Parents say the oddest things.

nettienoo70

My grandads fav was "it's not the cough that carries yer off, it's the coffin they carry yer of in"

Owl

My nan was a right one for these....

We had "enough blue to make a sailor trousers" - is it going to be a nice day
"Air pie and flyaway potatoes" in response to what's for tea
And one that made my OH roar yesterday "if I'm not in, I'm out"

kettlefish

My dad used to say "sneaky legs" to mean jitty or alleyway, I didn't realise other people didn't use it until I used it in conversation aged 18 or so and was universally ridiculed!

My grandad would say "You are a barmpot" which I haven't really heard since, he said it when you were doing something silly.

NewHome13

redfragglebiker wrote: »

I remember my dad saying the "Blackpool Illuminations" one when we were kids.
Oh and if we'd been asked to do a bit of housework and done a bad job we'd get "Who hoovered this carpet - Stevie Wonder"
Another favorite for if you couldn't find something that was in an obvious place was "are your eyes painted on?"

Haha! Another of my dad's is, if a DIY job hasn't been done properly - 'Who put that up, John Wayne?!'

heartbreak_star

Nan used to use "here's your hat, what's your hurry", "gawd love a duck" and "sick as a chip".

Dad used to like "about as much use as a chocolate fireguard/sponge leg" and "mad as a balloon".

Mum likes "daft as a brush".

HBS x

Owl

Oh and "if the stones are dry" meaning if the paving slabs/patio was dry it was ok to peg out your washing

And "Bob's mum" like "it's black over bob's mums" (it's going to rain)
"Have you cleaned down Bob's mums?" (The side of the sofa)
Now apparently bobs mum is a real person!!!!! Se went round one day and spent the time with her hand down the sofa side going oh I've found..... And she lived down the road........

thehappybutterfly

Great thread!

When we asked what was for tea, it was either "bees knees and chickens eyebrows" or "a run around the table" - meaning there was no tea!

"You'd be late for your own funeral"
"It's a sair fecht" - meaning it's a hard life
"Affy no weel" meant that someone was really not well, maybe in hospital, whereas "no affy weel" meant that they're a bit under the weather

thehappybutterfly

tayforth wrote: »

My granny said that too! :rotfl:

Oh and she always said, "Don't cast a clout 'til May is out!" (don't start wearing your summer clothes until the end of May) My mum says it now as well. :rotfl:

There were plenty of dire warnings about the perils of wearing too few clothes or (horrors) going barefoot. Sitting on a stone wall would make you catch a 'chill in your kidneys'!!!

In Scotland it's "ne'er cast a cloot 'til May month is oot"

Sitting on a stone wall would "gie ye piles"!

thehappybutterfly

A, dare I say it, older lady I used to work with taught me two sayings:

"He thinks he's Erchie" - meaning he thinks he's great
"He's no' as green as he is cabbage looking" - meaning he's not as daft as he looks.

This_Year

TeamLowe wrote: »

and in my home town people who live together without being married are referred to as 'living over t'brush'. no idea why

Think that's a Romany thing. Couples would jump over a broom/brush on the ground and were regarded as married without the benefit of a ceremony.