I was thinking today about phrases/words that you just don't hear any more.

When I was kid, I vividly remember certain phrases that my grandparents used to use which are never said these days. For example, my gran used to say "Poppycock" which was her version of "b)llocks".

And my Grandads greatest insult was to refer to someone as a "blackguard" (only he said it like "blaggard"). Not really sure what it meant - scoundrel, I think (which incidentally is another word that no-one says any more).

And other phrases such as "gone for a burden" - no idea what it meant but I vaguely remember it being used by old people when I was very young. Does anyone know what the heck it meant?

What byegone phrases can you recall?

It's 'gone for a Burton' Figs. Dead, done, finished. I think it's RAF slang from WW2 because it's one of the phrases my father would use. Another was 'tickety-boo' as in 'I want that room to be all tickety-boo by tea-time'

My grandmother used to use 'sqiffy' for drunk, and a girl with too many boyfriends would be 'no better than she ought to be'

It's 'gone for a Burton' Figs. Dead, done, finished. I think it's RAF slang from WW2 because it's one of the phrases my father would use. Another was 'tickety-boo' as in 'I want that room to be all tickety-boo by tea-time'

Ahh cheers for that. :)

What about fiddlesticks! I heard that on an old movie recently.

How about "I say", "Rather" "Old Boy". If you watch a b&w film from the 40s and 50s it seem like another planet. "Leave it aht" from the 70s.

Ive suddenly started saying 'gosh' a lot. Im even annoying myself.

The other day a spider dropped on me. Normally i would scream, swear, shout, run around .... instead i said 'Gosh' :mellow:

And my Grandads greatest insult was to refer to someone as a "blackguard" (only he said it like "blaggard"). Not really sure what it meant - scoundrel, I think (which incidentally is another word that no-one says any more).



Ooooo I have heard the meaning of that one and I cant remember - its an Irish one - its something that I still hear being used now I am back in Leamington (where there is a massive Irish population)......

It's 'gone for a Burton' Figs. Dead, done, finished. I think it's RAF slang from WW2 because it's one of the phrases my father would use. Another was 'tickety-boo' as in 'I want that room to be all tickety-boo by tea-time'

My grandmother used to use 'sqiffy' for drunk, and a girl with too many boyfriends would be 'no better than she ought to be'


Hello Fee,

I can't be 100% certain, but I'm nearly sure that like Garibaldi, Burton was a military person.

Maureen
Northern angel.

...... and they both now make biscuits. Another coincidence!!!!

...... and they both now make biscuits. Another coincidence!!!!


Garibaldi is a type of bisuit.... Tuht
:assshake:

I have just found this definition on another website for blackguards....

from the 1811 dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue; it says: "A shabby, mean fellow; a term said to be derived from a number of dirty, tattered roguish boys who attended at the Horse Guards and Parade in St James' Park, to black the boots and shoes of the soldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. These, from their constant attendance at about the time of guard mounting, were nick-named black-guards.

I remember my nan saying about a particular woman at mass "she will read you to the dirt" - which I think means slag you off behind your back :unsure: ahhhh these were good Christian women :glare: and we were forever threatened with burning in hell forever for our sins (at least it'll be warm!!!), and that all babies who werent christened would end up in limbo and not heaven if they died - which is a pretty scary place when you are a small child......

I have just found this definition on another website for blackguards....

from the 1811 dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue; it says: "A shabby, mean fellow; a term said to be derived from a number of dirty, tattered roguish boys who attended at the Horse Guards and Parade in St James' Park, to black the boots and shoes of the soldiers, or to do any other dirty offices. These, from their constant attendance at about the time of guard mounting, were nick-named black-guards.

I remember my nan saying about a particular woman at mass "she will read you to the dirt" - which I think means slag you off behind your back :unsure: ahhhh these were good Christian women :glare: and we were forever threatened with burning in hell forever for our sins (at least it'll be warm!!!), and that all babies who werent christened would end up in limbo and not heaven if they died - which is a pretty scary place when you are a small child......

Hello Fee,

I can't be 100% certain, but I'm nearly sure that like Garibaldi, Burton was a military person.

Maureen
Northern angel.

Maybe, but 'Gone for a Burton' was the tagline for an advertising campaign for a brewery of the time.

I used to have an Aunty and she would say ...

"e, take me to the foot of our stairs" if she had some surprising/shocking information!

It was a totally natural expression for her. I find if people use it these days it's usually in a lighthearted Les Dawson mickey take kind of way ... she was from Chorley though and they say a lot of funny things up there without realising it!

Maybe, but 'Gone for a Burton' was the tagline for an advertising campaign for a brewery of the time.

It was, and I think if say a WW2 pilot was missing, he'd 'Gone for a Burton' a bit like whoever it was - Oates? - who was 'just going outside and may be some time'.

I remember the phrase being used when I was very young, it was applied to anything that got broken or dropped or ruined in some way.

Totally disconnected, but another expression I remember is 'I'll give you ...' used for whenever you were thought to be being cheeky ("Mum, can I have steak and chips for dinner?" "hah! I'll give you steak and chips!" (yes please).

Another thing that comes to mind is 'fainites' - it was what you'd say if you were playing a game in the playground but wanted out for a while, you had to say it with your fingers crossed and then you were immune from being tagged, caught, or hit with a bat depending on what the game was.

A couple of words used in the 60s and 70s for something that was a bit unpleasant were 'grotty' and 'manky' which I don't hear now (the first wqas a play on 'grotesque' and If I remember right was coined by George Harrison in 'A Hard Day's Night')

I still say grotty :huh:

We still refer to things as manky too.

That's only because you don't do any housework :wink_kiss

I've just remembered another - we had a teacher who would say 'nincompoop!' if anyone did anything silly in class.

