Coordinates	55°45′06″N37°37′04″N
name	Dillie Keane
birth name	Louise M. Keane
birth date	May 23, 1952
birth place	United Kingdom
website	http://www.fascinatingaida.co.uk/
laurenceolivierawards	3 Times Nominated with ''Fascinating Aida''
awards	Perrier Awards 2 Times Nominated (Once with ''Fascinating Aida'', 1984; again for her one woman show, 1990 }}

Louise M. "Dillie" Keane (born 23 May 1952) is an Olivier Award-nominated actress, singer and comedienne. She is perhaps best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio ''Fascinating Aida'' since its 1983 inception, but she has also had a prominent solo career.

Career

Theatre and Fascinating Aida

Keane was nominated for a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1990 for her one woman theatre show ''Single Again'' (Sean Hughes would go on to win the award), returning the following year with ''Citizen Keane''. Between 1999 and 2001 she toured a one woman show, ''Back With You'', taking in the UK and Germany, and winning the Best Comedy Award at the Moers Comedy Festival in 2001.

In 2002, Keane wrote the songs for Sandi Toksvig's musical comedy ''Big Night Out At The Little Palace Theatre'' (starring in the show itself at the Palace Theatre), Watford with Toksvig and Bonnie Langford. Other works include the plays ''A Slice of Life'' (1981) and ''Boat People'' (1983). She has written songs for two pantos with Adele Anderson.

Keane continued her acting career, including touring versions of ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' and ''Charley's Aunt'', ''Juno and the Paycock'' at the Leicester Haymarket; ''The Plough and the Stars'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds; ''Accommodating Eva'' at the King's Head Theatre in Islington and ''Present Laughter'' at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She was included in the premiere production of ''The Vagina Monologues'' in Dublin in 2002. She appeared with ''Kit and The Widow'' in Tomfoolery during 2005 and in the premiere one night only staging of a new musical version of ''Little Women'' at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Keane has recently been (2006) appearing alongside Jenny Eclair and Linda Robson, in ''Grumpy Old Women Live'' and she appeared as The Duchess in ''Me and My Girl'' (2006) on a new national tour. She is currently performing the role of Dolly in ''Frank and Dolly'' a new play by Lizzie Hopley at the Edinburgh Festival 2007, for which she has been nominated for The Stage Best Actress Award, before getting back on tour with ''Grumpy Old Women Live''. She then toured round Ireland performing the role of Lady Bracknell in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'', before returning to England, and beginning to write new songs for the 25th anniversary of ''Fascinating Aida'', which performed for a few weeks at the Jermyn Street Theatre. On 29 June 2008, she appeared in (as well as produced with Barb Jungr) ''The Lovely Russell Concert'', which celebrated the life of her friend and colleague Russell Churney. As of 2009, she is touring England with ''Fascinating Aida'', and they have just completed a new CD.

Television

As well as a television version of ''Fascinating Aida'', Dillie has appeared with Richard Griffiths and Samantha Janus in ''Pie in the Sky'', and with Phil Cool on a number of his series as well as ''The Truth About Women''.

Radio

Keane has written and presented on radio for shows such as ''Stop the Week'' ''4th Column'', ''Booked!'' and ''Call Me When You're in Something'' (which won the Prix Monte Carlo).

Writing

Keane was a columnist for the ''Mail on Sunday'' (1993-95), and published two books connected with 'Aida': ''The Joy of Sequins - The Fascinating Aïda Songbook'' (1995) and ''Fascinating Who?'' (1985).

Personal life

Keane was born to Frank Keane, a doctor from County Mayo, and the former Miriam Slattery (from Tralee, County Kerry). Dillie Keane was raised in Portsmouth as a Roman Catholic, and described her mother as something of a "dragon".

She currently lives in Oxfordshire with her partner. She travels for her work, and particularly enjoys working in Ireland, the homeland of her parents.

She drives a Ford Transit: "I'm colossally uninterested in cars... but vans are different. They're incredible fun to drive. You are practically always the bigger dog. People always back up in small country lanes to let you pass. And even lorry drivers are much nicer; they'll flash you to let you in."

Education

Expelled from the Woldingham School (Sacred Heart) as a teenager, Keane studied music at Trinity College, Dublin, but left the four-year course after three years. She went on to study acting for three years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She was made an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Portsmouth in recognition of her career and her continuing links with the city.

