Would You Jump in My Grave as Quick?

Hi there, you have A Way with Words.

Oh, hi Martha. Hello, Grant.

Hello, who’s this?

My name’s Lizzie. I’m calling from Bromsgrove, the Midlands in England.

That’s great to talk with you. What’s on your mind today, Lizzie?

Well, I was interested in a certain phrase that I first heard when I moved to Yorkshire. I was near Leeds for about 10 years. And my friends, because we were young professionals and barely had a sofa between us, if somebody took your nice warm spot on the sofa when you meant to make a cup of tea, they would say, would you jump in my grave as quick?

And I thought that was an interesting expression, but I’d never heard it from Stratford-upon-Avon, where I was born and grew up. And obviously it’s rhetorical, and the answer is no, I wouldn’t jump in your grave at all. But I can’t, I don’t know, because obviously a sofa is a lovely, warm, comfortable spot, whereas a grave is not. But I don’t know if you’re supposed to jump in the grave because you love them so much, and it would be okay if you take my seat if you love me that much that you would jump in my grave. I don’t know.

So I thought you guys might.

So I’m hearing a little bit of a tone of how dare you take my spot.

Exactly.

Yes, it’s very bad.

Yes.

Oh, it’s funny. That expression has never really been all that common, but it is British, and it’s also American. You will find it on both sides of the Atlantic.

Does that mean that it’s old, then?

Yeah, yeah. As early as 1919, I found it in an Irish newspaper. So it looks like it’s not specific to Yorkshire, because you do find it in Scotland and Ireland and sprinkled throughout the United Kingdom, and you find it sprinkled throughout the United States, but just never really that common.

I do see it show up in fiction in the last 20 years, mostly American fiction. And it looks like they probably have just, you know, borrowed it from a book of idioms or sayings or something, just to give some color to their writing.

But you would find it, if you ever saw the movie Hot Fuzz.

Yes, yes. Love it.

Love it.

This expression is used in the movie Hot Fuzz, which is a great movie. And the book by Jojo Moyes, Me Before You, which was very well received, got great reviews. She uses it as well.

So it’s not specific to Yorkshire and not specific to sofas either, right?

No.

Any place that you vacated and somebody else tries to take.

Oh, thank you so much. I’m going to go and watch Hot Fuzz now and see if I can spot the line because I thought I knew every line in that film.

Oh, it’s a good one, right? Always worth a rewatch.

Thank you so much, both of you. And keep up the good work. Love the show.

Thank you so much, Lizzie.

Bye-bye.

Take care. Bye.