"Grinning Jackanapes"

Brian L Dominic

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Jul 9, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/9/00

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I have recently seen the Prime Minister described in a political
comment column as the Grinning Jackanapes.

I can't imagine this is a new phrase - does anybody know its origin or
derivation??

Brian L Dominic
NB Rumpus

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Old Curmudgeon

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Jul 9, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/9/00

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While the wirligig of time brought in its own revenges, Brian
L Dominic gaily trilled

A jackanapes is a pet monkey, or someone who acts like one. It's
origin is as the nickname of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk
(1396-1450), whose badge was the clog and chain of an ape.

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George van den Driessche

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Jul 9, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/9/00

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Old Curmudgeon <roya...@redhotant.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:8F6CECF7Croyar...@207.14.113.10...

> It's
> origin is as the nickname of William de la Pole

Ouch!
--
George van den Driessche
- I was laying in the garden the other day ...
- Oh? Who was she?

Brian L Dominic

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Jul 10, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/10/00

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On 9 Jul 2000 22:12:54 GMT, roya...@redhotant.com.invalid (Old

Curmudgeon) had a frenetic dose of key-bashing and wrote:

>A jackanapes is a pet monkey, or someone who acts like one. It's
>origin is as the nickname of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk
>(1396-1450), whose badge was the clog and chain of an ape.

Many thanks for that!

Phil C.

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Jul 10, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/10/00

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"Brian L Dominic" <nbru...@lineone.net> wrote in message
news:l64kms44h90ljvid1...@4ax.com...

> On 9 Jul 2000 22:12:54 GMT, roya...@redhotant.com.invalid (Old
> Curmudgeon) had a frenetic dose of key-bashing and wrote:
>
>
> >A jackanapes is a pet monkey, or someone who acts like one. It's
> >origin is as the nickname of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk
> >(1396-1450), whose badge was the clog and chain of an ape.
>
> Many thanks for that!

Partridge adds a C17th-18th proverb "There is more ado with one
Jack-an-apes than (with) all the bears." It seems to be something to
do with being mischievous. A sure conversation stopper at parties.
-- .
Phil C.
________________________________________
philandwoody*at*meem*dot*freeserve*dot*co*dot*uk

enochan

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Jul 11, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/11/00

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Phil C. wrote:
>
[snip]

>
> Partridge adds a C17th-18th proverb "There is more
> ado with one Jack-an-apes than (with) all the bears."
> It seems to be something to do with being mischievous.
> A sure conversation stopper at parties.
>
>

It's a pun on a laughing jackass or kookaburra, isn't it?

"Below us, in the valley, a mob of jackasses were shouting and laughing
uproariously." (Henry Kingsley, Recollections of Geoffrey Hamlyn, 1859)

enochan
Japan

Dr Robin Bignall

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Jul 11, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/11/00

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I always thought that the laughing jackass was a jackal or hyena,
because of the noise they make.

--

wrmst rgds
RB...(docr...@cwcom.net)

Guy Morgan

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Jul 12, 2000, 3:00:00 AM7/12/00

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In article <iv3nmssslav8scn1k...@4ax.com>, Dr Robin
Bignall <docr...@cwcom.net> writes

>
>I always thought that the laughing jackass was a jackal or hyena,
>because of the noise they make.
>

No - it's the kookaburra (bird) IMHO but for the same reason.

Guy
--
Guy Morgan

*First Light Services*
Video Projects Lighting Design Technical Co-ordination Consultancy
g...@first-light-services.co.uk http://www.first.light.services.co.uk