Sayings from the past

[colly]

I was chatting to a woman today and we got onto the subject of things that our parents and grand-parents would say, bizarre phrases they would come out with which, as kids, we just accepted and sort of knew what they meant.
Just a few I can remember off hand:

Fanny Fernackerpan
You'd laugh if you saw a pudding crawl
As black as Nookers knocker (maybe a corruption of Newgates knocker)
Dressed up to the nines
Shagnasty

My Nan who was always being shushed by my mum would come out with some cracking phrases. Sadly I can only recall a couple off hand.
When hearing of some villain or yobbo she would say in high dudgeon.
' They need flogging with a stocking full of hot shoot'
Or coming into the room she might sniff and announce:
'Smells like someone's minge is alight'
She would refer to her skirts etc as clouts. As in I suppose, 'Ne're cast a clout while May is out'

In her day she was a gay old spark and she had so many tales to tell of the things she got up to.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

"Children should be seen and not heard"

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

We never got pocket money, we got Saturday Pennies. That would have come from my father who would have been getting his in the 1920s.

 

[swee'pea99]

"Smells like someone's minge is alight"?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

My Mum goes to the shops, not for shopping, but to 'get the messages'.

It has NEVER made sense to me, and even she doesn't really have an explanation, it is just what she's always said.

 

[Arch]

My Mum goes to the shops, not for shopping, but to 'get the messages'.

It has NEVER made sense to me, and even she doesn't really have an explanation, it is just what she's always said.

That's a Scottish thing generally, isn't it?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

That's a Scottish thing generally, isn't it?

Maybe but it still gets on my tits!

 

[colly]

That's a Scottish thing generally, isn't it?

What ? Not making sense? I guess so...................Mad Doug...........nuff said.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

What ? Not making sense? I guess so...................Mad Doug...........nuff said.

Colly funny you are!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

My Mum goes to the shops, not for shopping, but to 'get the messages'.

It has NEVER made sense to me, and even she doesn't really have an explanation, it is just what she's always said.

I'd guess that in a time before phones, the shops and markets would have served as important information exchanges. Funnily enough, the French rarely talk of doing the shopping, they tend to refer to ''faire les courses'' or ''faire les commissions.''

 

[Fnaar]

Eeh, there's nowt as queer as folk.

 

[Fnaar]

The coexistence of muck and brass is surprisingly well documented.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Ah well it'll all come out in t' wash!

 

[PaulB]

When my mother despised someone, she'd come out with a phrase I've resurrected for the odious human toilet, Kelvin MacKenzie; 'I worship the ground that's coming to him.'

 

[rikki]

There's one born every minute. Trouble is - some live. (my Granma)

Worse things happen at sea. (my ex's mum)

A head like a robber's dog. (old friend)

Ugly as a hat-full of peanuts bent nails. (my Granpa - nice words used in "polite company")

Not swearing when ladies were present. When did people stop doing that?