From death to drink, the town’s link to the age-old saying ‘gone for a Burton’
SEVERAL CONNOTATIONS FOR THE PHRASE, WHICH SOME SEE AS A NOD TO OUR BREWING HERITAGE
EVER heard or said the phrase ‘gone for a Burton’ and wondered where it came from?
Well so have we, many a time, so we thought we would take a look at what it really means and where it originated from. After all, it does have a town’s name in it so it is a fair assumption it could have a link to Burton.
People have used the phase for generations, probably not giving it a second’s thought when they do, but it actually has a very dark meaning behind it.
Today, most of us generally use it to mean we have gone for a pint in Burton, the town is the home of brewing after all.
However, there are a few theories as to the origin of the phrase. And we hate to break it to you but none of them are particularly cheerful - and it does mainly involve death.
The first theory - and the most common one that we found - is that it refers to someone who is dead or missing.
It was widely used as a slang term by the RAF in World War Two when the RAF took heavy casualties during the war to defeat Nazi Germany.
Back then it was considered bad luck to say that someone had died or was missing in action, so the phrase ‘gone for a Burton’ was used instead.
This part is agreed on by most sources on the saying and its origins, but there is a debate as to when it was first in print and how the phrase came about in the first place. Where would the airmen have got it from?
One popular theory is that it
does relate to our town and the famous beer that it brewed - this is a theory that is used a lot and for good reason.
The town had been the centre of beer production in the world for more than a century at the time due to its quality water and transport links. There is a lot of mention of an advert, which perhaps would have appeared in publications, released prior to the Second World War in which a place was empty at the table.
The missing person was said to have ‘gone for a Burton,’ meaning they had gone to the pub for a drink. This slogan was then taken up by the RAF.
However, there is a slight problem with this theory and that is that the advert has not been found since. That in itself is very unusual as there is usually a copy of most newspapers in archives somewhere.
One publication reported in September 1944 that it gained popularity with the English soldiers who were not satisfied with the beer provided in the canteens as they wanted a glass of Burton’s ales.
When it was not available they would walk to the nearest pub for a proper strong pint. Sometimes they would walk a long way to get there and
would return a ‘little helpless.’ It then came to mean that they would be in no shape to perform their duties being ‘dead to the world,’ which then eventually changed its meaning to a man who had died, hence how the saying ‘gone for a Burton’ got its meaning. Another suggestion is that it referred to an aircraft having to be ditched in the sea, or to end up ‘in the drink,’ implying the pilot was in search of beer. A very dark explanation we know. Referring to the town’s beer, which was a popular drink with servicemen at the time does seem like a strong explanation, but there is no way to know for sure. But we think this is what the Burtonians should plump for.
Another theory is it is a reference to the suits made by Montague Burton. He was responsible for supplying the majority of demobilisation suits that were given to the British servicemen after they left the forces. Any serviceman who was said to have ‘gone for a Burton’ was getting given a new suit ready for civvie life after serving. These are only a few of the explanations for the phrase ‘gone for a Burton’ and we appreciate there are many more. So what is your view? Let us know.