In the twinkling of a bedpost, phr. (old).—Instantaneously; with great rapidity: originally IN THE TWINKLING OF A BEDSTAFF.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. In a jiffy; in two two’s; in a brace of shakes; before you can say Jack Robinson; in a crack; in the squeezing of a lemon.
1660. The Character of Italy, 78. IN THE TWINKLING OF A BEDSTAFF, he disrob’d himself of his Pontificalibus, and was just skipping into bed.
1676. SHADWELL, The Virtuoso, I., i. ’Gad I’ll do it instantly, IN THE TWINKLING OF A BEDSTAFF.
1698. WARD, The London Spy, XI., 259. Shake ’em off and leap into bed, IN THE TWINKLING OF A BEDSTAFF.
1854. F. E. SMEDLEY, Harry Coverdale’s Courtship, i. ‘I’ll adorn and be with you IN … THE TWINKLING OF A BED-POST.’
1871. M. COLLINS, Marquis and Merchant, III, iii. 78. IN THE TWINKLING OF A BEDPOST Is each savoury platter clean.
BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE BEDPOST, phr. (common).—A humorous tag; i.e., ‘between ourselves’; entre nous, e.g. ‘I know what you say, but, BETWEEN YOU AND ME, etc. … the thing is absurd.’ Sometimes the last word is varied by ‘post,’ ‘door post,’ or ‘gate post’—any prop will serve.
1831. BULWER-LYTTON, Eugene Aram, 234. Ah, sir, all very well to say so; but, BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE BEDPOST, young master’s quarrelled with old master.
1838. DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby, x. 127. And BETWEEN YOU AND ME AND THE POST, sir, it will be a very nice portrait too.
1855. TOM TAYLOR, Still Waters Run Deep, ii. 2. BETWIXT YOU AND ME AND THE POST, if you and me, and the direction generally, doesn’t look mighty sharp, the two-and-a-half will be foive to-morrow.
1879. Punch, 8 March, 108. ‘BETWIXT YOU AND I AND THE POST, Mr. Jones,’ said Brown, confidentially … ‘Robinson ain’t got neither the Looks, nor yet the Language, nor yet the Manners of a Gentleman.’
