We’ve been talking about this famous Welsh-ism a lot recently (we obviously don’t have enough to do!). It still makes me smile 15 years on from hearing it the first time. On old friend from my last job used to say it to our Welsh colleagues all the time, and I just assumed it was his own little catchphrase.
On speaking to a new Welsh friend though, I asked her “Whose coat is that jacket?” and was surprised to hear she was very familiar with the saying (having grown up having it said to her – by her family of all people!). Some research on the internet having now been done, I see it’s a very common and widespread Welsh-ism (along with “see those two houses, mine’s the one in the middle”), but I cannot for the life of me find an attributable origin for the saying.
I’m of an opinion that it was borne from such TV shows as “Not The Nine O’Clock News”, but I’m guessing from it’s prevalence that it must have been around a lot longer than that.
Your mission should you choose to accept it, is to find out “whose coat is that jacket?”! This post will self destruct in 5 seconds. See isn’t it.
Another Constable 
May 22, 2006 at 3:49 pm |
Whose boots are these shoes?!
May 25, 2006 at 8:42 pm |
hold these two sheep while i count them.
and any way. Who’s coat isss that jacket, its hanging on the floor there
June 1, 2006 at 3:09 pm |
My mum’s friend used to say that all the time and i just thought it was one of her sayings. Same sort of the with the ‘Big Light’ the main light in the lounge, i thought that was something just my mum said until i heard it on Peter Kay!
June 6, 2006 at 12:45 pm |
On a policing note how about ” I left it (insert object ie coat/jacket boots/shoes) there and when I came back there it was…GONE!”
June 13, 2006 at 4:30 pm |
Hey hey…..what’s this ‘abuse the Welsh’ post about? Being a Welsh visitor to your site, I am going to complain to the North Wales Police, i’m sure they’ll be around to see you.
They went to see Anne Robinson for trying to put Wales in room 101, after slaging us off for a bit and considered ‘appropriately advising’ Tony Blair after he commented ‘Bloody Welsh’ after losing a few seats in an election!
You 3 are a pair of ****’s
;o)
June 14, 2006 at 1:17 am |
Ah, you misunderstand, I am merely enjoying Wales and the diversity if brings to our parade room!
Have you seen the new Pot Noodle advert? Food of Britain. Isnt it!
Makes me howl 🙂
June 17, 2006 at 10:43 am |
I’m an Englishman with South Wales Police. There are the friendliest people on the planet. I appreciate people do take the p**s out of them but they shouldn’t really.
August 28, 2007 at 11:14 pm |
there’s a fair few:
Whose boots those trainers?
Throw the baby down the stairs it’s bottle!
and as for taking the piss out of the welsh? Harmless fun. I live in Cardiff, so I should know this xD Just about everyone in Wales rips the piss out of them selves/
September 24, 2007 at 3:21 pm |
Hey hey…..what’s this ‘abuse the Welsh’ post about? Being a Welsh visitor to your site, I am going to complain to the North Wales Police, i’m sure they’ll be around to see you.
They went to see Anne Robinson for trying to put Wales in room 101, after slaging us off for a bit and considered ‘appropriately advising’ Tony Blair after he commented ‘Bloody Welsh’ after losing a few seats in an election!
You 3 are a pair of ****’s
;o)
November 23, 2007 at 11:01 pm |
StevoKanevo, u numbskull, we shag them, you eat them! LOL!
January 10, 2008 at 4:30 pm |
Jinmmy,
As a Welsh patriot, your a tee-doubleyou-ayy-tee (:
Think your funny calling us sheep sh*ggers?
Where did that crap evn come from.
Just because we have a lot of sheep, does not give you a right to claim that we have sexual relaions with them.
You have more chavs than us in England.
Okay if i call you a chav sh*gger?
Fine.
Chav sh*gger.
July 4, 2011 at 6:34 pm |
hic iacet is Latin for “here lies”, often seen on gravestones. By the middle ages the “i” had become a ‘j’, hence hic jacet. Hic is also Latin for this. Hence “Whose coat is this lying here. ” or ‘Whose coat is this jacet (iacet).
August 1, 2011 at 12:33 pm |
I thought it was because Jackett was a popular Welsh name? Like saying to Australians years ago ‘What’s your favourite colour, blue?’
December 15, 2011 at 1:03 pm |
welsh myself and never heard anyone saying ‘whose coat is this jacket?’. But a common thing i do hear is ‘ be there in a minute now’ that makes me laugh.
November 23, 2012 at 1:19 am |
I wonder where the yellow went when I brushed my arse with Fixodent? 😛