Which American term did Sergeant Pepper introduce to Britain?
Standing by a parking meter
When I caught a glimpse of Rita
Filling in a ticket in her little white book
The use of 'meter maid' first appeared in US in the late 1950s. It was still largely unknown in the UK until The Beatles released Sergeant Pepper on 1 June, 1967.
Paul McCartney wrote Lovely Rita, after receiving a parking ticket from a young woman on returning to his car, parked near Abbey Road studio. Was he sub-consciously paying tribute to the influence of American English on his lyric writing? Or was it just that meter maid was easier to rhyme than parking attendant!
 |
| Paul tries to charm his way out of a parking fine. |
The Beatles Digital Teaching Teaching Pack (£3.99)