Little Minx

grannyknot So what is the story about Nigel?? talking of Nicholas (Nickerless) there is an estate agency around Telford called Nick Tart. If your surname was Tart, would you call your son Nicholas? Just say it out loud....

I cannot even see an anagram in Nigel. I bet Hunt has gone off shopping and just left us all to speculate.

I don't get Nigel either! Waiting with bated breath.

I "drop bricks" all the time e.g. I call a computer memory stick "a stiffy" because they followed on from "floppy disks".

Nope....not getting the Nigel. Mind you 'naughtiest' name I knew as a child was the one we had for the boy down the road...Nicholas.....always known to us as 'knickerless'....not that he was mind you, his Mum was far too proper for that....she had covers on her spare loo roll..

We have a Nigel in the family, intrigued now.

My husband has Nigel as his middle name so do tell as I may be able to use it.

Neither can I. Are you going to give us a hint, Hunt ?

I must be very dim - I can't imagine a rude shortened form of Nigel...

You could point out (gently) that you do not move in circles where people actually refer to cock-teasers, so you have not met the word in its latest incarnation. (He seems to move in those circles, though. Perhaps it is not politic to mention that.)

My husband has a new iPad and grandson was helping him set it up.One of the choices was 'What was your nickname when you were young?'.My husband blushed and said, ''I can't tell you''. As my husbands name is Nigel you can probably guess what it was. How sad.

Soutra never heard the Chinese etc saying before but I like it!

Thistledoo why does your cat wear trousers? Is it THAT cold where you live?

Be careful not to over-think it Thistledoo. Put it in a balloon and let if float away.

Maybe least said soonest mended? Keep smiling (paint it on if necessary) and move on! I was told off for saying "chinese, japanese, what are these? Chubby knees" when changing DGS's nappy oops! But got over it and moved on!!!

Thank you all so much for all your comments and amusing examples, I haven't laughed so much for ages. Hovering the back passage, was hilarious. DH wants DS and DDil to give us a list of all the words that are not to be used in front of DGC. He thinks that will give them something to really think about. We have a one year old cat who had had problems with his litter box and often lands up with smelly trousers so we have to bath him, he is now known as Stinky Pants. Obviously that will need to change now. I must admit I will now feel a bit tense when looking after them just in case I am caught by a slip of the tongue.
I will feel as though I am on constant supervision, Not good.

JessM There are times when that term is forgiveable and that was most surely one of them.

An elderly neighbour told her teenaged GCs that the man who lives next door is always helpful when she needs a screw! They didn't enlighten her, but had fun spreading the tale!

Minx is nothing compared to what I would have called him!!

I once said the F word very loudly in front of my grandkids. The airport transport minibus was outside , I picked up my hand luggage and everything fell out because it was not zipped up. I was forgiven.
Never any harm apologising though. Sometimes we are silly old grandparents who have not moved with the times and inadvertently do awful things. (like putting the baby in the cot at the top not the bottom, picking them up without turning off the baby alarm, feeding them with a SPOON etc etc etc)

By way of light relief, but at the risk of offending GNetters from Yorkshire

words that have a totally different meaning in Yorkshire

Thistle lots of good advice on here. Two I think are worth combining.
I'd email him (give you time to choose your words and him to think them over) and when you've explained what the word meant to you finish by asking him to say 'Mum you can't use words like that anymore!' as you are getting on a bit and not up to date with modern meanings and don't want to upset the vicar when he comes to tea.

Don't apologise though. If you can turn this into something to be laughed at it will clear the air...even if the joke is on you.

I wonder how often we are inadvertently shocking our children with our filthy language! I,m scared to speak now! I can imagine how hurt you must have been - hope it blows over.

On a lighter note I remember an old lady describing how she vacuumed her hallway " I've just been hoovering my back passage". (!)

Thanks Ana and Mishap for explaining what tosser means. That's what I like about Gransnet you can get a straight answer.

I've just looked up various definitions of cheeky monkey and haven't found a racist connection.

I have always referred to my small cellar (one-time coal cellar, before my time) as my glory hole. Now I know better. Continuing education!