• bite the dust (common): 1. if something bites the dust, it fails or stops existing; [e.g.]: “With the news that milk chocolate can help cut cholesterol, yet another healthy eating fad bites the dust”; “Quite a few restaurants have bitten the dust recently”; 2. if someone bites the dust, they die; [e.g.]: “A Wild West showman nearly bit the dust when he blew himself up making blank bullets in his garden shed”. [note: this expression is used to refer to someone’s death in a humorous way; in stories about the Wild West, cowboys were said to “bite the dust” when they were shot and fell off their horses]. ~ (Collins Co-Build Idioms Dictionary).

• bite the dust (slang): 1. of a person, to die; [e.g.]: “We were so lucky to avoid that massive accident—we might have bitten the dust!”; 2. of a machine, to be near a complete breakdown or loss of functionality; [e.g.]: “Judging by all that noise coming from her car, I’m pretty sure it’s about to bite the dust”; “I have to go buy a new blender because mine bit the dust today”; 3. to become unpopular or irrelevant; [e.g.]: “Sadly, it doesn’t take long for the latest technological innovations to bite the dust”. ~ (Farlex Dictionary of Idioms).

• bite the dust (slang): 1. to die; [e.g.]: “A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust”; “The soldier was too young to bite the dust”; 2. to break; to fail; to give out; [e.g.]: “My old car finally bit the dust”; “This pen is out of ink and has bitten the dust”. ~ (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs).

• bite the dust (informal): 1. be killed; 2. fail. ~ (Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary).

• bite the dust (slang): 1. to die; [e.g.]: “A shot rang out, and another cowboy bit the dust”; 2. to break; to fail; to give out; [e.g.]: “My car finally bit the dust”. ~ (McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions).

• bite the dust (slang): 1. to fall dead, especially in combat; 2. to be defeated; 3. to come to an end. ~ (American Heritage Dictionary).

• bite the dust, to (cliché): to be defeated or killed. The term became popular from American western films, in which cowboys and/or Indians frequently “bit the dust”—that is, were shot or shoved off their horses to the dusty ground. It became current in the late 1930s. However, the term occurs even earlier in William Cullen Bryant’s translation (1870) of Homer’s “Iliad (“his fellow warriors ... fall round him to the earth and bite the dust”) and it also is found in translations of Virgil’s “Aeneid”. ~ (The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer).

• foil (n.): a person or thing which gives contrast to another. ~ (Collins English Dictionary).

• foil (n.): one which stands in contrast to and emphasises the distinctive characteristics of another; [e.g.]: “I am resolved my husband shall not be a rival, but a foil to me”. (Charlotte Brontë). ~ (American Heritage Dictionary).

• foil (n.): a person or thing which makes another seem better by contrast. ~ (Webster’s College Dictionary).

• foil (n.): contrast, background, antithesis; setting, relief, complement; [e.g.]: “A cold beer is the perfect foil for a curry”. ~ (Collins English Thesaurus).

The product has not been advertised on television since the 1980s, yet the name has entered into Australian and New Zealand vernacular. It stands for an ersatz or dummy thing, or something which is obviously ineffective. For example, a common-law couple might be described as having a “Claytons marriage”. A knowledgeable but unqualified handyman could be referred to as a “Claytons carpenter”. The term can also be used as an insult.

According to the product label, Claytons was “originally blended and bottled by the Clayton Brothers for the ‘Pure Water Company’, Battersea, London, in the 1880s”. According to 1980s labelling it was “made from African kola nuts and citrus essences”. The product, bottled by Beecham, was taken off the market in New Zealand but continued to be distributed in Australia through Orlando Wines and later Cadbury-Schweppes.

As of 2020 the Claytons brand is still being used by “Armstrong Agencies Ltd” in Barbados, though the product is called “Claytons Kola Tonic”. This particular brand is also available in Australia from vendors such as Woolworths Supermarkets.

The phrase has two different, but related, meanings:

• Same word, different thing: Many regarded Claytons as a poor taste substitute, and the promotional campaign was ridiculed at the time. Subsequently, the term “Claytons” entered the vocabulary of both countries, used as an adjective to signify a compromise which satisfies no-one, or any form of inferior substitute or low-quality imitation, largely synonymous with the word “ersatz”. For example, a hasty or temporary repair may be only a “Claytons solution” to a problem.

• Different word, same thing: Claytons may also refer to something essentially the same but going by a different name. So for instance before an election campaign is officially called there is the “Claytons campaign”: the election campaign you have when you’re not having an election campaign.

The term is primarily used by people old enough to remember the original advertising campaign, but it is still widely used throughout both countries, especially in political debate.

The commercial also generated another catch-phrase which became common in New Zealand and Australia. Before turning to camera at the start of the advertisement, our Claytons-drinking hero (played by Jack Thompson) tells the punch-line of a joke to the barman: “... and then this guy says ‘Now we can all get some sleep!’”

