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knock down ginger

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knicklin | 15:08 Fri 23rd Mar 2007 | Phrases & Sayings
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where does this saying come from
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This is a game of knocking on doors and running away. Wikipedia says it is because the front doors of council houses were stained a ginger colour, but this seems unlikely.

Whatever the origin, I have a theory that children who play this game, grow up to be home-delivery couriers.

The phrase 'knock down' meant, as long ago as the mid 18th century, to knock at someone's door - innocently! - in order to get him to come downstairs and speak to you. Clearly, children then just took that as the basis of their naughty game's name.
Maybe - if he then became a regular 'tormentee' - the very first person the trick was ever played on had ginger hair and hence, "Let's go and knock down Ginger again!"
Ask Ginger he's now working for the royal Mail!

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