Who dies when "Charlie's Dead'?


Fortunately, there is no bereavement if "Charlie' s Dead".
The now obsolete phrase, "Charlie's Dead" is enlisted amongst the Six Innocent Phrases and their Morally Suspect Origins" (Referenced below). "Charlie's Dead was said when a lady's petticoat was showing below her dress or skirt. Yet, where did this lingerie allusion generated from?
King Charles II "It refers apparently to King Charles who was rumored to be an alley cat (c.c. a womanizer) of his time. When he perished, women flashed their petticoats as a sign of respect.
King Charle's best known mistress was Nell Gwynn. On his deathbed, Charles is alleged to plead his wife to "Not Let Poor Nellie starve". "Charlie's Dead is not a massively common expressin and with good reason. You'd subtly whisper "Charlie's Dead" to a woman if her petticoat was showning below the hem of her skirt, which is less of a thing than perhaps it used to be.
However, the origin of the phrase, if true is among the most gruesome ways to come up with an expression designed to prevent female embarrassment possible t imagine.
Somehow, female Royalists after the English Civil War (1642-1651) thought it would be a fitting tribute to their fallen King-Charles I had hust been beheaded - to dip their petticoats in his blood.
Somehow, this was a widespread enough practice to generate its own slang. HISTORY'S SOMETIMES A VERY STRANGE PLACE
As a matter of fact, you coud hear the archaic phrase "Charlie's Dead" been used by Stephen John Fry during his loquacious, humorous monologue on the uniqueness of the English Language in the abstract from the British comedy series "A bit of Fry and Laurie" (1989-1995, BBC1, BBC2). Enjoy him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MWpHQQ-wQg REFERENCES 1. https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/55/messages/194.html 2. http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/04/six-innocent-phrases-and-their-morally-suspect-origins 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MWpHQQ-wQg

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