That's only because you don't do any housework :wink_kiss

I am almost embarrassed to admit I havent done any real housework in about 12 months, since we started this bloody building work:ninja: I would add I do polish what little furniture is left and hoover the carpets remaining in the house.
I've just remembered another - we had a teacher who would say 'nincompoop!' if anyone did anything silly in class.
Our teachers were not so refined....

.....a bit like whoever it was - Oates? - who was 'just going outside and may be some time'.

I always thought that was Scott, as in "Scott of the Antarctic".


Totally disconnected, but another expression I remember is 'I'll give you ...' used for whenever you were thought to be being cheeky ("Mum, can I have steak and chips for dinner?" "hah! I'll give you steak and chips!" (yes please).

Lol! :laugh: Yeah, I remember that. Never gets used now though, but does bring back some memories.

Another thing that comes to mind is 'fainites' - it was what you'd say if you were playing a game in the playground but wanted out for a while, you had to say it with your fingers crossed and then you were immune from being tagged, caught, or hit with a bat depending on what the game was.

Crikey - I vageuly remember that too. Am I showing my age now? :mellow:

.....and 'manky' which I don't hear now..

'Manky' is having a bit of a revival. All the young 'uns say it now. The trendy phrase is to say that something is 'manky and mingin'. Despite my tender years, I am far too cultured and sophisticated to say such popular phrases it myself......

It was Oates Figs...;)

have always used:

Manky
Nincompoop (when insulting little ones in a loving way)
Grotty

...anyone else use to use the word 'mush' as in 'Alright mush?' - as apposed to mate or dude? :huh:

Mama Coastie always used to march us up to bed by singing the line: 'Up the stairs to Bedfordshire' - her dad used to sing it to her...I sing it to my rats as I'm going to bed :blush: Well I don't have, nor do I want, any kids! :laugh:

It was Oates Figs...;)


I ain't disagreeing :wink_kiss

Oates was a cad and a bounder :sleep:

Oates was a cad and a bounder :sleep:

"Cad"...."Bounder"...

Terrific!

Sayings from a byegone age!

Or is that the piont you were trying to male Fee, and I've gone and f.cuked it up with my utter doltishness......

:laugh:

Yes, Titus was an opportunity to chuck in some more!

OOh just remebered another - my mother would describe someone who couldn't be trusted, as 'a bit of a wide boy'

Another thing that comes to mind is 'fainites' - it was what you'd say if you were playing a game in the playground but wanted out for a while, you had to say it with your fingers crossed and then you were immune from being tagged, caught, or hit with a bat depending on what the game was.



In Scotland, you'd hold your thumbs up and shout 'I'm keys.' Usually preceded an argument about whether or not you were actually 'keys' when you got tagged.

OOh just remebered another - my mother would describe someone who couldn't be trusted, as 'a bit of a wide boy'

I've heard this expression too. My Mum didn't say it, so I guess I just heard it from miscellaneous people in my youth. But I kinda liked the phrase. I didn't know exactly what it meant, but I knew it was derogatory and everyone likes a bad boy.

But I did kinda have fantasies about hooking up with a "wide-boy". Maybe I thought that it meant he had a wide dick (girth is just as important than length, imo. Maybe more so....)

I still hear and at times use the term 'Wide boy' in relation to a chap who's a little off the straight and narrow.

Anyone here use the term: Brassic a.k.a Brass Monkeys - when refering to it being very cold?

This comes from the brass rack used to store cannon balls on a ship...when it got really, really cold the brass rack was known on occasion to shatter...since the boys who ran around lower decks running gun powder (and the occasional ball) around were called Powder Monkey's (on aacount of their ability to leap and clamber at speed between guns with essential supplies) the nick name for the rack was a brass monkey.

Coasts, do you mean boracic rather than brassic?

Boracic is rhyming slang for being broke - boracic lint, skint.

HTH :bag:

Actually, there are a few slang expressions for monetary denominations that you just don't hear any more. "Quid", "grand" and "tenner" are still around, but I never hear phrases like "nicker" (£1), "score" (£20), "monkey" (£500) or "pony" (£25) any more.

Actually, there are a few slang expressions for monetary denominations that you just don't hear any more. "Quid", "grand" and "tenner" are still around, but I never hear phrases like "nicker" (£1), "score" (£20), "monkey" (£500) or "pony" (£25) any more.

Also some good ol' expressions for smaller amounts went out post-decimalisation, which you probably have to be born before 1960 to remember

Thruppenny bit (and why 'thruppence'?)
tanner
bob
three and a kick
half a dollar
dollar
half a bar
guinea

post-decimalisation all we have is the bland 'pee'.

how much is three and a kick? or half a bar?
I've never heard either of these expressions. I'm probably far too young! :kid:

Also some good ol' expressions for smaller amounts went out post-decimalisation, which you probably have to be born before 1960 to remember

Thruppenny bit (and why 'thruppence'?)
tanner
bob
three and a kick
half a dollar
dollar
half a bar
guinea

post-decimalisation all we have is the bland 'pee'.

Well, I've heard of a tanner and a bob, but I have no idea what denominations they are. However, I do know that a guinea = 21 shillings (£1.05 in new money) - I used to go out with a jockey and horses are still bought in guineas. But, like Dol, I've never heard of "three and a kick" or "half a bar".

Three and a kick = three and six (three shillings and sixpence) - half a bar = ten bob, usually in the form of a ten shilling note. A dollar as you might know was five shillings, from the days when you could get 4 dollars to the pound (ah ... if only you could now)

Some older Southern sayings I've remember my dear Granny saying (it's a year since her death...:() :

I swan for I swear.
Higher than a cat's back for something that's gone up too much.
Of a morning for in the morning and of an evening for in the evening.
It was over before the sheets got dirty on a quick marriage/divorce.:smartie: