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Posted by Barney on June 21, 2003

In Reply to: Phrases posted by Mike George on June 21, 2003

: Does anyone know of the origin of the following two phrases?

:
: It's a Bugger's Muddle

: and

: Cheap as Chips

:
: I'm curious. The first is from a Southern England area dialect I thinbk; the second seems to be appearing recently on radio,etc..possiblky from an Australian Soap...?

: Help please

The second phrase comes from 'Bargain Hunt' - a BBC programme where contestants buy items in a 'Antiques Fair' for a piffling sum of money and they are later sold at an 'Antiques' auction - usually for a lot less. The manic presenter regularly declares that an item is 'cheap as chips'.

I've never hear the first expression but it may refer to the confusion that exists on Clapham common - a haunt of cruising Gays in London - during a busy evening when a government minister arrives to partake of a 'moment of madness'. After all this happened once with the Labour Welsh secretary and who is to say that it's not a regular occurrence.

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