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Idioms phrases and proverbs

(62 Posts)
Elizabeth1 Thu 08-Feb-18 11:09:02

Let’s have fun
Who knows what Jock Tamsons bairns mean? Please then add an idiom a phrase or a proverb of your own.

Cherrytree59 Fri 09-Feb-18 12:01:15

I said to a friend recently that *I was up to high doh.
She gave me a blank look.

My grandfather would often say
yer a wee scunner
And aw and bile yer heid

The maxim I try and live my life by is
caw canny lass often said by Grandmother

lovebeigecardigans1955 Fri 09-Feb-18 13:21:08

In the East Midlands whenever someone looks puzzled if they don't understand what you mean we say, "he/she looked at me gone out" with a very strong emphasis on the last two words.
A bread roll is called a cob here - don't do what I did once and ask for a cheese cob down south or they will indeed look at you gone out or maybe just giggle.

Jane10 Fri 09-Feb-18 13:24:20

Rosiroe shock!

MaizieD Fri 09-Feb-18 14:51:42

'I don't know if I'm on this earth or fullers' was one I learned when I moved oop north to Sheffield..

also "Put wood in t'oile" (excuse my attempt to write 'hole' in a Sheffield accent..)

Daddima Fri 09-Feb-18 15:46:44

Is it my imagination, or are most of these sayings from Scottish grans?

And ,Rosieroe that also was one of my mother’s, along with, “ ready for a clap wi’ a spade” and, “ there’s a smell of clay about him/her”.
I think I may have posted before the saying if two unattractive people got together;” Nae sense in wastin’ twa hooses”.

TwiceAsNice Fri 09-Feb-18 17:47:05

My grandfather used to say "let the dog see the rabbit" meaning move out of the way so I can see what I'm doing

Elegran Fri 09-Feb-18 17:52:24

If you stood between them and the TV, or something else they wanted to see, "Your father wasn't a glazier."

Alexa Fri 09-Feb-18 18:12:40

I think that I remember that Jock Tamson was a minister of the Kirk in a district of Edinburgh. He fed starving people including I think Roman Catholics despite that he was minister of the Kirk, because all people were his bairns. The full story may be googled.

mcem Fri 09-Feb-18 18:16:07

If I stood in the way of the TV, Dad told me I'd make a better door than a window!

Daddima Fri 09-Feb-18 18:18:40

Or, elegran, “Ye’d make a better door than a windae”!

There are so many I remember;

“Clean meat never fattened a pig” (if something was dropped on the floor)

“Third cat keep oot” ( if someone outwith the family criticised a family member, even if it was justified)

kathsue Fri 09-Feb-18 18:25:28

Two favourite sayings of my Lancashire Sil were
"I'm not as green as I'm cabbage-looking" and
"when Adam were a lad"

indispensableme Fri 09-Feb-18 21:36:45

I'll go t'foot of t'stairs, an expression of incredulity, Bolton area.

indispensableme Fri 09-Feb-18 21:41:00

Were you born in St Helens? when you were standing in the way of someone watching TV, St Helens, home of Pilkington Glass.
Put wood i'th 'ole, please close the door.
Re names for bread rolls etc., I recall being surprised when MIL asked if I wanted a 'teacake with ham on it', to me a teacake was sweet with currants, if you wanted ham on it you needed a breadcake or a barmcake

indispensableme Fri 09-Feb-18 21:42:44

I think that one of the reasons I have never found Peter Kay funny is that much of his material is normal for Bolton!

MillieBear Fri 09-Feb-18 22:07:23

Aah lovebeigecardigans1955 but are ya nesh? And if you see a rotund person eating a cob do you think "you stand need?" ?

Marydoll Fri 09-Feb-18 22:45:11

In our family, " Yer bums oot the windae" means," You are totally out of favour" ☹️

Marydoll Fri 09-Feb-18 22:50:12

Cherrytree59 , my mother always said " Caw canny hen". It means "Be careful".

HillyN Sat 10-Feb-18 01:44:02

Whenever I asked my Mum how old she was, she would answer "As old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth".

HillyN Sat 10-Feb-18 01:48:15

If I left the door open, Mum would ask me If I'd been born in a barn.

grandtanteJE65 Sat 10-Feb-18 12:42:03

I'm afraid your mother probably meant that if you didn't come to visit during the next week, she would see you walking past the house on your way somewhere else. I hope it was said as a joke

grandtanteJE65 Sat 10-Feb-18 12:50:58

There does seem to be a large majority of Scots represented here, although Lancashire and Yorkshire probably use most of these expressions too.

One dear lady of my childhood always said, "Hunger maks good kitchen" if we children turned our noses up at any foodstuff, meaning that if you are hungry enough you would eat it.

My grandmother said of anything completely worn out and on its way to the dustbin "Give it to the passing poor!.

In our family, people who left doors open where said to have been born in a field with the gate left open, which as every country bred child knows is the ultimate sin.

Rosieroe Sat 10-Feb-18 14:42:41

Many of the Scots expressions are in frequent use in Northern Ireland. My mother (from North Antrim) used to refer to a dog we had as a “wee scunge” or someone would be “scunging about”. I’ve never come the expression in any Ulster-Scots dictionary. The dog in question would disappear frequently but always return. (What a life dogs had before dog-wardens were invented!). “scunging” to me meant up to no good. I assume it derives from Scots-Gaelic. Has anyone come across it?

“Hauld yer wheesht” - be quiet.

“He looks like a bled gander” - he is very pale

“She has a face on her like a fir hatchet” - she has a very, sour, angry expression

“Will you take a cup of tea in your hand?” - before the advent of the mug you were offered a cup of tea, minus the saucer, without having to sit at the table.

KatyK Sat 10-Feb-18 15:12:04

Some of these expressions are used around here (Birmingham and Black Country) such as 'I'll go to the foot of our stairs'
Also when the sky goes dark people say 'it's gone a bit black over the back of Bill's mother's'
Describing someone with bow legs folks used to say 'he couldn't stop a pig in an entry'
When we were little and said 'I don't care' mothers would often reply 'don't care was made to care'

Cherrytree59 Sat 10-Feb-18 21:32:03

MaryDoll
Whenever I have a problem or something to
important deal with I hear my Grandmother's voice Caw Canny Lass smile.

When asked 'what was for dinner?'
My Mum would reply 'a run round the table and a kick at the cat!'

Cherrytree59 Sat 10-Feb-18 22:47:27

Katyk I have heard all those expressions used by my DH and his parents.

My DFil would jokingly say to his son and later to his grandchildren when he wanted them out from under his feet....
'Goo on Bab, Run down to Aston Clock and get us the time 'grin