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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 6 (December 1, 1931)

Playing to Full Houses on Empty Stomachs

Playing to Full Houses on Empty Stomachs.

But as man became less lit and more enlightened, he demanded something to fill the gap above the jaw sockets, and out of this yearning there arose certain daredevils who shattered the adjacent atmosphere with bagpipes and even more page 14
“Absorption of weights and measures.”

“Absorption of weights and measures.”

deadly weapons of fanfare. At first they were called minstrels, but when public opinion caused minstrelsy to be classed amongst the non-insurable occupations, they called themselves “waits” as a precautionary measure. Waits operated only at Christmas because at this season of goodwill the people would put up with practically anything. Waits usually waited for something to turn up, but they seldom got cold feet, although most of their time was spent kicking their heels in the snow and playing to full houses on empty stomachs. Thus the Christmas season became a compound of muse and bemuse, and the value of the crochet, the demi-semi-quaver, and the din (now known as dinner-music) were recognised as an aid to digestion.