Elizabeth from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, wonders why some people say Charlie’s dead to indicate to someone that her slip is showing. No one knows which Charlie this expression refers to. Similar euphemisms include it’s snowing down south, your Monday is longer than your Tuesday, and you have a Ph.D. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Charlie’s Dead”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Yes, this is Elizabeth Payne calling from Cape Cod.
Hello, Elizabeth. Welcome to the show.
Hi, Elizabeth.
Hi there.
What can we do for you?
Well, I was with some friends a few weeks ago, and one of them had a slip was showing just below her dress. And so I said to her, Charlie’s dead. And everybody looked at me like I got three heads. And just, what on earth are you talking about? Instead of the usual two.
So then I had to explain that in England, that was an expression we used all the time when somebody had their flip showing below the dress. So do you have any thoughts who Charlie is?
I have no idea who Charlie could be. I can’t think of a connection between a petticoat and Charlie.
Well, that’s fair.
Yeah, and the truth is nobody knows who Charlie is. None of the word historians have done much better.
Oh, okay, good. There are notions that perhaps Charlie is just some generic person who died and the flag is flying at half mast for him. And in the same way that a petticoat may be hanging down. Some people have connected it with Bonnie Prince Charlie of Scotland and the fact that he wore this little ribbon in his hair, on his hat, the white ribbon. But we don’t know for sure.
So it’s just one of many, many, many expressions that indicate that your slip is showing.
Oh, dozens of them, right?
Oh, dozens at least.
Oh, there are?
Oh, yes. When I was growing up and my slip was showing, my mother would tell me I had a Ph.D.
Oh, never heard that one.
It stands for petticoat hanging down.
Oh, well, that makes sense.
Yeah, but there are lots of these euphemisms, you know, where you can slyly tell somebody. It’s sort of like telling somebody their fly is open. But you tell them that their slip is showing. You might say, your Monday is longer than your Tuesday. It’s snowing down south is another one. It’s snowing down south.
Oh, is that right?
Yes. Monday comes before Sunday, or Mrs. White is out of jail.
Never heard of any of those. We always just use Charlie’s dead, which is fine, so long as the person you’re saying to, it doesn’t have a Charlie in the family.
Well, exactly. That would be rather alarming, wouldn’t it?
Yeah, right.
You know, this one has been around since at least the 1930s. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s much older. It appears, as far as I know, all across the United States and pops up in the U.K. It’s less common there, as far as I can tell.
Less common in the U.K.?
Yeah, as far as I can tell, at least now. Who knows historically? Maybe people wear longer dresses there.
Maybe.
Well, that’s interesting.
Or no slips.
I would know it. Living in England.
Yeah.
But you’ve been stateside for a long time, then?
Yes, I have. I’ve lived overseas since 1980.
Oh, 1980. Very good.
Well, Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Well, thank you. I’m sure we’re going to be flooded with a lot more expressions.
Yeah, of course. And I suspect that you have lots more stories to share, so I hope you’ll call us again sometime.
Oh, I do.
All right, take care now.
Thank you very much.
Bye-bye.
Thank you.
Goodbye.
Bye-bye.
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