See also

Fascinating Aida

Grumpy Old Women Live

Liza Pulman

Adèle Anderson

References

External links

Interview with ''The Theatre Guide''

A Dillie Keane Column at ''The Stage''

Fascinating Aida Official Website

Jermyn Street Theatre Fascinating Aida Notice

Dillie Keane at Gavin Barker Associates

Interview on ''Grumpy Old Women Live''

Grumpy Old Women interview with the ''Lancashire Telegraph''

Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Category:British stage actors Category:British songwriters Category:British comedians Category:British television actors Category:British writers Category:British people of Irish descent Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Cabaret performers Category:People from Portsmouth Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Coordinates	55°45′06″N37°37′04″N
Name	Amanda Palmer
Alias	Amanda Fucking Palmer
Background	solo_singer
Landscape	yes
Birth name	Amanda MacKinnon Palmer
Birth date	April 30, 1976New York City, New YorkUnited States
Spouse	Neil Gaiman (2011-present)
Genre	Alternative rockPunk cabaret
Occupation	Artist, performer, musician, songwriter
Instrument	Voice, keyboard, piano, ukulele
Label	8ft Records / Formerly Roadrunner Records (until April 2010)
Associated acts	The Dresden DollsEvelyn Evelyn
Years active	1989–present
website	Amanda Palmer.net }}

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer (born 30 April 1976), sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls. She has since started a solo career, and is also one half of the Evelyn Evelyn duo.

Biography

Palmer was born in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, and grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. She attended Lexington High School, where she was involved in the drama department, and attended Wesleyan University where she was a member of the Eclectic Society. She staged performances based on work by the Legendary Pink Dots, an early influence, and was involved in the Legendary Pink Dots electronic mailing list, Cloud Zero. She then formed the Shadowbox Collective, devoted to street theatre and putting on theatrical shows (such as the 2002 play, ''Hotel Blanc'', which she directed).

With an interest in the performing arts, both in music and in theatre, Palmer spent time busking as a living statue called "The Eight Foot Bride" in Harvard Square, Cambridge; Edinburgh, Scotland; Australia (where she met Jason Webley); as well as many other locations. She references this line of work on The Dresden Dolls' self-titled CD, with the song "The Perfect Fit":

"I can paint my face And stand very, very still It's not very practical But it still pays the bills"

as well as on the ''A is for Accident'' track "Glass Slipper":

"I give out flowersTo curious strangerswho throw dollars at my feet."

The Dresden Dolls

At a Halloween party in 2000, Palmer met drummer Brian Viglione and afterwards they formed The Dresden Dolls. In an effort to expand the performance experience and interactivity, Palmer began inviting Lexington High School students to perform drama pieces at her live shows. The Dirty Business Brigade, a troupe of seasoned and new artists, performs at many gigs. The invited costumed characters mingle with the crowd before and during the show, and veteran groups sometimes join in with a choreographed stage act. Life-sized marionettes, coin-operated boys, living statues, and other undergroundlings greet fans while circus and burlesque draw the audience into the Dolls' music, creating a participatory atmosphere that allows the audience to experience numerous types of art simultaneously.

After developing a cult following, the band recorded their eponymous debut album, ''The Dresden Dolls'' in 2002 with producer Martin Bisi (of Indie, Brooklyn, New York fame). They produced the album before being picked up by Roadrunner Records.

In 2006, ''The Dresden Dolls Companion'', was published, with words, music & artwork by Amanda Palmer. In it she has written a history of the album ''The Dresden Dolls'' and of the duo, as well as a partial autobiography. The book also contains the lyrics, sheet music, and notes on each song in the album, all written by Palmer, as well as a DVD with a 20 minute interview of Amanda about making the book.

In June 2007, as part of the Dresden Dolls, she toured with the True Colors Tour 2007, including her debut in New York City's Radio City Music Hall, and her first review in the ''New York Times''.

July 2008 saw the release of the second Dresden Dolls book, the ''Virginia Companion''. It is a follow-up to ''The Dresden Dolls Companion'', featuring the music and lyrics from the ''Yes, Virginia...''(2006) and ''No, Virginia...'' (2008) albums.

The Onion Cellar and Cabaret

Palmer conceived the musical/production ''The Onion Cellar'', based on a short story from The Tin Drum by Günter Grass. From 9 December 2006 through 13 January 2007, The Dresden Dolls performed the piece in conjunction with the American Repertory Theater at the Zero Arrow Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While Palmer was openly frustrated with the direction of the show, fan and critical reviews were very positive.