For example, after completing a particularly irksome task—perhaps changing a tyre in the rain, or dropping twelve children off to their respective houses after a noisy birthday party—one can say “Now we can all get some sleep” to put a humorous full stop on the event.

In the original advertisement, set in a bar, this “punchline” was greeted with raucous laughter, followed by the barman saying “What’ll you have?” Jack: “Claytons, thanks, Brian”. Bloke in Bar: “On the wagon, Jack?” Jack. “No. When I don’t feel like alcohol, I have Claytons”. Voice-over: “Claytons. The drink you have when you’re not having a drink”.

Claytons is also the name given to New Zealand’s “Intervarsity Novice Debating Championships” hosted by Canterbury University and Otago University Debating Society. It is referred to as Claytons because it is the “debating tournament you go to when you’re not debating”. ~ (2023 Wikipedia Encyclopaedia).

• day in and day out (adv.): without respite; [e.g.]: “he plays chess day in and day out”; (synonym): all the time. ~ (Princeton’s WordNet 3.0).

• day in, day out (adv.; idiomatic): every day; daily; constantly or continuously (especially, of something which has become routine or monotonous); [e.g.]: “Even if you like peanut butter sandwiches, eating the same sandwiches day in, day out will get old”; “There were derailments happening day in and day out, due in part to ‘shunting mishaps’ but more frequently involving wagons in freight trains due to a combination of poor track and speed”. (page 52, “When the Tide Turned to a Safer Railway”, by John Crosse; January 26, 2022, RAIL, № 949); (related terms): week in, week out; year in, year out; night in, night out; month in, month out. ~ (Wiktionary English Dictionary).

• day in and day out (idiom): a phrase used to describe something which happens routinely or regularly; [e.g.]: “Day in and day out, I pass the same woman walking her dog”; “My mother started driving us to school because we would miss the bus day in and day out”. [variant: ‘day in, day out, every day, without fail’]. ~ (Farlex Dictionary of Idioms).

• day in and day out (idiom): on every day; for each day; [e.g.]: “She watches soap operas day in and day out”; “They eat nothing but vegetables, day in, day out”. ~ (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs).

• day in, day out (idiom): done or happening every day for a long period of time, esp. of something boring; [e.g.]: “I have to do the same boring jobs day in day out”; (synonyms): continually and repeatedly; morning, noon, and night; hour after hour; year in, year out. ~ (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus).

• day in, day out (idiom): every day; used to say a repeated event or task is boring; [e.g.]: “I do the same things day in, day out”. [variant: ‘day in and day out’]. ~ (Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary).

• day in, day out (cliché): for an indefinite number of successive days; [e.g.]: “does the same thing at work day in, day out”; day after day: for an indefinite or seemingly endless number of days; [e.g.]: “wore the same pants day after day”. ~ (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

• day in, day out (idiom): every day, without respite; daily, without fail; regularly; constantly; routinely; incessantly; happening daily for a long time; over and over again; all the time; [e.g.]: “They had to endure the city’s dirt and noise day in, day out”; “I’ve had enough of the same routine, day in and day out. I will take a long vacation”; “We have to feed our bodies day in, day out”; “He takes his dog for a walk day in, day out”; “Dad started driving us to school since we used to miss the bus day in, day out”; “The mentally ill woman wore the same clothes day in, day out for years”; “I drink tea day in, day out”; “It’s boring to work day in, day out as a lifeguard”; “For the last week, it has been raining day in, day out”; “My secretary is outgoing and cheerful day in, day out, which makes the work environment pleasant”; “Life feels too boring when you go to office for work day in, day out”. [origin: people have used the idiom “day in, day out” since the early 1800s, often to express boredom from doing a certain thing daily over a long time; it is also used to express disbelief; this phrase was defined in William Carr’s “The Dialect of Craven”, published in 1828; in a 1960 autobiography titled “The Buried Day”, Cecil Day-Lewis (1904-1972) used it to describe his school days; he wrote that his schoolmates jeered at, kicked around, or ostracised a certain boy day in, day out for several years; by this time, the idiom was already a cliché]. ~ (The Idioms Dictionary).

• Elvis has left the building (idiom): used to refer to ‘the end’ of a public show, or event, and meaning the show has finished and everyone can go home now; [e.g.]: “What are you waiting for now? Elvis has left the building already”; “I think we delayed too long in coming—Elvis has left the building already”; “The event manager said, ‘I am sorry Mr. Reddy, you are late. Elvis has left the building already’”; “Why has Elvis left the building so soon? The show was supposed to end at eleven o’clock tonight”; “Tom went to the movies to watch ‘Black Panther’ with his friends, and, after the movie had finally ended, yes, Elvis had left the building and it was time to go home”; “I came here, to take photos of the tornado from near, but it turned away before reaching to us. Elvis has left the building already”; (synonyms): (a.) the concert is over—go home; (b.) it’s all over!; (c.) finished or ended; (d.) the end; (e.) the party is over; (f.) over and done with. [origin: this expression was used back in the days at the end of every Elvis Presley concert to let fans know there would be no more performances and they need to go home. Now, it is used more widely to show that someone has made an exit or that a process is complete]. ~ (The-Idioms-Dot-Com).

