Shadows of Transgression: Past & Present

The Story of Sweet Fanny Adams

The surprising and tragic origin of the British phrase "sweet fanny adams," which means "nothing" or something worthless. It details the life and brutal murder of eight-year-old Fanny Adams in 1867 by Frederick Baker, whose shocking diary entry documented the crime. The document then explains how British Navy sailors morbidly used her name to describe their unpleasant tinned meat rations, leading the phrase to evolve into its current meaning. Ultimately, the source reflects on the unsettling irony of a young girl's name becoming synonymous with worthlessness due to the horrific circumstances of her death.