Palmer, as part of her solo career, returned to the A.R.T. in fall 2010 for a two-month run of Cabaret, starring as the Emcee.

2010 Reunion Tour

In 2010, a reunion tour to selected venues in the United States occurred. It started on Halloween in New York City and ended in San Francisco on New Years Eve.

Solo career

Palmer's solo album, ''Who Killed Amanda Palmer'', was released on 16 September 2008. Ben Folds produced and also played on the album. The title is a play on an expression used by fans during ''Twin Peaks''' original run, "Who killed Laura Palmer?" A companion book of photos of Palmer looking as if she were murdered was released in July 2009 featuring photography by Kyle Cassidy and accompanying writing by Neil Gaiman.

August Strindberg was indirectly referenced in a song by Palmer titled "Strength Through Music," which contains an audio clip of a web cartoon called ''Strindberg and Helium''. The cartoon almost exclusively quotes Strindberg's work.

In July 2007, Palmer played three sold out shows (in Boston, Hoboken, and NYC) in a rare "with band" format. Her backing band was Boston alternative rock group Aberdeen City, who also opened along with Dixie Dirt. In August 2007, Amanda traveled to perform in the Spiegeltent and other venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, and also performed on BBC Two's ''The Edinburgh Show''. She collaborated with Australian theater company, The Danger Ensemble; both again appeared at the Spiegeltent in Melbourne and at other venues around Australia in December 2007. In September 2007 Palmer collaborated with Jason Webley to release Evelyn Evelyn's debut EP "Elephant Elephant" via Jason's Eleven Records. In June 2008, Palmer established her solo career with two well-received performances with the Boston Pops. In Autumn 2008, she toured Europe with Jason Webley, Zoe Keating and The Danger Ensemble, performing songs mostly from her debut solo album. She did most of the shows with a broken foot she had sustained in Ireland when a car ran over her foot as she stepped out into a street. In April 2009, she played at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In 2009, Palmer went back to her alma mater, Lexington High School in Massachusetts to collaborate with her old director and mentor Steven Bogart on a workshop piece for the department's spring production. The play, ''With The Needle That Sings In Her Heart'' was inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel's album, ''In the Aeroplane Over the Sea'' and ''The Diary of Anne Frank''. It received an overwhelmingly positive response from the Lexington community and abroad. NPR's Avishay Artsy interviewed the cast in a piece featured on All Things Considered on closing night of the production. Amanda described this process as "what it's all about" in her blog.

From August to October 2010, she performed in Cabaret at the A.R.T. in Boston, Massachusetts. She played the emcee, collaborating with long-time associates Lance Horne (music director), Steven Mitchell Wright of The Danger Ensemble ("movement master/choreographer"), and Steven Bogart (director, Amanda's high school drama teacher who directed the Lexington High School production of the Neutral Milk Hotel-inspired "With the Needle That Sings In Her Heart").

Palmer has increasingly used the ukulele in her career, including open to all ages and free ninja gigs in public locations.

Dispute with Roadrunner Records

Fans' "ReBellyon"

After the release of her music video for the song "Leeds United," Palmer sparked controversy with a post in her blog. She claimed Roadrunner Records had wanted to pull certain shots from the video that exposed her stomach, because "...they thought I looked fat." After her fans read about this, they posted pictures of their stomachs online with messages to Roadrunner, lyrics, and words of comfort. They then sent their pictures to the record label, and started a web site. The fans coined a term for the movement: The ReBellyon, and put together a book, "The Belly Book," of over 600 pictures and stories from fans. The book was sold over the internet to fans all over the world. ''Pitchfork Magazine'' and ''The Guardian'' were among publications reporting on the controversy.

Partly because of the Leeds video controversy, Palmer attempted to disengage from her contract with Roadrunner Records, going as far as composing and performing a song called "Please Drop Me," which asked the label to free her from the contract.

After a long legal battle between Palmer and Roadrunner, and her repetitive pleas to discontinue her contract with Roadrunner, Palmer announced that Roadrunner Records finally released her from their label. Her appreciation was punctuated with another new song: "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth So Help Your Black Ass" as a free download to celebrate her new freedom. She repeated the announcement during an appearance on the Australian music quiz show ''Spicks and Specks''.

