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As mentioned here before, my English mother was born in 1904

by Ziks511 Feb 1, 2010 1:31PM PST

and I came along in late 1946, with her a shockingly old 43 1/2 for a first pregnancy. This has little to do with this post except that I was exposed to slang, both American and British that was out of date, to say the least. One of my mother's favourite ways to entice me away from something was to say, "Let's not, and say we did." It was only when I was reading Lois McMaster Bumold (Shards of Hono(u)r or Cordelia's Hono(u)r) that I saw it phrased, Let's not and tell everybody we did, that I learned it was about pre-marital sex.

Introduce someone to something early enough, without a frame of reference, and it can mean anything, and be totally innnocent.

For those of you who have heard the phrase and not realized the origin I offer this insight. I found myself using it a lot more after finding out what it meant.

Rob

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Heard it often and in more than one context

by Steven Haninger Feb 1, 2010 6:33PM PST

Anything to show lack of innocence in the face of peer pressure...

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I think it may be a twenties thing that has survived into

by Ziks511 Feb 4, 2010 4:49PM PST

the 21st Century. My mother's version of "Let's not and say we did" I find more obscure and not so naughty that "Let's not and TELL everybody we did." My son grew up hearing it too. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree, Ralphie boy." (Art Carney-the Honeymooners).

Rob

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