Racing parlance from the good old days

Occasionally you would hear John McCririck referring to old fashioned racing terms deriving from when the betting market and moves were conveyed with a system of hand signals.

Who recalls what these odds were

Up the arm
Burlington Bertie
Double carpet
Bottle
Ear hole
Face
On the shoulders
Cockle

No prizes, just for fun.

Bottle ~ 2/1
Double Carpet 33/1
Burlington Bertie 33/10 (100/30)
the rest Im lost

Burlington Bertie was 100/30

I know tic tack so want comment

Actually some of the Tic tack in Scotland was different from the English version

I was amazed as a kid watching the tic tack men at powder hall , the money was crazy at the dogs and it's incredible to think bookies sent 1000's of pounds round the ring instantly with out using cell phones

Other things I always remember from the dogs and racecourses was the smells

Tobacco
Pies
Onions
Alcohol

Good memories

Correct so far Titch

Nice post...............


Up the arm..........11/8.........
Burlington Bertie
Double carpet
Bottle...2/1..............

Ear hole...........6/4........
Face..........5/2.........
On the shoulder...............9/2
Cockle...........1/1......

In SA tic tac man always had white gloves on!

What about double tops?
Major Stevens
Nevis

Pony.....Ton.......Monkey..........A bag.......Rock cake...Beeswax......Jolly.......

All correct except one country member. 1/1 evens is Levels. Cockle is 10/1.

Tic tac man in UK historically wore white gloves. If he was good he was worth his weight in gold.

Pony 25 ton 100 monkey 500 bag 1000 Rock cake = small stake beeswax= betting tax jolly= favourite

Major Stevens = even money
Neves = 7/1


Double tops = 15/8

Handful = 5/1


Double handful is the best as this is where your horse gets to the front in the final furlong travelling on the bit. Lol.

Racing sure is a strange game

Never knew the lingo so glad for this thread...

TNaicker wrote: Never knew the lingo so glad for this thread...

I understand communications but what is the objective?

Countrymember wrote: Nice post...............


Up the arm..........11/8.........
Burlington Bertie
Double carpet
Bottle...2/1..............

Ear hole...........6/4........
Face..........5/2.........
On the shoulder...............9/2
Cockle...........1/1......

In SA tic tac man always had white gloves on!

What about double tops?
Major Stevens
Nevis

Pony.....Ton.......Monkey..........A bag.......Rock cake...Beeswax......Jolly.......

1/1 straight up the middle to hands an inch or 2 apart

wrist 5/4
touch wrist then elbow (up the arm ) 11/8

6/4 is half arm in scottish tic tac( elbow joint)

1 finger to the nose 2/1
two fingers double handed to the nose 5/2
shoulder was 7/4
swirling your hand around the shoulder and ear 15/8

odds on you twirl your hands round each other after the original price

Rouf = 4
Macaroni 25 or 25/1 (pony)

Mac wrote:

TNaicker wrote: Never knew the lingo so glad for this thread...

I understand communications but what is the objective?

Always good to learn something new, however frivolous...