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My Nan's sayings

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I Am Nico

master brummie
Hope I got this thread thing right. Anyway did any of you experience some of these sayings?
My nan was Black country. I have only put the clean ones in as well,
Spiffin
Its me ommer ond
Going to Tip'n run (for Tipton)
Canking (someone has heard of this before) gossiping in the street
a mon ooman (butch woman)
A fly blow
wiljew
Like a bag of xxxx tied up ugly
'er fess ud stop a clock
They'd spile another couple
I doubt it, said the cat as he xxxxx on the fire
If she was crying, well what comes out of me eyes dow come out of me thighs.
I wish I was single me pockets would jingle
Such is life without a wife an wussa with one.
(If I was grizzling), did is mommy wash 'is botty in a coldy water den?
Crerky gert (gate) ongs well
Yowm oop a summat (what are you up to)
(Said of a hard cake )yow could chook it from ere to Clent an back.
A blind mon on a galoppiin 'oss ud be glad to see that (if I turned my nose up at something)
'er otta giv her tayth back to the 'oss
Yow can play yer trap (you talk too much)
Yow dow look on the mantle payce when yowm stokin the fire
Worra motley crew
They look like a cart load a monkeys (and she added when I was older) gooin' t'ell t'ava xxxx

and of course she used to wear short frilly aprons in the early 70's which she called fanny pinners, it took me till I was 15 to work out why.

and other such dainties
 
A variation on your nan's blindman on a galloping horse:

"A blindman on a galloping horse wouldn't spot/notice/see that!" ......suggesting that an imperfection/flaw isn't worth worrying about.

I still use this (did today), although not strictly PC.

Lu
 
More of nan's sayings

If I said eh? to her she would come back with, ay meks bulls poop
and of her dad who was bow legged, ee cor stop a pig in entry
If grandad wanted to get past he would say, 'blige me 'Arriett.
Gran called her bloomers passion killers.
When Diana Dors came on TV she said whoops Diana's drawers.
Poor Marlene Dietrich was known in her house as Marlayna Dirtybitch only because she couldn't say Dietrich.
Whip it quick meant hurry up but I can't put what she said after it though.
 
A variation on your nan's blindman on a galloping horse:

"A blindman on a galloping horse wouldn't spot/notice/see that!" ......suggesting that an imperfection/flaw isn't worth worrying about.

I still use this (did today), although not strictly PC.

Lu
My nan would say yow want to know they way to Meg's axxe and the way up it, and Grandad said of me, yowm a werrit, or yowm like a fart in a culinder or a cart in a fulinder if gran his mum in law, was about.Dad said youve got more to say than youve got t' eat. Guess I still have
 
When I was little in my grandmother's house, if the time was twenty-five minutes past the hour it was always said as "five and twenty" never twenty-five. Even in the infants school where the teachers were very strict on the way we spoke, they accepted that as a perfectly correct alternative when they were teaching us to tell the time. This must have gone right back to the Anglo-Saxon origins of the English language.
 
....it was always said as "five and twenty" never twenty-five......

Same with my mother (b1899). In her case a throwback to Victorian grandparents' practice, I assume. She was brought up by her grandma, b. 1848 Gloucestershire but lived most of her life in Brum. Not quite Anglo-Saxon but not far off it!

Chris
 

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Yes, David. That's certainly an interesting parallel. It would be fascinating to know if it does in fact go back to common lingustic roots. There's no other explanation I can think of. Rather like "four and twenty blackbirds..." which goes back at least to the 16th century. (I suppose "twenty-five" is nearer to French/Norman). Where are the Forum history of the language scholars when you need them?!!

Should have added previously that I still find myself saying it occasionally. Old habits and influences die hard.

Chris
 
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Interesting stuff, great photo. Its like the way the French count when they get to a certain number like 2o and 1. then 4 20's 4 20's and ten etc.
I liked Hilda Baker, its a quarter to....oh I must get a little hand in this watch. Remember when she did a Brummy with a stooge called Marlene?
 
Or Barrie, if her dress shows under er coat, er smokes in the street an er dow weear stockins ers common.
 
Hey David, Auntie lived in Aston, the great Gramps came from Wolverly and Stourbrdge all the sisters married and settled in Bru, Stourbridge and Cheltenham, maybe thats it.
 
Hey David, Auntie lived in Aston, the great Gramps came from Wolverly and Stourbrdge all the sisters married and settled in Bru, Stourbridge and Cheltenham, maybe thats it.


Was thinking some of the sayings were more Black Country than Brummie
 
You are probably right.
I just remembered another one, if a smell was really putrid, nan would say that was a real bob owler. She always dropped her aitches so I am not sure if these saying had them or not.
 
Does anyone remember Yellow Bazilicon ointment unsure of spelling, nan called it Yeller Mazellicer? In a flat red tin it was thick yellow and sticky and stuck to the lint dressing. The Borassic powder in a white box, the pain maid me shout out with that on me, a tincture of arnica in a green hexagonal bottle, the tubes these days are useless. Milk of Magnesia in a blue glass bottle. Ellimans Embrication Four Oils and oilo f Juniper berry to prevent insects. It made me retch. Shudder!
 
The use of "'a" before certain words. My Gran's generation would say "It's 'a pourin' down", "The policeman's 'a comin", for example.
I can't help think that that has its roots in the past too.

"Bloige" used to be quite a common expression. I allways thought that one originates from "oblige".

When we kids were within earshot, our Elders and Betters could often be heard using the expression "blue pencil", instead of a swearword.
 
You are probably right.
I just remembered another one, if a smell was really putrid, nan would say that was a real bob owler. She always dropped her aitches so I am not sure if these saying had them or not.

A Bob Howler was a local term for a large moth so I think she must have got confused.
 
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