How many readers can say what trick this man played on his mate:
"Whoa there, Wi'let, whoa, Gypsy, s'dockey time, here's yar nosebags tergethar. Now then you fules, wait till I git yar bits out. Come on, Bob, let's knock a blairze on an'we'll het. Thass suffun cold terdear, blowe'd if i'tearnt. Less see what th'old woaman 'a put up forrus in the dinner bag. Cor blast, bread an' pullet an' no thumbit. Thass a rummun thar-iss nowt on an' nowt tut. I'll hev suffun, gimme thar ole rat, he'll do. Whass a marrer meart, carnt yer eat yars? Doant trow it awear bor, I can eart it,fat an' all. Give us hold onnut if it's gorn a meark yer sick. You young uns er too finnicky nowadears."
"Knock a blairze on" is, of course, to make a fire, bot "bread an'pullet an' no thumbit", meaning dry bread and no fat on it, requires some further explanation. A 'thumbit' is an inverted pyramid of bread taken out of a half loaf to hold margarine or dripping. The piece of bread removed is put between the dirty thumb and the meat on top of the half loaf. This can be held comfortably in the left hand, while the right holds a pocket-knife to cut the loaf, meat, cheese, onion, etc., and also to spread the fat. With practise one can cut round the thumbit and eat almost all the half loaf without shifting the thumb.
I played a similar trick when quite a boy, while bird-scaring. I met a neighbouring scarer for lunch in an old lane and we made a bonfire. His brother brought him a hot meal from home. As my family were 'on the parish', I had nothing; so I put a dead mouse on his plate. He promptly lost his appetite and his temper, and I had his lunch. Men in Norfolk have been known to carry a brick in their side-bag to make it look as if it contained something to eat.
*Does anyone know the story behind this picture?
It would be nice to credit
the photographer.
