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Old expressions not in general use.

(151 Posts)
Nelliemoser Wed 18-Jul-18 17:40:54

I was looking up this today and could not find many references. (On my tablet )To me it was just what you said.

"Skin a rabbit for ninepence" when pulling off a small childs clothes for bed.
I am from the East Midlands where I would have first heard it. any help please.

NanaandGrampy Thu 19-Jul-18 17:13:47

My dad used to say ‘ stone the crows’ when he was surprised about something ( or more often ‘stone the bleedin’ Crows ?)

Grandma70s Thu 19-Jul-18 17:14:35

I recognise some of these expressions. We ‘set the table’ in north west England. I’ve always known ‘lay the table’ as well, but we said ‘set’.

My Irish grandmother used to say about the expense of family life, “A penny bun costs fourpence”.

I’ve noticed that the word ‘frightening’ isn’t used much any more. Everyone says ‘scary’.

Katek Thu 19-Jul-18 18:14:12

“As black as the Earl of Hell’s waistcoat” for anything/one dirty or unwashed. We also set the table (Edinburgh)

gmelon Thu 19-Jul-18 19:32:03

My Grandfather called me his "little bobby dazzler". I felt so special when he said it.
He and my Grandmother brought me up.
Whenever I asked where my very infrequently seen Mother was my Grandmother would say "gone for a soldier".
We always called the beach "the sands".

Nona4ever Fri 20-Jul-18 10:11:58

When we came home after being out, my mother would always say, ‘did you meet anyone you liked more than yourself?’

Nona4ever Fri 20-Jul-18 10:14:14

And my grandfather would always refer to anyone with a limp as ‘walking with a squint.’

Tweedle24 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:15:52

I set the table and I am from the southwest. My grandmother’s favourite was ‘mazed as a brush and twice as daft’. ( brush pronounced ‘brish’.

Nannarose Fri 20-Jul-18 10:16:55

I'm from the East Midlands, and hadn't heard the 'skin a rabbit for ninepence' (we were always given rabbits, didn't buy them!) but we do 'set' the table.
I was often told off for 'ommuxing' or 'morrising' and also to pack my 'mullucks' away. I still say those!

annifrance Fri 20-Jul-18 10:17:37

As a student I said to my Northern flatmate that I was feeling Dicky, meaning I was a bit under the weather. She fell about laughing and asked who Dicky was!

Grandma70s Fri 20-Jul-18 10:22:20

How about ‘vexed’ and ‘golly!’ (The exclamation, not the toy).

I still say ‘gosh’, but I think it’s probably outdated now.

coast35 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:24:00

I tell my little grandson that he has covered himself in glory when he achieves something extra special. I keep it for really big achievements and he loves it. He’ll ask “have I covered myself in glory Granny?”

Anniebach Fri 20-Jul-18 10:27:09

Never hear now - there is more than one way of skinning a cat. Who would want to skin a cat.

dragonfly46 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:29:27

Keep your finger on your penny ;)

Gilly1952 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:30:04

My gran used to say “he couldn’t stop a pig in an entry” when referring to someone with bandy or bow legs! I think people used to suffer from rickets in those days, which may have caused their bow legs.
I love the expression “handsome is as handsome does” - someone may be very good-looking but they also need to have the personality to match.

nettyandmasey Fri 20-Jul-18 10:34:01

We used to say 'skin a rabbit' when we we getting children undresssed. We also set the table ,Norfolk born and bred as were all my family.
My mother in law a Londoner could never get used to the fact that we put things up in Norfolk, rather than away. How do you put a bike up she would say.

BPJ Fri 20-Jul-18 10:39:49

While the chain is still swinging,the seat is still warm..

sue01 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:45:44

My family always used to say " Holidays tomorrow - piggies in a barrel ".

Never ever heard anyone else say it... until recently... in the East End of London.

My grandparents and great grandparents ran a pub on The Isle of Dogs..

Extra beer was always ordered.. on a sale or return basis.. for Bank Holidays.

These barrels were marked by the brewery with the stamp of a pig to differentiate them.

So when you saw a piggie on a barrel, holidays were coming !

Completely coincidentally... my Daughter and Son In Law make Saxby's cider and their company logo is a flying pig !

jangeo44 Fri 20-Jul-18 10:57:34

I'm a southerner and say set the table. Also still say black as Newgates knocker

Terrystred Fri 20-Jul-18 11:00:18

I still say the Newgate one! I got it from my mum. Also, when angry she used to call me a "guttersnipe". Still no idea what that means!!

winterwhite Fri 20-Jul-18 11:07:30

Maybe laying the table is recent rather than regional? I remember side, but used for clearing the table rather than setting it. There are some lovely sayings here that I will start using.

Overthehills Fri 20-Jul-18 11:09:52

We set the table in Ireland - I still do. Couldn’t understand what people meant by mashing the tea - we always let it draw!
Does anybody have a glory hole?

moggie57 Fri 20-Jul-18 11:12:43

theres more than one way to skin a rabbit. not sure how ,but oh YUK.... i still say i'm not do lally yet. i'm not sure where that comes from .in sussex my relatives and i say twitten for an alley way.

moggie57 Fri 20-Jul-18 11:15:27

a penny was for the toilet....so keep your hands on your penny lol

Ronnie Fri 20-Jul-18 11:20:12

A saying my Scottish/Irish Mother was fond of saying to my younger brother & I when we were doing the ‘I want’ thing was “you can’t see green cheese but your teeth watters” with a Scots accent! I sometimes say it the the youngsters in our family & it makes them laugh.

keffie Fri 20-Jul-18 11:24:33

Setting or laying the table maybe depending on what class you were bought up in!

My late mom was from a professional middle class background. There was serious money in the family. They were all private schooled had nannies and housekeepers, gives you a jist of what I mean.

To summarize why I said that, is because I have (As all of mine always have too) said "lay the table" ehich came from my childhood. Just a thought. We tend to repeat what we are taught.

"Your face will stay like that" was one of mom's many saying. She also used "youth is wasted on the young" Ofcourse I didn't understand that being young and would roll my eyes. Now I do understand it