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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: VICTORIA on Wednesday 14 April 10 18:25 BST (UK)

Title: What does this saying mean.
Post by: VICTORIA on Wednesday 14 April 10 18:25 BST (UK)

A friend of mine was having a conversation with an elderly gent. They were talking about a child that had been born in the workhouse and when his mother married her husband would not take child into his family. ( not father of child) The elderly gent said " he would have slipped under the rainbow?? Never heard this saying.
Any ideas?
Victoria

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: Plummiegirl on Wednesday 14 April 10 20:23 BST (UK)

I would say that the child was illegitimate & the new husband was not prepared to take on another man's child.

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: douglasmills on Wednesday 14 April 10 20:58 BST (UK)

Maybe it's the same as "slipped under the radar"?

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: dennford on Wednesday 14 April 10 23:51 BST (UK)

To be over the rainbow means that you are a happy soul. I guess that refusing to take the child he would be a mean old sod - hence under the rainbow.

That is only my take on the saying, and life in general.

Denn

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: LizzieW on Thursday 15 April 10 00:16 BST (UK)

Quote

I guess that refusing to take the child he would be a mean old sod

I quite agree, and I don't think much of the mother marrying a man who didn't want her child.

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: heitch on Thursday 15 April 10 00:19 BST (UK)

There is another thread (on here somewhere :-[) about illegitimate children and baby-farms...


...I hope that was not meant by the term, "under the rainbow".

Title: Re: What does this saying mean.
Post by: VICTORIA on Thursday 15 April 10 00:37 BST (UK)

Thank you all for your thoughts. I wonder about comment about illegitimate children and "baby farms" I know this child had an unhappy childhood He was supposed to be adopted by a couple but the man died so the adoption never took place and later he passed through several "homes" when eventually he was taken in by a woman who was not a very nice person.  :'( :'(
Victoria