Religion and Ethics Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bubbles on June 22, 2015, 12:41:23 PM
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"Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs," to express amazement.
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I've always liked (and still sometimes use) "If I don't see you through the week, I'll see you through the window."
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"As daft as a brush." No sure what it actually means; though I've always understood it as meaning, "really silly."
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Modern examples catch me out - such as something is 'trending', which I've heard a few times.
I'm fairly sure that this has got little to do with the latest snazzy lines in flared trousers or tank-tops - but being of a certain vintage my not knowing what this actually means doesn't also imply that I really do want to know what it means (any more than I want to know who various alleged 'celebrities' are).
Ignorance can indeed be bliss!
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I've only ever heard this in Nottingham: "Any road up," just meaning, "anyway."
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It's a rural Leicestershire saying, when the sky gets very dark before heavy rain, to say: "It's black over Bill's mother's." (Mother rhymes with bother by the way).
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Two examples that my dear old and sadly departed grandmother was fond of;
'In the name of the wee man', which I took to be a polite Glaswegian equivalent of exclaiming 'Jesus Christ' when surprised or annoyed.
'D'ye think I came up the Clyde in a banana boat?', implying, ' do you think I'm stupid'. I have no idea whether or not the crews of vessels transporting bananas to the Clydeside docks in times gone by had a reputation for being intellectually challenged.
Memorable phrases that I heard so often as a child, but I rarely hear these days - maybe I should make more use of them myself.
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It's a rural Leicestershire saying, when the sky gets very dark before heavy rain, to say: "It's black over Bill's mother's." (Mother rhymes with bother by the way).
Not exclusively Leicestershire. We use it in Notts too.
My father was very fond of the saying:
"He was up and down like a dog at a fair" (Also "in and out like.....")
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Two examples that my dear old and sadly departed grandmother was fond of;
'In the name of the wee man', which I took to be a polite Glaswegian equivalent of exclaiming 'Jesus Christ' when surprised or annoyed.
'D'ye think I came up the Clyde in a banana boat?', implying, ' do you think I'm stupid'. I have no idea whether or not the crews of vessels transporting bananas to the Clydeside docks in times gone by had a reputation for being intellectually challenged.
Memorable phrases that I heard so often as a child, but I rarely hear these days - maybe I should make more use of them myself.
Gordon, the phrase 'came off a banana boat' has racist connotations, at least down south, although I'm sure your grandma never meant it as such - it's just one of those phrases that people ended up using without thinking about it, like 'cheating arab'.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_boat_(ship)
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I can confirm all of Bashful's examples but also in this area:
"I'm snided out with ....."
Which I have taken to mean - over run with - got too many of.
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Growing up on the fringes of East London I could bore you with all kinds of cockney slang.
There was even rhyming slang for the rhyming slang.
But I won't.
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And does anyone (except Bashers) know what giving somebody a "croggie" is?
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When asked what are you doing today, oh just clearing up after the Lord Mayors Show.
Couldn't make up my mind whether to buy a violin or get my hair cut.
My dogs are barking.
Look! nudge nudge syrup. The nudge nudge would involve an elbow, not words.
ippy
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And does anyone (except Bashers) know what giving somebody a "croggie" is?
Yup :)
Not sure of the spelling as it's more often said than written down, but does anybody else know what a corsey is? (Same pronunciation as the name of the man who used to have his hand up Nookie the Bear). Another one specific to the East Midlands, I'm sure.
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And does anyone (except Bashers) know what giving somebody a "croggie" is?
Yup :)
Not sure of the spelling as it's more often said than written down, but does anybody else know what a corsey is? (Same pronunciation as the name of the man who used to have his hand up Nookie the Bear). Another one specific to the East Midlands, I'm sure.
Yup ;D
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Thought so :P
How about 'bread and bunghole'?
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Haven't got a clue about a lot of these sayings, please don't start on the Scottish ones it's difficult enough to understand the every day Scottish utterances. (Mind, smart phones can do translation from most places).
ippy
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And does anyone (except Bashers) know what giving somebody a "croggie" is?
We used it when asking for a ride by sitting in front of the person actually pedalling a bicycle. :)
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Two examples that my dear old and sadly departed grandmother was fond of;
'In the name of the wee man', which I took to be a polite Glaswegian equivalent of exclaiming 'Jesus Christ' when surprised or annoyed.
'D'ye think I came up the Clyde in a banana boat?', implying, ' do you think I'm stupid'. I have no idea whether or not the crews of vessels transporting bananas to the Clydeside docks in times gone by had a reputation for being intellectually challenged.
Memorable phrases that I heard so often as a child, but I rarely hear these days - maybe I should make more use of them myself.
Gordon, the phrase 'came off a banana boat' has racist connotations, at least down south, although I'm sure your grandma never meant it as such - it's just one of those phrases that people ended up using without thinking about it, like 'cheating arab'.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_boat_(ship)
Eek! I never knew that.
