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Funny old sayings that give away (y)our age

(131 Posts)
Grannyknot Tue 11-Sept-12 22:53:21

I said at work today 'I doff my hat to you' and my colleague looked at me blankly. I also recently said 'photo-stat machine' till a young colleague said 'Why do you say that, instead of photocopier?' (blush). I wondered why myself, and then remembered about roneo-stat machines, but decided against trying to explain to a 23 year old. No wonder DD sometimes says to me "How do you still fool them at work, woman?" grin

vampirequeen Wed 12-Sept-12 15:47:39

I talk about the bus station and the train station rather than the interchange.

feetlebaum Wed 12-Sept-12 15:31:43

@Granny23 : You've kindled a memory, with 'gutties'!

A member of the RAF Band in which I served, in Cyprus in the 50s, was a lovely gentle soul from the west of Scotland somewhere - he wasn't always easy to understand, I have to say. One day, he pointed at something in my tent and said "Wha's gu''ies are yuck?' (He glottal-stopped the 't's in gutties).

We questioned him for some time, but to this day I'm not certain if it was 'Whose plimsolls are the ones with the stains?' or '... are full of stones?' that he was asking!

Ah well, his euphonium playing spoke volumes...

Movedalot Wed 12-Sept-12 15:14:53

I set the table Kitty

Does anyone still talk about children or is it always kids?

harrigran Wed 12-Sept-12 14:56:49

Yes, put the big light on. I can hear my mother saying it as she sat sewing at dusk.
Sandshoes but gym teacher calling them plimsolls.

soop Wed 12-Sept-12 14:31:19

Movedalot Sometimes - on high days and holidays. grin

Gagagran Wed 12-Sept-12 14:28:31

We side it instead of clearing it! (Having set it initially of course)

kittylester Wed 12-Sept-12 14:08:39

Do you lay the table or set it?

absentgrana Wed 12-Sept-12 14:05:27

I'm afraid I do Movedalot. grin

I still talk about the railway station rather than the train station.

Marelli Wed 12-Sept-12 13:55:55

I come from Nottingham, where it's definitely 'wash the pots'. Up here in Scotland, it's 'the dishes'.

Cazcandoit Wed 12-Sept-12 13:41:07

My lovely set of china, inherited from my grandmother, and displayed in the dresser, is called 'nana's old pots.'

MiceElf Wed 12-Sept-12 13:38:26

Or wash the pots?

Movedalot Wed 12-Sept-12 13:30:37

Does anyone get squiffy anymore?

Anagram Wed 12-Sept-12 13:11:49

Big light - yes!

kittylester Wed 12-Sept-12 13:09:43

A frock in our house is used to describe a really, really posh dress and is never used alone but has to hyphenated with posh. A posh frock would be worn by someone who was mutton dressed up as lamb, which was my nan's favourite saying.

vampirequeen Wed 12-Sept-12 13:05:39

A dress is an every day item but a posh frock is something special.

I say five and twenty past and five and twenty to.

We wore sandshoes (sannies).

The main light in the room is the big light...as in 'put the big light on'.

We used to sit on a settee but now everyone seems to sit on a sofa.

soop Wed 12-Sept-12 13:02:56

Do schoolchildren use satchels anymore?

kittylester Wed 12-Sept-12 13:00:39

This soft shoes are always called plimmies round here.

soop Wed 12-Sept-12 12:56:41

Before expensive, designer trainers, we wore simple black or white plimsolls.

Granny23 Wed 12-Sept-12 12:33:13

We wore sandshoes (white) and gym shoes (black). We were in big trouble if we referred to these as 'gutties', deemed to be a West of Scotland slang term. I think gutties is the more interesting word being derived from gutta perch = rubber as the shoes were rubber soled. I have never had a frock, posh or otherwise, always dresses.

Littlenellie Wed 12-Sept-12 12:12:37

Tape recorder even greatnan

Greatnan Wed 12-Sept-12 11:59:58

Frock, wireless,swimming costume, tapes...........

Anagram Wed 12-Sept-12 11:44:07

Isn't that strange? Frock is frilly and dress is comfortable and soft, to me!

Marelli Wed 12-Sept-12 11:22:24

In Fife it used to be 'sandshoes' (or 'sannies' for those who were 'cool')! I always wear a 'frock' and never a 'dress' - of course that's when I'm not in my beloved jeans! 'Frock' sounds lovely and droopy and soft - whereas 'dress' is frilly and not me at all!

Movedalot Wed 12-Sept-12 11:15:47

Definitely frocks, even posh frocks for special occassions.

A newer one: I say PC when I'm talking about my laptop.

Vacuum cleaner when everyone seems to say Hoover - mine isn't!

Littlenellie Wed 12-Sept-12 10:54:24

lilygran yes plimsolls and bumpers which where the thicker ones similar to the converse..kitchen cabinet and gas stove and scullery,mantelpiece grin