"Oasis" controversy

Palmer's song "Oasis," and its follow up video, sparked more controversy. The song's fictional story deals with an Oasis fan and rape victim who has an abortion. Despite these tragic events, she states that "I've seen better days, but I don't care," and directly after, informs the listener what just happened involving her process of communicating to Oasis through fan mail, first, "I just sent a letter in the mail," then, "Oasis got my letter in the mail," and finally, toward the end of the song, "I just got a letter in the mail." Palmer received an e-mail while she was in the United Kingdom from her label there explaining that "all" of the TV outlets in the country had refused to play the video due to its "making light of rape, religion, and abortion." Palmer, in response, wrote on her blog "I suggested that I might be allowed to play it if I just slowed it way down and played it in a minor key. Think about it. If they heard the same lyrics against the backdrop of a very sad and liliting [sic] piano, maybe with some tear-jerking strings thrown in for good measure, would they take issue?"

"I Kissed a Girl" skit

In December 2008, Palmer performed an Anti Proposition 8 agitprop skit at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles where a Katy Perry look-alike came onstage and begin singing her controversial song "I Kissed a Girl," only to be interrupted, kissed, and fondled by Palmer and comedian Margaret Cho. The skit ended with the two binding and gagging "Perry," who is forced into a mock wedding with Palmer, followed by the raising of an anti Proposition 8 banner. Palmer mentioned, on her blog, the discontent some in the LGBT community had with Perry over her exploitation of their identity in her song "I Kissed a Girl," and said she meant the piece as a protest against Proposition 8.

Personal life

Palmer currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

She has identified as bisexual, telling afterellen.com in 2007: "I'm bisexual, but it's not the sort of thing I spent a lot of time thinking about," Palmer said. "I've slept with girls; I've slept with guys, so I guess that's what they call it! I'm not anti trying to use language to simplify our lives." On her blog, Palmer has stated that she had an abortion at age 17. In the same blog post, she stated that she was date raped when she was 20 years old.

On 1 January 2010, she stated on her Twitter feed that she "might have told [Neil Gaiman] [she]'d marry him but also might have been drunk." On 15 January 2010, Gaiman and Palmer confirmed their engagement in an announcement made to their respective websites. On 16 November 2010, Amanda Palmer hosted a flash mob wedding (not legally binding) for Gaiman's birthday in New Orleans. On 3 January 2011, the couple announced, via Twitter, that they had legally married in a private ceremony. The wedding took place in the parlour of writers Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon.

Amanda practices meditation and wrote an article titled ''Melody vs. Meditation'' for the Buddhist publication Shambhala Sun, that described the struggle between songwriting and being able to clear the mind to meditate. Palmer has also mentioned her pescetarianism on her blog.

Awards & honors

2011 – Actress in a local production: Cabaret – Boston's Best, Improper Bostonian 2010 – Artist of the Year – Boston Music Awards 2010 – Cover of ''Fake Plastic Trees'' (Radiohead) named 13th of Paste Magazine's 20 Best Cover Songs of 2010 2009 – #100 on After Ellen's Hot 100 of 2009. 2008 – #6 on the Best Solo artist list in The Guardian's Readers' Poll of 2008. 2007 – #6 on Spinner.com's ''Women Who Rock Right Now''. 2006 – the Boston Globe named her the most stylish woman in Boston. 2006 – listed in Blender Magazine's hottest women of rock. 2005 – won Best Female Vocalist in the WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll.

Discography

Solo artist

Demos

''Songs from 1989–1995...'' (1996)

''Summer 1998 Five Song Demo'' (1997)

Studio albums

''Who Killed Amanda Palmer'' (2008) #77 US ''Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under'' (2011)

EPs

''Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele'' (2010)

Singles

"Do You Swear to Tell the Truth the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth So Help Your Black Ass" (6 April 2010)

"Idioteque" (10 June 2010)

"Map of Tasmania" (December 2010)

DVDs

''Who Killed Amanda Palmer: A Collection of Music Videos'' (2009)

As part of The Dresden Dolls

''The Dresden Dolls EP'' (2002)

''A Is for Accident'' (2003)

''The Dresden Dolls'' (2003)

''The Dresden Dolls'' (reissue) (2004)

''Yes, Virginia...'' (2006)

''No, Virginia...'' (2008)

As part of Evelyn Evelyn

''Elephant Elephant'' (2007)

''Evelyn Evelyn''(2010)

