. 1967L. Deighton London Dossier 54 As indigenous to London as a Saturday-night knees-up in the boozer. 1969Guardian 31 Jan. 22/3 An irrepressible bunch of girls chanted ‘Knees up Barbara Castle’. 1971Ibid. 18 Sept. 8/5 He and Mr [Harold] Wilson finished up doing Knees Up Mother Brown together. 1974New Scientist 3 Oct. 39/1 Two new video discs were demonstrated last month during the annual video industry knees-up at Cannes. 1975Oxford Times 3 Jan. 16/5 (Advt.), Saturday January 4th. 8 pm. (New Year's Knees-Up). |