🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1997Oct28.153004@dion.belpak.mogilev.by>, Igor Ilyin
<ilin@dion.belpak.mogilev.by> writes
>Hi, could you kindly explain the meaning (s) of the following "specific"
>English collocations which I failed to interpret:
>???
>* Admiralty ham
>* All my eyes (& Betty Martin)
>* Arch tiffy
>* Aunt Tom
>* Ballroom without a parachute
>* Baker flying!
>* B-B brain
>* I'll come to your party with bells on!
>* big Harry
>* Big Red with the long Green Stem
>* Black Russian
>
I think you mean "colloquialism", not "collocation"

Admiralty ham = any tinned meat. Naval slang, no longer in use.

All my eye (*not* eyes) and Betty Martin = all rubbish, nonsense. (A
phrase of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of phrase
and fable)

Arch tiffy: "tiffy" is naval slang for "Artificer", a non-commissioned
rank concerned with the repair and maintenance of the engines and other
technical systems aboard ship. I have never heard or seen the phrase
"Arch tiffy", but it might conceivably mean the Chief ERA (Engine Room
Artificer)

"Black Russian": in a naval context, probably refers to Balkan Sobranie
cigarettes, which are (were?) made with black paper. 

Baker flying = this could refer to the international signal flag B, a
plain red flag with a triangular piece cut out of the edge). In the
phonetic alphabet in use up to the end of world war 2, "Baker" stood for
the letter B. A ship flying flag B is taking on or discharging
explosives or oil fuel.

BB brain: according to Partridge's dictionary of slang and colloquial
English, "BB" (from "British Blue") used to mean a bluejacket, ie a
sailor of the Royal Navy. He dates it to early 20th century, but it was
not in use in the RN in the 1950s.  The only other meaning of BB that I
know of is Ball Bearing, but Partridge gives other slang meanings.

I don't know what the other phrases mean, but if you could post the
sentences in which they occur, and tell us something of the context, I
or others may be able to help further. It sounds as though the text is
about the Royal Navy in the early years of this century -- am I right?
-- 
John Davies (john@redwoods.demon.co.uk)