• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Mooch

Alf said:
MOOCH Anyone remember this saying.
Click to expand...
My dad grew up in the Rhonda, Wales. Mooch was often used by him and so I took it as a normal part of speech. Looking back I can't say that I heard it used by others in brum. Having retired I now live in Ross on Wye which is on the Welsh boarder and clos to the Rhonda, Here I find the word Mooch is used.
May be you have someone from wales in your background who introduced it to you family. Please post telling me if this may be the answer to it being heard by you.
 
BrianR said:
My dad grew up in the Rhonda, Wales. Mooch was often used by him and so I took it as a normal part of speech. Looking back I can't say that I heard it used by others in brum. Having retired I now live in Ross on Wye which is on the Welsh boarder and clos to the Rhonda, Here I find the word Mooch is used.
May be you have someone from wales in your background who introduced it to you family. Please post telling me if this may be the answer to it being heard by you.
Click to expand...

Just noticed you mentioned a link with Wales, I am a brummy and mum was welsh (born in the rhonda valley) I often still use the word, maybe I heard mum using it... I love mooching in the charity shops haha
 
Last edited:
Re’ mooch/mooching : when I was a child my Tipton relatives pronounced it mowch/mowchin. Wasn’t there a song called ‘Minnie the Moocher’?
 
JohnO said:
Re’ mooch/mooching : when I was a child my Tipton relatives pronounced it mowch/mowchin. Wasn’t there a song called ‘Minnie the Moocher’?
Click to expand...
Well, my great grandmother's father was Welsh, so maybe it got into my grandparents' house that way, but there do seem to be an awful lot of Brummies who say it.
 
I was visiting my daughter in America, wandering round one of the big shops in Washington I was approached by the usual "Can I help you sir?" assistants, "No thanks I'm just having a mooch." Stunned look on the ladies face, my daughter then told me that mooching in the US means hanging about waiting for an opportunity to steal. :oops:
 
The song was by Cab Calloway and he later did a rendering of it in the film "The Blues Brothers", though I have no idea what it was about.

Maurice
 
my family were english nothing to do with Gymraeg, and the word mooching was used by them. i think it is a world used
nationally. " ie stop mooching about"



Folks, here's a story 'bout Minnie the Moocher
She was a red-hot hoochie-coocher
She was the roughest, toughest frail
But Minnie had a heart as big as a whale
Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi)
Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)
Hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee (hee-dee-hee-dee-hee-dee-hee)
He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y)
She messed around with a bloke named Smokey
She loved him though was cokey
He took her down to Chinatown
And he showed her how to kick the gong around
Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi)
Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)
He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y)
Oh-oh-oh-oh (oh-oh-oh-oh)
She had a dream about the King of Sweden
He gave her things that she was needin'
He gave her a home built of gold and steel
A diamond car with a p-la-ti-num wheel
Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi)
Ho-dee-ho-dee-ho-dee ho (ho-dee-ho-dee-ho-dee ho)
Skip-de-diddly-skip-de-diddly-diddly-oh (skip-de-diddly-skip-de-diddly-diddly-oh)
Bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-oh (bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-bour'rrigy-oh)
He gave her his townhouse and his racing horses
Each meal she ate was a dozen courses
She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes
She sat around and counted them all a million times
Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi (hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi)
Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)
He-e-e-e-e-e-e-y (he-e-e-e-e-e-e-y)
Whoa-a-a-a-ah (whoa-a-a-a-ah)
Poor Min, poor Min, poor Min
 
I know mooch and mooching very well, my Nan used to say it a lot. Her parents originally came from Shropshire so maybe a vague Welsh connection but I think it was (is?) a word used by Brummies in general.
 
if i am having a look around any shop i have always said im just having a mooch around which has just bought to mind another word which means the same...just having a gander :rolleyes:

lyn
 
Eric Gibson said:
I was visiting my daughter in America, wandering round one of the big shops in Washington I was approached by the usual "Can I help you sir?" assistants, "No thanks I'm just having a mooch." Stunned look on the ladies face, my daughter then told me that mooching in the US means hanging about waiting for an opportunity to steal. :oops:
Click to expand...

Yes, having since done a bit of research, it seems the American usuage leans more towards nefarious intent, rather than us Brits simply having a ‘nose about’.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top