Lest we forget

[venta]

Well, today's Forgotten Word from The Calendar is "upknocking", referring to the work of the knocker-up.

Now, I'm aware that upknocking is no longer a valid career choice, but I'd still say I was going to knock someone up.

This is, I hasten to add, nothing to do with getting someone pregnant. Knocking someone up is just waking them up in the morning, to make sure they're not late for work (historically by knocking on their window with a stick).

Anyone else use this phrase ? I've concluded that this calendar is definitely American, and they have forgotten different things to us.

In other news, apparently it's St Joseph's day today, patron saint of workers. A quick google suggests they mean Joseph-husband-of-Mary, not any of the other Josephs kicking around.

Comments

[pookee.livejournal.com]

My mum using 'knocking up' in the way you describe above. One night she was in bed and had to get up to answer a late night knock at the door. Imagine the schoolgirl/boy giggles the next day when my mum loudly announced to me and my friends that 'a policeman came and knocked me up last night'. Well, in my defence, I was only about 10, and none of my friends seemed to be aware of that particular usage of the phrase - to them it just meant getting someone preggers!

(We never referred to him as an upknocker, though!)

[venta.livejournal.com]

(We never referred to him as an upknocker, though!)

No, to be fair to the calendar, "upknocker" and "upknocking" are new ones on me too.