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What weird phrases do you use?

(90 Posts)
vampirequeen Wed 15-Feb-17 20:08:28

Today I found myself saying, 'Kind words butter no parsnips'....what?????? I know what I mean when I say that but lets be honest it doesn't make sense when taken in isolation.

Does anyone else use daft/odd phrases like this?

Judthepud2 Fri 17-Feb-17 11:34:04

I recognise a lot of these sayings. My mum's family came from the North of England. Is that where most of you are? I still use the 'blind man on a galloping horse' one.

Requests for what is for dinner were usually answered by 'tantadullum'. No idea what that was or how to spell it but it sounded intriguing!

Bijou Fri 17-Feb-17 11:38:14

My dad when asked where he was going always said "to see a man about a dog".

harrigran Fri 17-Feb-17 11:54:27

My father had a work shed and I would stand and watch and ask what he was doing/making, his answer was always the same " a gugar for a wigwam " When we asked where we were going on holiday the reply was " Pensher willick sands " Penshaw is actually an inland hill and they definitely did not sell whelks there. We never went on holiday, probably why it sticks in my mind.

Diggingdoris Fri 17-Feb-17 12:02:19

When grandad had forty winks, he'd say I wasn't asleep, just checking out the inside of my eyelids.
My nan couldn't always remember names so it would be 'Fannyanne' or' Charlie Farnsbarns'. I still use those today.

inishowen Fri 17-Feb-17 12:04:06

Years ago we overhead a girl refer to "aromatic duck" as "automatic duck". We've call it that every since.

Nanamaz Fri 17-Feb-17 12:29:27

When anyone tried to cut corners on a job, my Nana would say "No use spoiling the ship for a hap'orth of tar." Grandad was in the Navy, so I guess that's where it originated.

Womble54 Fri 17-Feb-17 12:37:15

I often find myself using the expression "about as much use as a one-legged man at an a r s e kicking contest", although I've a feeling it's a Pythonism rather than traditional. Can anyone enlighten me?

phoenix Fri 17-Feb-17 12:42:14

Neither use nor ornament.

Sheilasue Fri 17-Feb-17 12:49:36

My mum used to say 'Gordon Bennett ' don't know where t comes from but I use the saying too.

Greyduster Fri 17-Feb-17 12:59:10

When I had had a row with my mother and both of us had sunk into a sullen silence, my brother would look from one to the other and say "Meanwhile, back at the ranch....".

Chrishappy Fri 17-Feb-17 13:05:26

my nan when she was annoyed would say , 'dont mind my cat jumping about sir I think it's after a rat' when asked what was for tea she'd say ' duck under the table' if she liked something it was' the bees knees' and if you refused to go somewhere or do something you were' cutting your nose of to spite your face'

rozina Fri 17-Feb-17 13:05:43

When it looked like rain my mother used to say "it's black over Bill's mother's", she always said "mother" and not "muther". Who Bill is, who knows!

Arry Fri 17-Feb-17 13:29:44

'When Nelson gets his eye back' for goodness knows when.

Funnygran Fri 17-Feb-17 13:32:33

My mother used to describe someone as having a kind face like a cow. Not sure if it was meant as a compliment or not!

KatyK Fri 17-Feb-17 15:45:49

Some of these are very familiar to me!

jpizzilli Fri 17-Feb-17 15:54:06

When we were kids and my mum was getting ready to go out we would ask, "where are you going?" and she always replied "off my head, d'ya wanna come?"

Legs55 Fri 17-Feb-17 16:10:35

Lots of familiar ones, happy memories. Here's some more, it says Fry's (chocolate) but it doesn't mean they sell it & it says India on the tyres but it doesn't mean they go there - on a bus.

When my DGD was making something & asked where he got the idea "from my 'ead". If you saw an unknown object it was "a thingapurpose" or a "whatnot"

I still use "how long's a piece of string"grin

winifred01 Fri 17-Feb-17 16:17:53

Not blessed with the best head of hair my Dad used to say- of me- I've seen better hair on tuppenny bacon.

KatyK Fri 17-Feb-17 16:26:34

When I complain about an ailment, my DH says 'you're as fit as a butcher's dog.'

sarahellenwhitney Fri 17-Feb-17 17:15:49

Unfortunately these like many others, such as one of my gran's ' neither use nor ornament' describing my grandfathers efforts in hanging out the washing, are becoming a thing of the past. Sad.

kittylester Fri 17-Feb-17 17:23:23

I feel like a piece of chewed string or I feel like death warmed over.

'Neither use nor ornament' or 'no good to man nor beast' or as DH insists on saying 'neither use to man nor ornament!' confused

'Money and fair words' was used round here as well as 'a pretty penny' when asked hjow much one had paid for something.

sarahellenwhitney Fri 17-Feb-17 17:25:49

Arry. Hasn't that been replaced by 'As if'?

Grannee Fri 17-Feb-17 18:31:45

teabagwoman "let me and my heart take counsel for war is not of life the sum" - Google tells me this is a quotation from a Civil War poem - how interesting!

travelsafar Fri 17-Feb-17 18:31:56

These are all brilliant. I remember being told when i asked what was for tea, 'if we've got it you can have it, if we haven't then you can't'

Also if you knew when someone was up to mischief and they denied it mum would say 'I know you, upside down, inside out and back to front'

And if the sky was very dark and threatening a storm she would say 'its as black as Newgate's knocker!!! i never really knew what that meant or understood it.

KatyK Fri 17-Feb-17 18:36:44

My mum used to describe miserable looking people as 'sour puss'. My DH recently described someone he doesn't like much as 'she always looks like she's chewing a wasp'