Even though it was used by her in a 'do you think I'm stupid' manner that doesn't mean that there wasn't something in the background that I'm sure she was unaware of.
Perhaps that one is best consigned to history.
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The one I have found odd is that in Dundee roundabouts are referred to as circles.
But then ginger is all flavours of fizzy drinks in Glasgow but is only ginger beer in Greenock 25 miles away.
To play truant in Glasgow is 'dog', in Greenock 'skidge'
There is Billy Connolly' s skit about some of these including 'I'll take my hand off your face'.
The central belt in Scotland also uses rhyming slang as in 'huvnae goat a Scooby'
Then, there is food, like the fly cemetary and scran and snashters
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The one I have found odd is that in Dundee roundabouts are referred to as circles.
But then ginger is all flavours of fizzy drinks in Glasgow but is only ginger beer in Greenock 25 miles away.
To play truant in Glasgow is 'dog', in Greenock 'skidge'
There is Billy Connolly' s skit about some of these including 'I'll take my hand off your face'.
The central belt in Scotland also uses rhyming slang as in 'huvnae goat a Scooby'
Then, there is food, like the fly cemetary and scran and snashters
ah - the fly cemetery: I like those, and still enjoy one now and again. Did you get Paris buns in Greenock?
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Definitely got Paris buns but what I have been missing of late is coffee buns which seem to have finally disappeared with the demise of Aulds after CityBakeries went.
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Sometimes the local use of single words can cause confusion.
I remember we staying with friends for a few days, somewhere in or near Surbiton, and there was a supermarket close by. I think we were having a barbecue, and some neighbours were there too, and I said to Mrs G that I was nipping to the supermarket for a few messages - only to be met with looks of confusion from the locals.
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Sometimes the local use of single words can cause confusion.
I remember we staying with friends for a few days, somewhere in or near Surbiton, and there was a supermarket close by. I think we were having a barbecue, and some neighbours were there too, and I said to Mrs G that I was nipping to the supermarket for a few messages - only to be met with looks of confusion from the locals.
Less so now but fish supper used to cause problems
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Gordon, the phrase 'came off a banana boat' has racist connotations, at least down south, although I'm sure your grandma never meant it as such - it's just one of those phrases that people ended up using without thinking about it, like 'cheating arab'.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_boat_(ship)
I think that in some cases we can be so hypersensitive to racism that it can be perceived where it isn't - certainly as I've seen it used the phrase is equal to "Do you think I came down in the last shower?", which is to say, do you think I'm naive and/or ignorant of what's going on here.
It's true though that "X ______________ Arab" was often used about naughty or noisy or dirty kids when I was little - I had "mucky little Arab!" or "You daft Arab!" said to me more times than I can count. I don't think there was explicit racist intent behind it as it was just a phrase, evidently of great age, made humorously and with warmth and affection. I agree that it's not complimentary to actual Arabs, though, or wasn't originally.
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Then there is the reference to Aberdeen as Furryboots City
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On the subject of Arabs and linking back to Dundee, the fans of the team Dundee Utd are called the Arabs,and this appears to be related to the bad winter of 63 where they ended up putting sand down on the snow to play and were successful - part of me struggles with that as being true
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Gordon, the phrase 'came off a banana boat' has racist connotations, at least down south, although I'm sure your grandma never meant it as such - it's just one of those phrases that people ended up using without thinking about it, like 'cheating arab'.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_boat_(ship)
I think that in some cases we can be so hypersensitive to racism that it can be perceived where it isn't - certainly as I've seen it used the phrase is equal to "Do you think I came down in the last shower?", which is to say, do you think I'm naive and/or ignorant of what's going on here.
It's true though that "X ______________ Arab" was often used about naughty or noisy or dirty kids when I was little - I had "mucky little Arab!" or "You daft Arab!" said to me more times than I can count. I don't think there was explicit racist intent behind it as it was just a phrase, evidently of great age, made humorously and with warmth and affection. I agree that it's not complimentary to actual Arabs, though, or wasn't originally.
I've never heard the term 'arab' used in any West of Scotland vernacular - I don't know if NS has.
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Then there is the reference to Aberdeen as Furryboots City
As regularly used in Tom Shield's diary in the Glasgow Herald.
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I've heard the term "dirty little Arab" which probably does have racist roots dating back to when brown skinned people weren't considered equal or as clean.
I think it would be a bad idea to use it now.
I haven't heard it said in a while but I would imagine it persists around here amongst the older generation especially. In exactly the same contexts people used to call kids Rooshans as well - deriving from Russians I guess but pronounced Rooshan, meaning a scamp or an endearingly mischievous child. I haven't heard that since I was little :(
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A couple from my Nottingham childhood:
It's black over Bill's mother's. (Mother rhymes with bother)
- meaning It looks as though it will soon rain.
An exclamation of surprise: Well, I'll g'to our 'ouse!