Things our parents used to say

[Compo 10,328]

My dad was in north Africa during the war and often used phrases he picked up out there; so that might be your answer. It may be, as suggested by DAVIDW, something along the lines of WWI's bastardisation of Ploegsteert by the British Tommies; resulting in the common term "Plug Street" wood and other similar Anglicisations.

[denshaw 2,871]

SFA meaning Sweet F*** All or even Scotish Football Association.

[carni 10,094]

I just Googled' another one we all say, many of us not knowing its origins, (Me included)

Sweet Fanny Adams...........meaning Nothing

This is a very sad story, about the murder of an eight yr old girl. The saying comes from this sad tale, and is often said as Sweet F..k All.

But you must understand...Never by me

It is a story worth googleing.

[poohbear 1,360]

To all the boys on here....

'This is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you'

Bloody Liars!

[Compo 10,328]

Did anyone else have an "Outhouse"? We lived in a 1950s built council house with a room accessed by a side door. This room was within the house but not accessible from the inside until my dad put an internal door through. He always called the room "The outhouse".

[StephenFord 866]

Re ~1274 and 1275, I think the original French was ca ne fait rien (soft c to the "ca" - can't do a cedilla on here, and it won't let me paste from Word). The ne is abbreviated to n' so "San Fairy Ann" is pretty accurate pronunciation.

[Merthyr Imp 729]

Isn't it ce rather than ca? Ce n'est fait rien - literally, 'it makes nothing'.

Well, it's a long while since I passed French O Level (thanks to 'Wassimodo' at High Pavement)!

[littlebro 234]

The phrase 'Is there owt on the box this Christmas' is largely redundant now, the 'box' is now a large flat screen HD smart screen TV.

Having said this, there's seldom owt on the box worth switching it on for - as usual.

[Compo 10,328]

I'm doing a crossword - nowt on the box.

[Ashley 288]

re the outhouse, we had one, it was a toilet

[Compo 10,328]

That's a sh*te house not an outhouse!

[carni 10,094]

Anyone know the origin of this one. I said it today and I must have got it from my parents as Chris say's he has never heard anyone here In W-ton say it.

Referring to something that is dirty, as being Ditched

[katyjay 5,090]

We said that in our house too. Usually it meant the dirt was ingrained, it was so bad.

[carni 10,094]

I seem to remember Mam looking at my knees but mainly my neck when she said it!

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

I cud grow spuds in your neck!!! nah gerit wesht.

Colin

[Mattsdigs 104]

My parents, especially my mother who never had a chance at school, always insisted on learning being the difference between having lots of money and not having much. One thing I did learn was the beauty of the english language. Here is a very good example of the use of the language.

http://www.wimp.com/powerwords/

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Nice one, Mattsdigs.

[The Pianoman 1,532]

If the house looked like a tip, my Mother always used to say something along the lines of 'Look at it in 'ere, its just like Jacky Pownalls'

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

My father when admiring a lady would always say now she has a 'well turned ankle'. Never did find out what he meant by it, but I am a leg man myself so it must have rubbed off.

Colin

[Ashley 288]

I had a well turned ankle once, on crutches for weeks!

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Something made to a poor standard was often described as "shoddy"

Just been reading some old news reports about the Pownalls .

In one report John Pownall was described as a rag and bone man and there is an article of a court case where he had contracted to supply a dealer in Yorkshire with a certain amount of second hand wool that was to be used in shoddy . He didn't supply the agreed amount and so got sued .

Never knew shoddy was a real article . Its a mixture of old wool, shredded and added to new wool making a cheaper material .

[Beduth 202]

I've read up to about posting 200. I'll pick it up again tomorrow. I can't stop laughing. I remember just about all of them. I took all of these sayings with me to Coventry when I was 15 and youths thought I was wappy. I'll try to contribute after I've scratch me head.

[Commo 1,292]

David, re #1296, Batley up 'ere in West Yorkshire is the Shoddy capital of the UK,( some say in more ways than one), but there are still mills there turning out shoddy for the textile trade in just about the same way since the early 1800's when the process originated.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

Commo , wouldn't look good on your CV........."I was a shoddy worker "

[Trevor S 2,003]

Break something or not do it right etc and the common response in our family was:- You've put the kibosh on that, haven't you.

Another one was the word for face.....Jeez, you've got an ugly fizzog.