Part 0800.0005

[Chucky Mama]

Our family has a whole host of little phrases and saying. Some I think are a regional thing and some have been made up.

 

Couldn't stop a pig in an entry (someone with bow legs)

Couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding (someone weak and pathetic)

Hold this 'till your mother comes.

- I think are fairly common.

 

One of our made up ones started after walking with my brother and sister in law from London. They were SO painfully slow that we started the 'Walking as slowly as Jon & Kate' saying which is now used all over DD's school

 

Poor DD got caught out recently and had to ask us how many of the phrases that we use are real. The reason for this is she went out and used one and everyone looked at her as if she was mad. OH likes the white meat from a chicken and I like the brown meat. Now, we are a mixed race family and OH and myself say 'white man's meat' and 'brown man's meat' and of course the children have always said it at home Poor DD went out and said that could she have 'brown man's meat'

 

Do you have any little phrases, regional or otherwise??

[patsylabrador]

That's very funny, I love it.

My kids have always read enormous amounts of books, so much so that one of the boys when he was little would say something and then finish off the sentence with 'said Philip'. We still on occasions finish off his sentences with that although I think he'd rather we didn't.

I grew up in the west country and when I moved to London I would refer to daps instead of plimsolls, and I would have to explain what I meant.

I don't think there are any regional sayings here other than the usual London ones that I think everybody knows.

[Chucky Mama]

We used to call daps pumps.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Couldn't stop a pig in an entry (someone with bow legs)

 

We say this too, although in our family it's 'Couldn't stop a pig in a passage'

 

My mum was a teacher before she retired and was famed for her fierce stare that could instantly freeze a room full of unruly children (Interestingly it works on animals too - we tested it on the dog ) It became known as 'The Corsican Death Stare' or 'a dose of the gammas' and became such commonplace sayings in our house that they were often used outside the family without thinking, often with a confused look from the other person

[Egluntyne]

Our family has a whole host of little phrases and saying. Some I think are a regional thing and some have been made up.

 

Couldn't stop a pig in an entry (someone with bow legs)

 

It is 'couldn't stop a pig in a ginnell' where I come from (Manchester).

 

For someone who is busy and fidgeting, we say that they are like a bee on a posy.

[Space Chick]

The one that we use here is "I'm gutted as 10", whenever you are really upset about something.

 

Its stems from a local news story from about 20 years ago, when a man had a car drive through the front of his house was being interviewed. The reporter said "you must be gutted" to which he replied "Gutted?!? I'm gutted as 10"

[majorbloodnock]

Unfortunately, many of the examples that spring to my mind are somewhat lavatorial. However, there are a few clean enough to mention here.

 

• As happy as Larry on Larry's Birthday
  
• You're a steely-eyed missile man (a quote borrowed from Apollo 13 to congratulate someone on a clever thought)
  
• Suffering from fridge-suck (constitutionally incapable of leaving those left-overs alone)
  
• The barrier's down, the lights are flashing but the train just ain't coming. (Used to describe someone being rather slow on the uptake)

 

At work, we occasionally have to refer to a PEBKAC issue (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair), which is deemed more polite than discussing an eye-dee-ten-tee problem (written ID10T).

[Chucky Mama]

Unfortunately, many of the examples that spring to my mind are somewhat lavatorial. However, there are a few clean enough to mention here.

 

• As happy as Larry on Larry's Birthday
  
• You're a steely-eyed missile man (a quote borrowed from Apollo 13 to congratulate someone on a clever thought)
  
• Suffering from fridge-suck (constitutionally incapable of leaving those left-overs alone)
  
• The barrier's down, the lights are flashing but the train just ain't coming. (Used to describe someone being rather slow on the uptake)

 

At work, we occasionally have to refer to a PEBKAC issue (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair), which is deemed more polite than discussing an eye-dee-ten-tee problem (written ID10T).

 

I knew you wouldn't be able to resist

[The Dogmother]

We have loads, some of them Italian and I have no idea of the direct translation of those.

 

Better door than a window - when someone's blocking your view

Few less to a ton local phrase used to describe Banbury girls

Nutterbuck - what Rosie calls the dog when she's acting like a loon

Sally slack pants - a woman of reputedly loose virtue

La macchina - anything mechanical that you can't remember the name of

Apple catchers - the pants that Rosie used to favour when she was little

Colder than a nun's knickers - cold weather

 

The list is endless...

[majorbloodnock]

I seem to have become too predictable. Ho, hum.....

[The Dogmother]

I seem to have become too predictable. Ho, hum.....

