Date: Sun, 24 Sep 1995 23:26:15 -0700

From: Rima & Kim McKinzey rkm[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SLIP.NET

Subject: Sweet Fannie Adams



At 7:03 PM 9/22/95, Nancy Dray wrote:

When I hear people say "My Sainted Aunt" and "Sweet

Fannie(y?) Adams" on those British PBS shows, do they mean what I think they

mean?



As it turns out (we have a folk song expert as a friend; she refers us to

Kraft-Ebbing), Fannie Adams was a child victim of an especially grewsome

dismemberment in Victorian England. The renowned event gave rise to an

especially syrupy song, much heard in English music halls (think

vaudville). The use of "Sweet Fanny Adams!" therefore came to mean, "What

an unspeakable, scandalous horror!" A similar current example is the

aforementioned "going postal."



Now, what did you think it meant? :-)



r mckinzey