Teacher's sayings
When I was at school in the middle of last century, many of the teachers had their quirky sayings before, during or after they inflicted various forms of corporal punishment on their charges.
One hearty man taught Maths and rugby. He was a large man, who had played for Kent at rugby and still turned up for Maidstone Rugby Club and played every year in the boys v teachers match.
When he whacked a boy, he would say: "You know the old adage that this is going to hurt me more than it hurts me? Well, in my case that's not true. This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me!"
He would then whack the poor boy across the class room, with each stroke of his massive plimsoll making his victim move forward a few steps.
Then there was Mr Ferris.
"Touch your toesies!" he would say, "and get a dosie of my cure!"
Neither of these gentlemen ever whacked a girl.
Mrs O'Hara, on the other hand, did.
She used a long, flat ruler, maybe a yard long and made us count the strokes.
"If you lose count, we'll start again from the beginning; that will help your maths!"
One hearty man taught Maths and rugby. He was a large man, who had played for Kent at rugby and still turned up for Maidstone Rugby Club and played every year in the boys v teachers match.
When he whacked a boy, he would say: "You know the old adage that this is going to hurt me more than it hurts me? Well, in my case that's not true. This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me!"
He would then whack the poor boy across the class room, with each stroke of his massive plimsoll making his victim move forward a few steps.
Then there was Mr Ferris.
"Touch your toesies!" he would say, "and get a dosie of my cure!"
Neither of these gentlemen ever whacked a girl.
Mrs O'Hara, on the other hand, did.
She used a long, flat ruler, maybe a yard long and made us count the strokes.
"If you lose count, we'll start again from the beginning; that will help your maths!"