Anna from Columbia, Mississippi, wonders about a phrase she heard as a youngster from her dad: leyores to catch meddlers or leyores to catch meddlers. Sometimes when she’d ask what he was doing, he’d respond with that cryptic saying, indicating that whatever he was doing, it was none of her business. Over the last 350 years, this expression was passed between generations and locations, particularly in the American South, resulting in at least 70 different versions. Variations of the first element include lareovers, layers, layovers, layovers, coppers, larobes, popovers, rows, rearovers, rareovers, a Pharaoh, a so-and-so, and a marrow. Sometimes the phrase expands in the other direction, as in lareovers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks, and sometimes “meddlers” is spelled “medlars.” Other snarky answers from parents to children’s inquiries about what they’re doing include: I’m making a swinkle-swankle for a goose’s nightcap, or I’m making a silver new-nothing to put on your shoes. Other tongue-in-cheek craft projects include a whipple for a deuce’s poke, a hootenanny for a skywampus, and a fimfaddle to tie up the moon. In Anna’s case, her father sometimes answered her questions with the statement I’m writing a book. When she asked what it was about, he’d say We’ll make it a mystery and leave that chapter out of it. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Layers to Catch Meddlers”
Hello, you have A Way with Words.
Hi, this is Anna from Columbia, Mississippi.
Columbia, Mississippi. Welcome to the show.
Hey, Anna. What’s going on?
Well, my dad has always said a phrase when we were growing up. Well, it actually originated from my grandmother. And it’s the phrase, Leors to catch meddlers. And it’s very odd. And we always assumed it was maybe her Southern way of saying lures to catch meddlers. For example, if my dad was doing something or talking about something and we came up and we’re like, what are you doing? And he would say, lures to catch meddlers. Basically meaning none of your business. None of your business. Lures to catch meddlers.
Am I hearing you right?
Yes, that’s correct.
Lior like Eeyore, huh?
Kind of, yeah.
And you said you heard it a lot. You must have been very inquisitive as a child.
That’s a nice way to put it, yeah. I always liked to know other people’s business.
Like a meddler, huh?
Like somebody who meddles in somebody else’s business.
Right, exactly.
Now, we’ve got a lot to tell you about this. First, it’s not just your family that says it.
Okay.
It’s not just people from Mississippi. It’s not just people in the American South, although they are more likely to say it than people in the rest of the United States. As a matter of fact, this is something you might hear throughout the English-speaking world, and it’s got about 350 years of history.
Wow.
Yeah. And I stopped counting, but I think there are 70 or 80 versions of this.
Really?
Yes.
That’s interesting. And because it’s been passed along for so long that it’s become modified and changed, and everyone comes up with their own versions because they misremember it or mishear it or missay it.
Yeah, I’m glad to add Lior to the list. I didn’t know Lior’s. I didn’t know that one. But it’s a very long list. What did it originate from, or what are some of the other things that has been said in relation to it?
Well, just to establish a starting point, the earliest use that we have in print is from a dictionary of slang in the late 1600s, L-A-R-E-O-V-E-R-S. I don’t believe that that’s the original word for it. I do think it was either layers, L-A-Y-E-R-S, or layovers, L-A-Y-O-V-E-R-S. And it referred to a punishment, probably a thrashing or a thumping. So basically it’s saying it’s the kind of beating or thumping that you might get for meddling or nosing in business that’s not yours.
Oh, okay. Well, I’m glad that never was the result.
But that first word has just undergone so many transformations. Just a few of the things that people have suggested. Sometimes you’ll hear layovers to catch meddlers, or sometimes you’ll just hear layovers for meddlers. But coppers, layovers, laros, layropes, popovers, rows, rearovers, rareovers, a pharaoh, a so-and-so, a marrow. And sometimes people extend it out the other direction, say, larovers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.
Oh, wow.
Yeah. That’s a mouthful. It’s one of those sort of non-answers that parents especially will give to kids when they just want them to stop asking questions. I mean, there’s this whole world out there of phrases like this, like, you know, Daddy, what are you doing? Well, I’m working on a swinkle swankle for a goose’s nightcap.
Right.
I’m making a silver new nothing to put on your shoe. My father, he also used to say he was writing a book. And we would feel like, well, what book is it? And he’d say, well, make it a mystery and leave that chapter out of it.
That’s wonderful.
He was full. In fact, his name’s Lyman. And we would always refer to him as Lymanism because he’s full of catchy little phrases and such.
That’s marvelous. I love it. Making a whipple for a deuces poke or a hootenanny for a skywampus or a fimp paddle to tie up the moon. I mean, there’s so many of these. And I hope we’ve helped get to the bottom of this mystery for you.
You have. Thank you. I can’t wait to share it with my dad.
Our pleasure. Take care now.
Hi to Lyman.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
Thank you. I will.
Bye.
Bye-bye.
Well, share your family’s phrases with us. 877-929-9673 or send them to us in email. That address is words@waywordradio.org.
