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"Old fashioned" expressions that young people have never heard.

(250 Posts)
ExDancer Mon 03-Aug-26 18:03:13

I was quite amused at the checkout in our local supermarket by the reaction of the young checkout cashier, when -not quite hearing what she said - I said "I beg pardon".
She truly didn't know what I meant.
Is this a local (Cumbrian) expression? It means 'what did you say' or 'pardon', or 'what', or 'eh?'.
Is it country-wide?
Do you use old fashioned speech? If so - what?

Oreo Sat 15-Aug-26 23:50:30

Banting
My Nan used to say ‘are you banting?’ Meaning on a diet.I think it was a Dr Banting who recommended caution about a fatty diet, a very long time ago, possibly 100 years.

Shinamae Sat 15-Aug-26 23:57:33

I’ll swing for you
I’ll skin you alive

Gracey Sun 16-Aug-26 02:35:54

Bread and dripping - was asked by granddaughter what dripping was.

Putting my glad-rags on - getting dressed up to go out.

Need my big coat - when it's wintery

Putting the big light on

Brewing up,

Any road up - a term used to start a sentence or move on to a different subject

Get away with you - meaning you can't believe it.

Goodness me.

Like a dose of salts - used this naturally in a thread earlier, meaning I'd do something quickly

Shall I be mother? - when pouring tea

Pumps - trainers now for PE.

Flannel - now a face cloth

Pinny - for apron

Penny for your thoughts

Blimey! - I use it still.

Gracey Sun 16-Aug-26 02:44:47

Oh, and I said in conversation recently " Put the willies up you" meaning to frighten.
The friends I was with did have a little titter. That's another one you don't hear..titter.

MissAdventure Sun 16-Aug-26 02:55:16

Ooh, titter ye not! smile

MissAdventure Sun 16-Aug-26 02:56:47

Disco, L.P, record player, radiogram

MissAdventure Sun 16-Aug-26 03:01:08

Pantry, larder, coalhole.
D you think I came up in a banana boat?

SpinDriftCoastal Sun 16-Aug-26 13:43:32

I'll get you on the blower.
Gordon Bennett.

MissAdventure Sun 16-Aug-26 13:45:43

Watching the box.

Putting your glad rags on.
Cutting a rug.

HowVeryDareYou2 Mon 17-Aug-26 10:03:04

Getting a clip round the ear
Setting your stall out

MissAdventure Mon 17-Aug-26 10:16:44

Don't pick your nose or your head will cave in.
Laying your cards on the table.

Shel1951 Mon 17-Aug-26 10:22:36

Its like the black hole of Calcutta in here,,,,put the light on.
He's can't keep still in one place he's like one of the wandering jews.

MissAdventure Mon 17-Aug-26 14:11:57

Well, this won't get the baby a new bonnet.

Labradora Mon 17-Aug-26 14:11:58

TanaMa

My father, when spotting girls/women dressed in too short/too tight clothes, always said 'the sights you see when you haven't got your gun'!! Probably wouldn't be allowed today!!??

In my twenties , in the 1970s , a Scottish friend of mine (Glaswegian actually) , who was female, introduced me to this phrase so I had always assumed that it was Scottish in origin. She used it generally of anyone or anything of odd appearance. We also went out dancing together "on the pull" and then it wasn't used only of unappealing women.........
Possibly it was handed down by military men in her extended family.......

MissAdventure Mon 17-Aug-26 14:13:08

That's not a skirt, its a fanny pelmet.

Labradora Mon 17-Aug-26 14:14:36

Emerald888

More meat on a butchers apron
As much use as an ashtray on a motor bike
Gordon Bennet!
Getting your nose bag on

More meat on a butcher's pencil........

Labradora Mon 17-Aug-26 14:15:45

StTrinians

"As tight as a crab's a**e." (For a parsimonious individual)
"She looked like death warmed up."
(For a young lady wearing overly pale/ green tinged face foundation...she looked green...) RAF sayings that I no longer hear. "He had had chips",.. "he kicked the bucket", or " he went for a Burton", and " he bought the farm". (For someone shot down.)
"It was a piece of cake" (Easy peezy...)
smile

As tight as a duck's re........ and that's watertight.........

Labradora Mon 17-Aug-26 14:16:45

That's duck's posterior. I got the asterisks wrong.

Labradora Mon 17-Aug-26 14:19:53

MissAdventure

Well, this won't get the baby a new bonnet.

won't get the baby bathed.......

MissAdventure Mon 17-Aug-26 14:22:03

smile
I really wonder where these sayings originated, and how they vary by region/family.

MT62 Mon 17-Aug-26 18:57:14

MissAdventure

That's not a skirt, its a fanny pelmet.

😂😂😂

HowVeryDareYou2 Mon 17-Aug-26 19:15:34

"Fanny pelmet" grin

All fur coat and no knickers
Fanny's dead (underskirt showing)

Leopard79 Wed 26-Aug-26 22:40:58

I've only ever heard 'I beg your pardon'? Then I've only ever heard it used when someone has said something they shouldn't 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣.

If you don't hear someone it's just 'pardon'.

HowVeryDareYou2 Thu 27-Aug-26 07:33:42

Leopard79

I've only ever heard 'I beg your pardon'? Then I've only ever heard it used when someone has said something they shouldn't 🤷🏻‍♀️🤣.

If you don't hear someone it's just 'pardon'.

My 3-year-old GD shouts "I beg your pardon". I think she's heard her mother say it grin