Hi, Mike! Recently you wrote in a message to ALEXANDER KORYAGIN:
ak> -----Beginning of the citation-----
ak> When I was a poor man and had a solicitor once when
ak> they found a pram in the dust cart, he got me off, and got
ak> shut of me and got me shut of him as quick as he could.
ak> ----- The end of the citation -----
ak> What is the pram pram in the dust cart? What does he mean?
MP> Pram
Short for "perambulator"...
MP> is a "British" word for a baby carriage or stroller, i.e.
MP> something you lay or sit a baby in which has wheels so
MP> you can push it around while you walk behind it.
Yes. In my experience, however, the traditional English pram has coil
springs with large wheels & probably cost more than Doolittle could afford. :-)
MP> Dust cart I believe is a rubbish or trash bin,
That's my take on it. IIRC Eliza's father was a dustman... i.e. what
Canadians might also refer to as a garbage collector.
MP> likely also with wheels.
YMMV, but my initial experience with such things occurred 20-30 years
ago when the City of Vancouver started using them. It would be my guess that at
the time of writing the dust cart was the equivalent of a garbage truck.
MP> I don't understand how throwing an old pram out in the
MP> in the garbage would get a person into legal trouble.
I reckon that if someone with more $$$ than sense put it out with the
garbage or ordered a servant to get rid of it & Eliza's father took advantage of
the situation others might believe he'd stolen this item.
While I don't know what the laws WRT such matters were in England 100
years ago, the citizens of Vancouver are required to place their garbage on city
property when they want it to be collected... after which the city is deemed to
be the rightful owner. But the garbage & recycling crews around here are fussy
about what they'll accept, and others often take advantage after midnight. :-Q
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)
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