Perhaps I can shed some light on Tony Batista's enquiries regarding the phrases "going off alarmingly" and "sit down Colonel".
I believe "going off alarming" dates from the 1850s.
Buckingham Palace was equipped with one of the first toasters in Europe.
It operated on a clockwork mechanism with an alarm which sounded to indicate the toast was ready.
However, apparently Queen Victoria liked her toast black, so the chef ignored the alarm in order to burn the toast, hence "going off alarming" meaning to overreact.
"Sit down Colonel" dates from music hall where it was customary to end a performance with the national anthem, the audience being led in song by a character dressed in military uniform.
Crowds would heckle the "Colonel" as his appearance meant the end of the show.
This ended up being incorporated into the act with the audience encouraged to yell "sit down Colonel" so an encore could follow.
Willie Greene
Genesta Road
Westcliff
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