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Outdated sayings Do you know any?

(73 Posts)
Solitaire Mon 16-Nov-15 15:25:16

Travelling by coach recently a small boy went to the toilet on the coach. As he emerged his nan asked" did you pull the chain?" and remarked to those nearby that he always forgets. A few minutes went by and the small boy re-emerged " nan I cant find any chain in there"
I also still hear people asked for their 'Christian name' and my gran some years ago made me and my sisters cringe by referring to the colour if her coat as 'ni**er brown' even when we protested she didn't see the relevance ... But that's the colour of it!
I bet there are still many outdated phrases and words in use.

Ana Mon 16-Nov-15 15:27:13

Well, you still have to 'pull the chain' to flush my upstairs loo, so that saying's not outdated here! grin

rosesarered Mon 16-Nov-15 15:29:50

Very 'retro' of you Ana they are the in thing just now ( along with roll top baths.)

Ana Mon 16-Nov-15 15:30:46

I think it's been there since the house was built, circa 1910! grin

shysal Mon 16-Nov-15 16:35:59

The young wouldn't understand 'spend a penny' either.

janeainsworth Mon 16-Nov-15 16:44:58

Or 'you daft ha'porth' which for many years I thought was spelled apeth.
My grandma was prone to saying she would get vexed with me if I didn't refrain from doing something she considered unacceptable.

MrsEggy Mon 16-Nov-15 17:02:06

"You'll be waiting till the cows come home."
I suppose the cows had to be fetched? Does anyone know?

mollie Mon 16-Nov-15 17:04:53

'She's no better than she ought to be' delivered in a scathing tone is never heard any more. I never quiet understood exactly what the bench mark was but it's certainly not applied to anyone these days! Anything goes! I suppose it might have been in the realm of 'all fur coat and no knickers'... lol!

annsixty Mon 16-Nov-15 17:22:29

Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs, when amazed by something.

Claudiaclaws Mon 16-Nov-15 17:25:14

She's / He's pots for rags!

Gagagran Mon 16-Nov-15 17:29:18

Mrs Eggy my Dad was born and brought up on a small farm and they had cows which had to brought in for milking twice a day. He had a very clever Border collie and he trained the dog to bring the cows in on its own.
All Dad had to do was open the field gate and the doors to the cowshed and the dog brought them right in there!

Dad took the milk round their customers in a horse drawn dray with the milk in a churn and measured it out into the customers' own jugs.

Jane10 Mon 16-Nov-15 17:30:30

Its all my eye and Betty Martin (?)
Tell that to the Marines
Right you are
etc etc

loopylou Mon 16-Nov-15 17:42:28

'Big girl's blouse' always puzzled me
'I've half a mind to...' is another confused
My FIL would say 'Suck my bob' which not only drove MIL into an apoplexy it also was never translated as to what or who 'Bob' was!

Greyduster Mon 16-Nov-15 18:16:51

"Cor! Love a duck!" Would you? Could you?

Jane10 Mon 16-Nov-15 18:18:38

Bobs your uncle!

rosesarered Mon 16-Nov-15 18:23:44

And Charley's your aunt!

TerriBull Mon 16-Nov-15 18:32:22

Fanny's your granny! blush

Auntieflo Mon 16-Nov-15 18:34:28

I'll go to the foot of our stairs

rubysong Mon 16-Nov-15 18:35:59

Black as hell's doorknocker. Usually used to describe my hands when I was little.

TerriBull Mon 16-Nov-15 18:36:43

Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire grin

TerriBull Mon 16-Nov-15 18:40:34

Similar to rubysong's post - Black as Newgate's knocker (Referring to Newgate Prison I believe)

Greyduster Mon 16-Nov-15 19:05:56

"It's a bit black o'er Bill's mother's!"

Greyduster Mon 16-Nov-15 19:07:39

As sick as a Blackpool donkey.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 16-Nov-15 19:15:38

Nope!

Ana Mon 16-Nov-15 19:29:54

How many threads have we had on this subject now? grin