Layovers to Catch Meddlers?

As a small child when I asked my mother, What is that?", she would often reply, "Layovers to catch meddlers." As an adult I catch myself saying the same thing to my kids and they want to know what it means. What is the origin of this phrase?  What does it mean? Thankfully I can look it up and this is what I found:

"Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris states: "layover to catch meddlers is a dialect variant of a very common answer used by adults to evade a direct answer to children's questions. Instead of saying to the child. 'It's none of your business,' he would be told, 'It's layover to catch meddlers.' So what's a layover? you ask. A layover is a trap for bears or other unwary animals, made of a pit covered with boughs. And a meddler, of course, is a person who interferes in other people's business. The phrase was recorded in Eastern and Southern states as long ago as 1890. It also appears as larovers for meddlers, layos to catch meddlers and even as a single word, larofamedlers."

Wow what an interesting phrase!

Send in the Clowns

"Send in the Clowns" Lyrics

Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground
You in mid-air
Where are the clowns?

Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around?
One who can't move?
Where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns.

Just when I'd stopped opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines
No one is there

Don't you love farce?
My fault, I fear
I thought that you'd want what I want--
Sorry, my dear
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns
Don't bother, they're here

Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer?
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns
Well, maybe next year

 We watched Fusion Dance company put on a performance Dec 4th at the Mall of Abilene. It was so beautiful, I was moved to tears. This song has rich meaning and is tragically beautiful. The dancers did a wonderful job.