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sayings

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If Nan was trying on shoes that were too big she would say, them are boats. She called her brassieres, does anyone say brassier now?) me bruzz eeya. Great gran called hers her braziers. Stick a rock frocks.
 
Was "as big a boats for shoes and brassier" a Birmingham thing? My mom would say the same.
Nan was Black Country but only on the edge of it she said, and a lot of her aunties married Brummies or West Bromwichians or whatever they are called.
 
Should Nan see someone picking their nose, she would say dyow want a boat 'ook?

She was in the doctor's once, me in tow, waiting for her prescription and the receptionist shouted just her surname. So Nan's harrumphs up to the woman and snorts 'Mar name's gor an 'andle to it. It's Mrs.........to you! She would have said 'ondle normally but she was going easier on the woman, being in Cov.

If anyone referred to her as she, they would get, 'She's the cat's mother!'

Arza comin. I'm coming. It was often a something, like a dyin' a tryin' a flyin' a doin' etc.

A man's male appendage was 'is diddle um.

I'm nicky nacky nood. I am done in
 
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Ar. She would play to an audience or be prim and propa.
Nan will kill me, wherever she is now but..... mum was once Secretary to Lord Pelham Leigh, Mr Leigh he called himself. At the Jaguar. He lived at Sherbourne Manor where they held an annual garden party. Mum took me and Nan once. He was nice and ordinary but we were overdressed, as everyone bar Mr Leigh wore jeans. Nan in her best tweed dress with a trendy leather tassle belt. When she was introduced to Mr Leigh she half curtsied and said (in her ooh la posh voice,) pleased to meet choo. Which I imitated out of his earshot and I was too far away for her to clout me.
 
I know there is a tonic I think called something like Epipecianawine. When Nan was vexed and Great Gran was around so Nan dare not blaspheme or hint at a 'cuss', she would say, "oh eckypecky anawine" because she often said it all about face, and "eckypecky anawine kissed the babby and the swine." Mum would sometimes say "oh ecky flip!" And of someone who was from up north they were ''ecky thump". When she was vehement at not obeying someone "Am ar eckers like'."And of the foul mouthed woman next door, 'er next dowa er cussed 'im pink!"
 
I am talking to the engine driver, not the tin can on the back. I am talking to the organ grinder not his monkey.

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Wherever you be,
Let your wind go free,
For holdoing my wind
Was the death of me.

Pardon me for being so rude,
Pardon me it was my food
Pardon me it was my tea,
Pardon, but it was not me.
My school mate used to say that.
 
No miners in my family Morturn. I lived not far from the Hampstead Colliery mind.
My mother was born in Musgrave Road, Winson Green. She insisted it was Handsworth though.

John
 
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