Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Everyone seems to begin their sentences with the word, "So.." these days specially on Radio when answering questions from the interview. Madness! But to answer to the OP, "Buck yer ideas up" / "Buck yerself up". Said by my grandmother who had no sensitivity whatsoever!

All fur coat and no knickers was another of old aunt's sayings. Also was informed when young, that respectable girls/women did not wear patent shoes as their underwear could be reflected in the shine of the shoe!!!


As far as I am aware, none of the family were from 'the north' and going back to my great grandparents - they lived in ED all their lives (Pellatt/Landells Road)

Parking 'who's' for now, it's the rest of the saying. At a guess, it comes from observing animals grazing in a field: however big it is, they'll strain to reach the grass outside the fence once they've had the best of what's inside the field. We're not satisfied for long with what we've got.

SpringTime Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> In any food outlet etc. the patronising and vile

> instruction:

>

> "Enjoy."

>

> No, dimwit. It is I who decides whether it's

> enjoyable AFTER I have tried it or finished.


Just a tiny bit over the top? It's just short for "hope you enjoy your meal", it's not an instruction but an expression of goodwill; if I say enjoy your weekend, enjoy your trip etc I'm not giving you an instruction, I'm just expressing a hope that you will enjoy it. There's enough rudeness about without going looking for it in inoffensive good-natured pleasantries, life's too short.

Blah Blah Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Pot calling the kettle black. What if the pot is

> purple, or silver, or copper, or any number of

> colours that pots seem to be.



It would be more fun actually finding our the derivation. I expect for example this is one about cooking on open fires, both implements would be black with soot. "you think I have a problem, take a look at yourself". Enriches our language. I come out with stuff at times and people look at me blankly - so please do continue using these phrases.


If you want to go into stupid expressions you can mine a deeper vein across the pond


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796


I can see more clearly, "clearer"

It is more cheap "cheaper"

It is less fast "slower"


You've given me an inch, so I have taken a mile


And truly there is nowt as queer as East Dulwich folk

Actually a lot of expressions which on the face of it sound stupid have interesting origins, but because times have changed they no longer make sense to us.


We know the intended meaning, but not the underlying meaning.


Like pots and kettles - these days we rarely boil kettles or cook food on an open fire, yet we still know the meaning of the saying.


Letting the cat out of the bag is another one.


Pigs (presumably small ones) used to be sold in markets in sacks/bags, and unscrupulous sales people replaced the pigs with cats.


If you were wise to this, you opened the bag at the point of sale to check that you were in fact getting a pig and not a cat.


Hence, letting the cat out of the bag.

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------


> Pigs (presumably small ones) used to be sold in

> markets in sacks/bags, and unscrupulous sales

> people replaced the pigs with cats.

>

> If you were wise to this, you opened the bag at

> the point of sale to check that you were in fact

> getting a pig and not a cat.

>

> Hence, letting the cat out of the bag.


Also "don't buy a pig in a poke" - poke being a small bag (derived from French poque). Always been slightly confused by these expressions, simply because how much of a chump would one have to be to hand over the cash on the seller's assurance that there was a piglet in the bag without having a gander first?

rendelharris Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Always

> been slightly confused by these expressions,

> simply because how much of a chump would one have

> to be to hand over the cash on the seller's

> assurance that there was a piglet in the bag

> without having a gander first?



I'm sure there were as many chumps in those days as there are these days, only these days they give out their bank details on the phone to all and sundry claiming to be their bank, or send money to complete strangers who email them out of the blue with ridiculous stories ......

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • According to what I can see online, Dynamic Vines and Cave de Bruno sell totally different kinds of wine to each other.  Dynamic Vines  "work with independent winemakers who produce outstanding wine using sustainable practices in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar".  Cave de Bruno specialises in French wines and spirits from small independent producers. So two different USPs, and no doubt two different but overlapping customer bases who can afford these wines. Probably different again to the people mainly  shopping for wine at Majestic or the Co op. On the other hand, the two empanada shops appear on the face of it to be selling virtually identical products. But time will tell, won't it? Let's see how they are both doing in - say - a couple of years' time. Impossible, of course, to compare that with how they would have done if there had been only one of them. I just feel more  sorry for the original one than for  the one which can apparently already afford to have a number of shops in places like Mayfair and Highgate. I'm tempted to buy something there every week, and I don't even like that kind of pastry 🤣
    • Not only can he turn olive oil into Vermouth, but also water into a wine. A true miracle worker.  I wouldn't say a wine shop sells a wide variety of things - and there are two right next to each other.  And once upon a time, upmarket pizza shops were very specific. So were burritos etc. These Argentinian cornish pasties are clearly becoming mainstream; we should consider ourselves lucky to be witnessing this exciting upward trend within our lifetimes and on OUR HIGH STREET. We can tell our grandkids that we remember when there was no internet and no empanadas.  I'm sure that if the family empanada people have a good business head, they'll be able to ride this wave of competition, just like Bruno has. 
    • Very economical. Are you available for events? I've got a gathering of 5000 coming up soon. What could you knock up with two little fishes and five loaves of bread? Cod in breadcrumbs? Fish finger sandwiches? Spanish-style croquetas de bacalao with a Romesco sauce? It's BYOB for beer, so there's no need to worry about that and I've managed to do an unbelievable deal on water and wine. Drop me a DM on here or ask for Dave or Jesus (pronounced 'Hay-Zooze') in The Herne, left hand side of the bar.
    • You may want to see if anyone on this site can help: http://www.camberwellboroughcouncil.co.uk/folletts-music-shop/
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...