• The phrase “Elvis has left the building” is an expression which was often used by public address announcers at the conclusion of Elvis Presley concerts in order to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore. It has since become a catchphrase and punchline.

Origin: The phrase was first used by promoter Horace Logan at the “Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium” in Shreveport, Louisiana, on December 15, 1956. Elvis had appeared in the middle of the night’s lineup, and the promoter needed to quiet the audience so the remaining performers could play. The full quotation was:

• “All right, all right, Elvis has left the building. I’ve told you absolutely straight up to this point. You know that. He has left the building. He left the stage and went out the back with the policemen and he is now gone from the building”.

The phrase “Elvis has left the building” is also heard at the end of Elvis’ March 1961 “Pearl Harbor Memorial” benefit concert, after Elvis exits at the end of “Hound Dog” and a short coda from the band. Throughout the 1970s, the phrase was captured on record several times, spoken by Al Dvorin (Albert Dvorin, 1923-2004, was a bandleader who was best known for working with Elvis Presley). In later years the phrase would be spoken by some of Elvis’ backup singers to calm down the audience after concerts.

In popular culture: “Elvis Has Just Left the Building” is a song by Frank Zappa, first released in 1988 on “Broadway the Hard Way”. The phrase has since become a catchphrase and punchline, used to refer to anyone who has exited in some sense (even death). For instance, it might be used when someone makes a dramatic exit from an argument, to relieve tension among those who remain. Baseball broadcasters on radio or television sometimes use the phrase as a humorous way to describe a home run, which is typically hit over the outfield fence, leaving the field of play. ~ (2024 Wikipedia Encyclopaedia).

give the lie to: serve to show the falsity of (a supposition etc.)’. (Oxford Dictionary).

• give the game away (informal): accidentally reveal your own or another person’s secret plan, trick, etc. and so spoil it; [e.g.]: “Don’t laugh when he comes in or you’ll give the game away”; “The birthday present’s got to be a surprise, and he can’t keep a secret, so never tell him anything important in case he gives the game away”; (opposite): keep somebody guessing. ~ (Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary).

• give the game away (common): if someone or something gives the game away, they reveal something which someone had been trying to keep secret; [e.g.]: “He had intended to make his announcement in an article in The Times but the paper gave the game away by advertising the article a week before publishing”; “She looks every inch a Beverly Hills native, as she leans against a palm tree, and only the English accent gives the game away”. ~ (Collins CoBuild Idioms Dictionary).

• give the game away (idiom): to reveal something which was meant to be kept secret, especially a plan; [e.g.]: “You’re going to give the game away if you don’t quit whispering about it!”; “They were trying to sneak up on the other team, but their team-leader’s bright tee-shirt gave the game away”. ~ (Farlex Dictionary of Idioms).

• hide (someone or something) in plain view (idiom): to conceal someone or something so they or it go unnoticed despite being in full, unrestricted view; [e.g.]: “I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re hiding the kidnapped infant in plain view, masquerading as a married couple out for a stroll in the fresh air”. ~ (Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary).

• in the main (adv.): 1. for the most part; [e.g.]: “Nonetheless it will endure, in the main, as it is essentially sound”; (synonyms): mainly, chiefly, primarily, principally; [e.g.]: “She is mainly interested in butterflies”; 2. without distinction of one from others; [e.g.]: “Though essentially different they appeared similar, in the main, to casual inspection”; (synonyms): in general, generally; [e.g.]: “He is, in general, interested in her flutter-byes”. ~ (Princeton’s WordNet 3.0; Edited Version).

• in the main (idiom): mostly; on the whole; [e.g.]: “The students did well, in the main, for all it being a rigorous exam”. ~ (Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary; Edited version).

In the Meanwhile ...

[Richard]: ‘... the purpose of applying the method, which the identity inhabiting this flesh and blood body all those years ago both devised and put into full effect, is two-fold – to be of an immediate benefit (an ongoing affective felicity/ innocuity) and an ultimate benefaction (an enduring actual felicity/ innocuity) – and is thus a win-win situation inasmuch as in the meanwhile, if the ultimate be yet to come about, a virtual freedom is way, way beyond normal human expectations.
I cannot stress enough how, with a virtual freedom being more or less the norm worldwide, global amity and equity would be an on-going state of affairs’.

In No Uncertain Terms:

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