Collaborations

"Trudy" (with Ad Frank and the Fast Easy Women on ''In Girl Trouble'') (2003)

"Circus Freak Love Triangle" (with Hierosonic on ''Pornos and Razorblades'') (2005)

"Warsaw Is Khelm" (with Golem on ''Fresh Off Boat'') (2006)

"Life", "Eight Days of Hell" and "Witch's Web" (with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead on ''So Divided'') (2006)

"The Lovers" (with Meredith Yayanos on ''Brainwaves'') (2006)

"Stuck with You" (with Voltaire on ''Ooky Spooky'') (2007)

''Elephant Elephant'' (with Jason Webley as Evelyn Evelyn) (2007)

"Everybody Hurts" (with Cormac Bride on ''Stereogum Presents... ''Drive XV'': A Tribute to Automatic For the People'') (2007)

"Black Versus White" (with Apoptygma Berzerk on ''Rocket Science'') (2009)

Murder By Death/Amanda Palmer Split 7" (2009)

"Living in Misery" (with Kill Hannah on ''Wake Up the Sleepers'') (2009)

''Evelyn Evelyn'' (with Jason Webley as Evelyn Evelyn) (2010)

"János vs Wonderland" (with Tristan Allen on ''Tristan Allen EP'') (2010)

"The Little Prince" (with Lance Horne on ''First Things Last'') (2011) ''Nighty Night'' (with Damian Kulash of OK Go, Neil Gaiman and Ben Folds as 8in8) (2011)

Cameo appearances

"Let Me Borrow That Top" (by Liam Kyle Sullivan aka. "Kelly") (2004) appearing briefly in the mall scene.

"With the Needle That Sings in Her Heart" (Lexington High School's 2009 Spring Production) appearing as "The Ringmaster"

Bibliography

Notes

External links

Amanda Palmer's official site

Live Webcast & Ustream archive

Who Killed Amanda Palmer"">"Who Killed Amanda Palmer" website (for the album, book, and music video series)

Amanda Palmer's autobiography on The Dresden Dolls' website

Interviews

Conversation with Amanda Palmer and Henry Rollins – 7 July 2007

Category:1976 births Category:Feminist artists Category:American feminists Category:Living people Category:Pescetarians Category:Evelyn Evelyn members Category:American buskers Category:American dramatists and playwrights Category:American female singers Category:American rock pianists Category:American rock singers Category:Bisexual musicians Category:Dark cabaret musicians Category:The Dresden Dolls members Category:Female punk rock singers Category:LGBT feminists Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Massachusetts culture Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:American women artists Category:People from Lexington, Massachusetts Category:American bloggers

da:Amanda Palmer de:Amanda Palmer es:Amanda Palmer eo:Amanda Palmer fr:Amanda Palmer nl:Amanda Palmer pl:Amanda Palmer pt:Amanda Palmer fi:Amanda Palmer sv:Amanda Palmer

Fanny Adams (30 April 1859 – 24 August 1867) was a young English girl murdered by solicitor's clerk Frederick Baker in Alton, Hampshire. The expression "sweet Fanny Adams" refers to her and has come, through British naval slang, to mean "nothing at all".

Murder

On 24 August 1867 at about 1.30 pm, Fanny's mother, Harriet Adams, let the eight-year-old Fanny, her friend Minnie Warner (aged 7) and Fanny's sister Lizzie (aged 5) go up Tanhouse Lane towards Flood Meadow.

In the lane they met Frederick Baker, a 29-year-old solicitor's clerk.

Baker offered Millie and Lizzie three halfpence to go and spend and offered Fanny a halfpenny to accompany him towards Shalden, a couple of miles north of Alton. She took the coin but refused to go. He carried her into a hop field, out of sight of the other girls.

At about 5 pm, Millie and Lizzie returned home. Neighbour Mrs Gardiner asked them where Fanny was, and they told her what had happened. Mrs Gardiner told Mrs Adams, and they went up the lane, where they came upon Baker coming back. They questioned him and he said he had given the girls money for sweets, but that was all. His respectability meant the women let him go on his way.

At about 7 pm Fanny was still missing, and neighbours went searching. They found Fanny's body in the hop field, horribly butchered. Her head and legs had been severed and her eyes put out. Her torso had been emptied and her organs scattered (it took several days for all her remains to be found). Her remains were taken to a nearby doctor's surgery, where the body was put back together. The surgery is now a pub called the "Ye Olde Leathern Bottle" and is believed to be haunted by the little girl.

