• 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

Sayings, legends and customs.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stitcher
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Spargone said:
Has no-one posted 'going around the Wrekin', (or variants)?

"All around the Wrekin", "Right 'round the Wrekin" or "Running round the Wrekin" is a phrase common in Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, the Black Country, Birmingham to mean "the long way round", in the same way that "round the houses" is used more widely " Wikipedia

Outside of this region no-one would have a clue what that means!
Click to expand...
1579518468832.png
There was an Old Man of the Wrekin
Whose shoes made a horrible creaking
from A Book of Nonsense
 
“Draw the fire” (with a newspaper). If you said that to youngsters today, they wouldn’t have a clue, except that it might involve a pencil and paper and nice picture as a result. I doubt many people ‘draw the fire’ to get it started anymore. Viv.
 
Spargone said:
Has no-one posted 'going around the Wrekin', (or variants)?

"All around the Wrekin", "Right 'round the Wrekin" or "Running round the Wrekin" is a phrase common in Shropshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, the Black Country, Birmingham to mean "the long way round", in the same way that "round the houses" is used more widely " Wikipedia

Outside of this region no-one would have a clue what that means!
Click to expand...
Yes Nan said that, about my dad who took a long time to explain things. followed by, 'ees neither useful nor ornamental' .If a cake was hard she might say, you can chuck it from here to Clent and back. 'Well damn my 'ooray!' 'Lawk a mercy'. 'Lord help a sailor on a night like this (sung) ....Where are you going mum?, there and back to see how far it is. Or , I am going to do what you can't do for me.
 
Vivienne14 said:
“Draw the fire” (with a newspaper). If you said that to youngsters today, they wouldn’t have a clue, except that it might involve a pencil and paper and nice picture as a result. I doubt many people ‘draw the fire’ to get it started anymore. Viv.
Click to expand...
Great gran would say, Jeremiah, blow the fire, puff! puff! puff!
 
My late French mum in law never wore green saying it was bad luck. Her sister in law from the West Indies said the same about purple, and would never wear amethyst. My ex colleague also from there though a different island, kept them in her bag for luck.
 
Morturn said:
Is purple associated with funerals? I did hear " brown shoes a at a funeral" said in a very stern way.
Click to expand...
Nan wore purple at a funeral saying, it's 'oly. Mum always wore navy blue. The Co Op, plain wood coffins the most affordable for the likes of us, were covered in mauve flock. It's only gooin in the ground or is gonna be up in smoke said Nan. We always drew the curtains when we lost someone at the family home and opened them when we brought people back to the house after the ceremony. So when I got my own place and often charged out to work with them drawn, my neighbour said, have you lost someone?
Nan in her usual 'cheerful' way would say, warm winter, full churchyard,,,followed with an nod and folded arms.
 
Mom would never have lily of the valley in the house - very bad luck.
Purple is definitely associated with funerals along with black.
You'll never see green worn on the continent - more bad luck.
Never try to take a photograph of a baby or a young child in Greece without first asking permission - the camera is regarded by some more traditional folk as the eye of the devil. On the other hand, good-looking teenage girls are well into selfies and if they see you with a "proper" camera, particularly at carnival time, will almost beg you to take not one but many photographs of them!

Maurice :cool:
 
Last edited:
Smudger said:
There are lots of superstitions to do with weddings. Lilies & pearls are considdered bad luck, & if someone drops the wedding ring they are doomed to die (aren`t we all ) ;)
Click to expand...
A French custom when draining the dregs of a wine bottle in to a glass of a person they say to them, " married or hanged?" then "oh it's the same thing" and laugh.
 
Purple has replaced black for Requiem Masses,by and large, although very traditional use still prefers black. However, some modernists prefer white.
 
Nico said:
My late French mum in law never wore green saying it was bad luck. Her sister in law from the West Indies said the same about purple, and would never wear amethyst. My ex colleague also from there though a different island, kept them in her bag for luck.
Click to expand...
I must be destined for a life of bad luck then. I only wear green. :worried:
 
Vivienne14 said:
“Daft as a brush”. Why a brush ? What’s daft about a brush - a very useful thing.

My (Yorkshire) Mum used to say “Daft aperf”.Not sure if this is used in Brum, think it might be a northern thing. Certainly don’t hear it down south.

Viv.
Click to expand...
I know? Like mad as a box of frogs. As right as ninepence. Why ninepence? Brown as a berry. Cool as a cucumber, drunk as a skunk, bold as brass, it goes on.
 
A Sparks said:
When I worked in a florists mixing red and white flowers as a gift for anyone in Hospital was a definite no-no (unless specifically asked of course!)
Click to expand...
Yes I was told the same red and white was unlucky to have in flowers as the red represents blood and the white represents bandages.ALso two of my friends had red and white theme at their weddings and they are both divorced now !!!!!!!!
 
Sugar said:
Yes I was told the same red and white was unlucky to have in flowers as the red represents blood and the white represents bandages.ALso two of my friends had red and white theme at their weddings and they are both divorced now !!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
My parents did too, not in the same bouquet though. It also rained. They were married 52 years.Mum did say don't put them together though. Wouldn't have lilac in the house, said it foretold death, partner says it is lucky to have it. She won't have chrisanths or kalenchoes as they are only for graves and Lily of the valley given as friendship on May 1. Nan called arum lilies death lilies which seem to be fashionable as a cut flower now. Like snapdragons and ronunculous I saw yesterday. Neither would have hyacinths though, yet they both had bluebells. Bizarre.
Friend always had the Easter Palm cross up till the next year.
 
Vivienne14 said:
“Draw the fire” (with a newspaper). If you said that to youngsters today, they wouldn’t have a clue, except that it might involve a pencil and paper and a nice picture as a result. I doubt many people ‘draw the fire’ to get it started anymore. Viv.
Click to expand...
hold the paper until it sets on fire. loose it, and it shoots up the chimney:(Now i use a draw tin made from an old washing machine lid.it's safer...... in case no one knows what one is this is a pic of one....1579676837265.png
 
Yes, we used a copy of the Birmingham Mail, then when the old firegrate was replaced with a tiled fireplace, it was the Mail over the fireguard - but not very effective, and then as you say, Pete, a drawtin. Happy days and a few close shaves! :)

Maurice :cool:
 
As keen as mustard ( Eager to get on with it )
As daft as a brush ( A description of me )
Fell off the back of a lorry ( Honest officer, it fell off the back of a lorry )
Flogging a dead horse ( A waste of time )
Popped his clogs. ( Gone to meet his maker )
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top