How's your belly off for spots?

[rp272]

In ‘I Shall Wear Midnight’ Nanny Ogg addresses Tiffany Aching thus:
‘Watcha, Tiff! How’s your belly off for spots!’

I am intrigued to find the source of this phrase.

For the latter part of WW2 my father was based at Athi River in Kenya and told me that the phrase “How’s your belly off for spots?” was the proper response to the challenge “Legs All Hairy!”

I am almost positive that Nanny Ogg was never an ‘official’ part of the British Army in East Africa but may of course just been visiting to keep up the men’s morale. She certainly has that sort of reputation.

TP is much too young to have been at Athi River himself (he was born the same year that I was). Perhaps our fathers new each other!

 

[SpideyGirl]

Welcome rp722!

I'm none the wiser as to what either of those sayings mean? :think:

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Actually dam fine splendid old chap, and welcome to the forum rp722.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome from me too!

Terry is very well read and has often admitted that he doesn't remember where he got a phrase or a name from (Rincewind being a good example). Chances are he read it somewhere.

Interestingly, I just Googled the phrase and Urban Dictionary says it's a Northern English phrase, while another site says it's Kentish.

 

[Dotsie]

Hi rp272

Perhaps your dad encountered this phrase for the first time in WW2, when in some counties they'd been saying it for years. People can be weird like that

 

[Oberon]

I'd never heard the phrase before I Shall Wear Midnight so can't help I'm afraid. Welcome to the site rp272.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

I can remember my parents using it when I was v. small. Definitely a services 'saying' and I'm pretty sure it must have been used on the older radio comedy shows like ITMA (It's that Man Again) or the Navy Lark in a medical exam type scenario?

 

[deldaisy]

What language are you people talking?

It made me laugh that someone that thinks "Legs all hairy!" is a perfectly reasonable phrase but "Hows your belly for spots?" is a confusing phrase.

Anyone want to enlighten me to either?

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Erm - I think it's military health check territory... :shifty:

Anything from prickly heat to rampant gangrene on areas not usually open to casual 'kit' inspection :whistle: Also not confined to the belly region when stationed in 'forn' climes where ladies were not known for their personal hygiene when negotiating their affection :angelic-innocent:

 

[rp272]

My father's regiment were in Kenya to protect 'resources' should Rommel's Afrika Korp penetrate that far South. Fortunately Monty stopped him.

If one of the soldiers heard someone lurking in the bush, he would challenge with the phrase 'Legs All Hairy'. If the response was 'Hows Your Belly Off For Spots?" it would indicate a friend. Otherwise they discharged their weapon in the general vicinity of the noise, or 'legged it' back to camp, or both. I understood that a few 'accident' of mistaken identity did occur...
He used to tell the story (several times) of how when the appropriate response was not forthcoming the whole patrol on a word of command each threw a hand grenade into the bush surrounding a watering hole and blew up a hippopotamus!

I'm sure that Terry could easily work this into one of his stories, but it might seem rather too far fetched even for DiscWorld!