Brewer's: Crump

“Don't you wish you may get it, Mrs. Crump? ” Grose says Mrs. Crump, a farmer's wife, was invited to dine with Lady Coventry, who was very deaf. Mrs. Crump wanted some beer, but, awed by the purple and plush, said, in a half-whisper, “I wish I had some beer, now.” Mr. Flunkey, conscious that his mistress could not hear, replied in the same aside, “Don't you wish you may get it?” At this the farmer's wife rose from table and helped herself. Lady Coventry, of course, demanded the reason, and the anecdote soon became a standing joke.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language