 

Coat?

[Chucky Mama]

I seem to have become too predictable. Ho, hum.....

 

Ah, we love you for it

[Goosey Lucy]

Family ones include 'Spoonpot' when someone has done a daft thing, this originated ages ago, OH bought a pot of yoghurt but didn't have a spoon, didn't realise there was a spoon supplied in the lid

 

'Bok Bok' to apologise during /after a tiff (this gets used quite a lot)

 

and a Manx one 'Going and Grumbling' given in response to being asked 'How are you?'

[chickencam]

and a Manx one 'Going and Grumbling' given in response to being asked 'How are you?'

 

I love that one It fits my dear old Grandad perfectly.

 

Can't think of any off hand, you don't notice them when you use them all the time.

 

I call stupid people Prawn Balls, no idea why.

[miss_spent]

We have loads of family ones. I used to get caught out when I was younger at school, not realising that they weren't worldwide ones!!!!

 

When you mishear something - "We are quite cos Tesco's is shut"

(My mum worked in a bank in the 70s and this was a reply someone gave, mishearing her question)

 

"Back in the vinegar bottle" - someone down on their luck who has lost their job/house/partner, eg, "Well they're back in the vinegar bottle"

(This could be from Sunderland, or totally made up by my family)

 

"Foofoo" - for talcum powder

"Nokerbikes" - what my nephew calls Motorbikes, so we now use it all the time

[WarrensWorld]

Out of debt, out of danger. Said to me by my Gran. It's stood me well.

You'll wind up in Rowton House. Gran, ditto. (Homeless hostel, one up from the Savation Army)

You'll go for a 9 o/clock trot. Gran, ditto (Get buried by the Parish, paupers burial, unmarked grave)

 

So far so good..........

 

edit: My Great, Great Grandmother died in Stepney Union Workhouse. Aged 67 in 1895.....

[The Dogmother]

If in doubt leave it out - good advice and often taken

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Better oot than in (referring to a bodily function which we often refer to as "flabby woof woofs" or now just "flabs" courtesy of Blackadder )

 

It's like Aikey Fair here (meaning really really busy - my FIL always uses it - from a fair up in Aberdeenshire)

 

Loads of others I can't quite remember now!

[Cinnamon]

Well,I reckon that you lot are all as mad as a sack of wet hens

 

In our house,we call cats Mugwumps

 

Anyone mad is told that they are totally hatstand

 

Whenever the London Gherkin is on TV,we have to shout 'GHERKIN' (even in the cinema )

[Looney]

We call French beans squeaky beans and edam cheese smelly sock cheese

 

Whenever anyone does a massive sneeze a guy I work with always comments 'That's a Tena lady moment'

[theherd123]

I was once invited to a BBQ hosted by a black friend & colleague of mine and on the invite was written '4pm white man time'. Having not come across this before I asked what it meant. Most of her invites went to black people and she wanted them to turn up at 4pm hence 'white man time' as she said black folks always turned up late!

Having a carribean mum I can relate to this!

 

Also...

 

Nowt as queer as folk

Looks like his cats died - when trousers are too short

[fluffyfeet]

My friends say I come out with some 'corkers' and crack them up. I can never think of them when I want.

 

'better that than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick' (in other words, it could have been worse)

or

'better than a smack with a wet fish' (same thing)

 

your trousers have divorced your ankles and married your knees (too short)

[meezers]

My friend, who is Herefordshire born and bred has a favourite saying ' he was on it like a tramp on a kipper ' , she uses it in a variety of situations and it always makes me

Another , older friend, when wondering if it is going to be a fine day, will look at the sky and ask ' is there enough blue to make a sailor a pair of trousers?' ( I do it now, and it works ! )

 

We have a quite a few in our house, but can't think of many off hand;

Our Birman cat is refered to as 'the serial killer', sons hamster is always ' the hammer', squirrels are squizels,dogs are mutleys, OH is called 'Snorlax' by sons ( you have to know about Pokemon to understand that one )and 'pip'- the squeaky noise made by my light sussex , has been copied by my boys and now means 'yes'. trouble is they 'pip' in conversation with their grandparents, and it takes some explaining

[The Dogmother]

Just remembered a couple more...

 

Life's a bowl of toenails - when things aren't going well

 

Face like a dog licking wee off a nettle - someone sporting a sour look

 

Fair to middling - what my English grandpa replied when asked how he was.

[fluffyfeet]

Face like a bulldog chewing a wasp - grumpy face

 

If the wind changes you'll stick like it - if you're pulling faces

 

Dawn x