money for old rope

paulprescott

this is a very popular saying but there appears to be no truth in it, example took some old rope the car boot many people asked but no one bought it

RuthnJasper

paulprescott wrote: »

this is a very popular saying but there appears to be no truth in it, example took some old rope the car boot many people asked but no one bought it

I believe the saying dates back to the days when people were hung for their crimes. Apparently, families/friends of those who had suffered due to the condemned person's crimes (or even just gh0uls - like the sort of people who slow-down as they pass road accidents, hoping to see a bit of gore) had the opportunity to buy pieces of the rope used in the hanging, after the sentence had been carried-out, as a grim "souvenir". It was a useful way for the hangman to make a bit of extra cash as well. Hence - "money for old rope".

R xx

paulprescott

if i had all that wisdom behind me sunday i would have cleaned up, next week it will be old hanging rope and everyone will want some ha ha

RuthnJasper

paulprescott wrote: »

if i had all that wisdom behind me sunday i would have cleaned up, next week it will be old hanging rope and everyone will want some ha ha

Hehee - I'm good in pub quizzes! :D

Just tell them it's the original rigging from Captain Bluebeard's pirate ship - you'll be quids-in! x

paulprescott

im to honest for my own good i told everyone it was my nans old washing line , still had the pegs on though which was a clue ha ha

Flyboy152

RuthnJasper wrote: »

Hehee - I'm good in pub quizzes! :D

Just tell them it's the original rigging from Captain Bluebeard's pirate ship - you'll be quids-in! x

Which is another possible meaning for the phrase. Sailors would sell old, useless pieces of rope, on the pretence that they were from ships such as The Victory or Queen Anne's Revenge. Another is, the sailors would pick the hemp from the discarded rope and sell it to the back to the rope makers.

paulprescott

another guy asked did i have cable i replied quickly smelling the sale that i didnt however i had some good strong old rope, unfortunatley the guy was talking about some television channels or somethin

RuthnJasper

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Which is another possible meaning for the phrase. Sailors would sell old, useless pieces of rope, on the pretence that they were from ships such as The Victory or Queen Anne's Revenge. Another is, the sailors would pick the hemp from the discarded rope and sell it to the back to the rope makers.

Totally true. But that could be letting "The Cat" out of the bag...!
x

paulprescott

there was no cat in the bag it was just an old ruck sack i was selling for a friend, i did have another bag thats had cake in

Penelope_Penguin

afew years ago the BBC2 Money Programme did a feature on eBay called "Money for old rope". The reporter collected blue polypropylene rope from a south coast beach, listed on eBay and it sold (to someone who used it to tie down a tarpaulin over his classic car).

The reporter found that contrary to the OP's experience, there is money in old rope :T

RuthnJasper

paulprescott wrote: »

there was no cat in the bag it was just an old ruck sack i was selling for a friend, i did have another bag thats had cake in

:rotfl::rotfl: "Letting the cat out of the bag" is another old nautical expression - 'The Cat o'Nine Tails' was a particularly vicious whip used for flogging miscreants on board ships and was kept in a sack. If you grassed-up one of your mates for being a bit naughty, he might get flogged - hence letting "The Cat out of the bag". "Not enough room to swing a cat" refers to the same whip (it was pretty grim).