# BritDopers: "Roll up!" in "Magical Mystery Tour" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555 "2010-08-26T17:11:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/1 "2010-08-26T17:11:11Z")
Wiki says John Lennon took the phrase from a barker. I assume it means something like “Come on, everyone!” or “Hey, take a look at this!” Is that right? Is the phrase still in use in the UK by hucksters, promoters, etc.? If so, is it self-consciously quaint nowadays? Did the Beatles song give it a new lease on (linguistic) life? ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/2 "2010-08-26T17:24:16Z")
Yes, it basically just means: “come here” or “gather round”. It’s not really in use today - except, perhaps, by people trying for a ‘nostalgic’ feel at a fairground or suchlike. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/3 "2010-08-26T17:24:22Z")
Yes, it basically means ‘pay attention to this’ and would be used by fair ground promoters, market traders and the like. It sounds a bit quaint/Victorian, but still gets quite a few Google hits so is still used by the media, if in a slightly tongue-in-cheek way. [Here’s an example from our nation’s finest toilet paper](http://www.3am.co.uk/roll-up-roll-up-lindsay-lohan-is-having-a-twitter-meltdown-right-now/17829/) ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/4 "2010-08-26T17:28:27Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Wiki says John Lennon took the phrase from a barker. I assume it means something like “Come on, everyone!” or “Hey, take a look at this!” Is that right? Is the phrase still in use in the UK by hucksters, promoters, etc.? If so, is it self-consciously quaint nowadays? Did the Beatles song give it a new lease on (linguistic) life? You’ve hit the nail on the head with the meaning, “roll up!” means something along the lines of “come here everyone!”. It brings to mind a cricus master at a big top. It’s not so quaint that it would be used only self-conciously. For example “Roll Up! Apples! A pawnd a pawnd!\* Get your lovely apples!” would be somethign you’d almost certainly hear (or a variation) at a traditional british market. \*a pound (for) a pound ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/5 "2010-08-26T17:58:53Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > It’s not so quaint that it would be used only self-conciously. For example “Roll Up! Apples! A pawnd a pawnd!\* Get your lovely apples!” would be somethign you’d almost certainly hear (or a variation) at a traditional british market. Only in the East End of London and probably only by someone putting on a show. Markets in the rest of London and the rest of the country generally don’t use barkers. Also, I think the appropriate phrase for a market would be: “Come and get 'em”, rather than “roll up, roll up”. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/6 "2010-08-26T18:13:15Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > > [@These are my own pants](#): > > > > It’s not so quaint that it would be used only self-conciously. For example “Roll Up! Apples! A pawnd a pawnd!\* Get your lovely apples!” would be somethign you’d almost certainly hear (or a variation) at a traditional british market. > > Only in the East End of London and probably only by someone putting on a show. > > Markets in the rest of London and the rest of the country generally don’t use barkers. > > Also, I think the appropriate phrase for a market would be: “Come and get 'em”, rather than “roll up, roll up”. It isn’t a traditionalmarket without a barker IMO, you get barkers all over the country. I was born not solong ago in South London and the barkers are something I remember well. I know of a green grocer’s shop in central Reading that often has a barker. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/7 "2010-08-26T18:19:36Z")
The first time I encountered it was in one of James Herriot’s veterinarian books. I think it was the story about Mr. Partridge, whose dog had testicular cancer, and some hooligans had chalked something on his wall like “Roll up and see the famous one-balled dog!” Stuck with me always, that did. ---
**Author:** ![qpw3141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/6bbea6/32.png) [@qpw3141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qpw3141)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/8 "2010-08-26T18:20:11Z")
> [@These are my own pants](#): > > > [@qpw3141](#): > > > > Only in the East End of London and probably only by someone putting on a show. > > > > Markets in the rest of London and the rest of the country generally don’t use barkers. > > > > Also, I think the appropriate phrase for a market would be: “Come and get 'em”, rather than “roll up, roll up”. > > It isn’t a traditionalmarket without a barker IMO, you get barkers all over the country. I was born not solong ago in South London and the barkers are something I remember well. I know of a green grocer’s shop in central Reading that often has a barker. Yes, I realised after I posted that that I have hardly seen all the markets in the UK. I think it’s very much the exception rather than the rule, though. I remember one old chap who had a market stall in Richmond about 20 years ago who used to yell out “lovely, lovely” but he seemed somewhat incongruous. But, then again, it was Richmond. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/9 "2010-08-26T19:55:15Z")
I read about the founding of [Two Guys](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guys) (think K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target). One cashier did a pitch that went “Ladies, ladies, come over, come over! We’ve got the merchandise! We’ve got it for you!” and was sternly warned **not** to do that again, as this was an enclosed store, not a stall market. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/10 "2010-08-26T22:23:33Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > “Roll up and see the famous one-balled dog!” “Roll up and see the famous Chinese dog, Wun Hung Lo” ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/11 "2010-08-26T23:41:03Z")
Roll up Roll up Roll up See the show! Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Karn Evil 9 (third impression, I think) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/12 "2010-08-27T00:47:51Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > If so, is it self-consciously quaint nowadays? It still gets used in advertising here. It’s also used in questions about the turnout at an event, meeting etc: “what sort of roll-up did you get?” ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Corleone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6bbea6/32.png) [@Michael\_Corleone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Corleone)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/13 "2010-08-27T07:31:33Z")
I would expect that John also liked the connotation that ‘roll-up’ has with making a joint! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/14 "2010-08-27T09:03:16Z")
For an idea how it was used in Victorian times, see The [Elephant Man musical](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLf_UiLbV7E) from the movie _The Tall Guy_. See from 6:30 onwards. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/15 "2010-08-27T15:02:54Z")
> [@cwthree](#): > > > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > > > “Roll up and see the famous one-balled dog!” > > “Roll up and see the famous Chinese dog, Wun Hung Lo” _Thank_ you! Knew it wasn’t quite right… ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/britdopers-roll-up-in-magical-mystery-tour/551555/16 "2010-08-27T15:12:21Z")
> [@qpw3141](#): > > I think it’s very much the exception rather than the rule, though. I disagree that it’s exceptional, based on anecdotal evidence: the market in the Oxfordshire town where I grew up had fruit & veg barkers: “'Ere y’are ladies, pound a mush, firty pee!” and so did Portobello market in the west of London when I visited it.