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Brummie sayings & language

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I was reminded this weekend, of an elderly Aunt in Sparkhill in the 50s, who called the Toilet, the "OH BE JOYFUL". This came about, I believe from the Opening words of a favourite Victorian Hymn, and was inspired by the name of the Porcelain Firm, "OBEE" embossed on the Bowl Rim.
 
Whenever I telephone my sister's, all in their seventies and eighties, I always start the conversation with, ' Worrow our wench, and no matter how bad the line from Australia they know who it is. 'It's our David ,' I hear over the wires and then I get my usual ear chewed off about what a barmpot I used to be. Regards, David.
 
Hey Astonian, I'm sitting here laughing my head off. What memories you bring back with the women in 'The Washus' and tipping slops down the suff. Do you remember the kids chasing horse and carts around for nourishing someone's rhubarb. Dad had a customer that used to give him fresh rhubarb and mom made rhubarb and apple pie which was the best taste ever until dad saw her tipping the contents of the po on it and somehow he lost his appetite for it after that. Regards, David.
 
You sometimes hear people using the word Suff nowadays.

Alan you are only a Spring chicken,stop trying to age your -self,the War had long gone before you were born,LOL.
 
When a door in the house was left open on a cold winters night,there was normally a chorus of PUT THE WOOD IN THE HOLE.
 
That one was used often in our house too. Thanks for the reminder mossg.
 
mossg said:
When a door in the house was left open on a cold winters night,there was normally a chorus of PUT THE WOOD IN THE HOLE.
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'Born in a barn, were you?'

My dad told me he'd been to hell in a dream, and it was cold because all us kids were sitting in the way of the fire.
 
I'm not sure if this one has been on before, but I remember being told to put my 'donnies' (hands) into my gloves. Is this just a Brummie saying, never heard it anywhere else.
 
I've heard donnies elsewhere. It's supposed to be from French speaking children holding out their hand and saying 'donnez' which means 'gimme'!
 
`Having a swill` meaning a wash is one i aint heard for ages.

And calling somebody 'Mucker' or even 'Me old mucker' seems to come up in books where a Brummie is speaking, dont think I've ever heard it for real though.
 
My husband says that all the time, he got it from the roadies of a band he was in.
ASTONITE said:
When I Was Small, I Heard My Mother Say To People On Greeting Them "hows Your Belly Where The Pig Bit You"? (if It Has A Rude Meaning I Apologise But I've Asked People Before And No-one Knows What It Meant)
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david i havnt heard the term fizzogg for years..another one was a punch in the mush.....

lyn
 
Has anyone heard the saying "Well ... I'll go to the foot of our stairs". Apparently meaning "I'm shocked" Does anyone know how such a saying was derived in the first place ? How about "You're Ten-a-Penny" meaning you are silly, or for someone who is bowlegged .... "Couldn't stop a pig in an entry".Shame, rather cruel that one, but many sayings are so inclined.
 
db84124 said:
I'd never heard the word 'stale' until maggs mentioned it in Post #623. I looked it up immediately; it does exist. As the question of spelling has now come up, dictionary.com gives me 'stail' : A handle, as of a mop. It adds that the spelling in England is 'stale'. My New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) does not list 'stail' or 'stayle', but defines 'stale' as 'the handle or shaft of a tool'. The same dictionary also tells me that 'stale' was once used to mean the rungs of a ladder; before that it meant one of the two uprights of a ladder.
Thanks for the new word, maggs. David
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Thank you for investigating this word David. I thought it was just another Brummie saying, but obviously not. I will now go and tell my husband.
 
Fatfingers, my dad always used thst expression "having a swill" when he came home from work...also we always swilled the entry...my dad also would say "well l'll go to the foot of our stairs" and of course the guzzunder or the jerry...these are terms l have'nt heard in years....Brenda
 
When I was little, the usually cheerful lady who used to look after me during the school holidays had a large wall clock that chimed.
Every now and again, on the hour she would say something like "Three O Clock, and nobody's dead"

Dunno if it was just her saying, seems a bit strange, wonder if anybody else remembers ever hearing it.
 
When we were kids and playing cards, whenever my dad shuffled them he used to say 'shuffle on the buffle' and then he would put his finger half way into the pack and the middle cards he pushed out to either put on top or bottom of the pack he used to say 'pig in a poke'. Has anyone else heard these sayings?
 
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