Mrs Adams ran to The Butts field where her husband, bricklayer George Adams, was playing cricket. She told him what had happened, then collapsed. Adams got his shotgun from home and set off to find the perpetrator, but neighbours stopped him.

Arrest

That evening Police Superintendent William Cheyney arrested Baker at his place of work: the offices of solicitor William Clement in the High Street. He was led through an angry mob to the police station. There was blood on his shirt and trousers, which he could not explain, but he protested his innocence. He was searched and found to have two small blood-stained knives on him.

Witnesses put Baker in the area, returning to his office at about 3 pm, then going out again. Baker's workmate, fellow clerk Maurice Biddle, reported that, when drinking in the Swan that evening, Baker had said he might leave town. When Biddle replied that he might have trouble getting another job, Baker said, chillingly with hindsight, "I could go as a butcher". On 26 August, the police found Baker's diary in his office. It contained a damning entry:

: 24th August, Saturday — killed a young girl. It was fine and hot.

On Tuesday 27th, Deputy County Coroner Robert Harfield held an inquest. Painter William Walker had found a stone with blood, long hair and flesh; police surgeon, Dr Louis Leslie had carried out a post mortem and concluded that death was by a blow to the head and that the stone was the murder weapon. Baker said nothing, except that he was innocent. The jury returned a verdict of willful murder. On the 29th the local magistrates committed Baker for trial at the Winchester County Assizes. The police had difficulty protecting him from the mob.

Trial

At his trial on 5 December, the defence contested Millie Warner's identification of Baker and claimed the knives found were too small for the crime anyway. They also argued insanity: Baker's father had been violent, a cousin had been in asylums, his sister had died of a brain fever and he himself had attempted suicide after a love affair. The defence also argued that the diary entry was typical of the "epileptic or formal way of entry" that the defendant used and that the absence of a comma after the word killed did not render the entry a confession.

Justice Mellor invited the jury to consider a verdict of not responsible by reason of insanity, but they returned a guilty verdict after just fifteen minutes. On 24 December, Christmas Eve, Baker was hanged outside Winchester Gaol. The crime had become notorious and a crowd of 5,000 attended the execution. Before his death, Baker wrote to the Adamses expressing his sorrow for what he had done "in an unguarded hour" and seeking their forgiveness. Baker's execution was the last to take place at Winchester.

Fanny was buried in Alton cemetery. Her grave is still there today. The headstone reads:

: Sacred to the memory of Fanny Adams aged 8 years and 4 months who was cruelly murdered on Saturday August 24th 1867.

: Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Matthew 10 v 28.

: This stone was erected by voluntary subscription.

Phrase

In 1869 new rations of tinned mutton were introduced for British seamen. They were unimpressed by it, and decided it must be the butchered remains of Fanny Adams. The way her body had been strewn over a wide area presumably encouraged speculation that parts of her had been found at the Royal Navy victualling yard in Deptford, which was a large facility which included stores, a bakery and an abattoir.

"Fanny Adams" became slang for mutton or stew and then for anything worthless — from which comes the current use of "sweet Fanny Adams" (or just "sweet F. A.") to mean "nothing at all". It can be seen as a euphemism for "fuck all" – which means the same.

This is not the only example of Royal Navy slang relating to unpopular rations: even today, tins of steak and kidney pudding are known as "baby's head". The large tins the mutton was delivered in were reused as mess tins. Mess tins or cooking pots are still known as Fannys.

Further reading

Peter Cansfield ''Sweet FA: The true story of sweet Fanny Adams'' Publisher: Peter Cansfield Associates (2000), ISBN-10: 0953634612 ISBN-13: 978-0953634613

Notes

References

Fanny Adams page at the Curtis Museum in Alton

''Why Do We Say ...?'', Nigel Rees, 1987, ISBN 0-7137-1944-3.

External links

Fanny Adams's headstone at findagrave.com

''Execution of Frederick Baker, the Alton Murderer'', ballad in ''Curiosities of Street Literature'' by Charles Hindley (London 1871), at the University of Virginia Library

''Execution of Frederick Baker'', song at the Digital Tradition Mirror

Tanhouse Lane at streetmap.co.uk

Category:1859 births Category:1867 deaths Category:1867 in the United Kingdom Category:1867 crimes Category:Murdered children Category:Murdered English children Fanny Adams Category:People murdered in England Category:Euphemisms