Odd sayings

Lilysmum · Post by **Lilysmum** » Thu 27 Nov, 2008 8:23 pm

"As much good as an ashtray on a motorbike"

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 27 Nov, 2008 9:50 pm

Lilysmum wrote: "He's got all his chairs at home" Jimmy Clitheroe?

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 27 Nov, 2008 9:51 pm

Lilysmum wrote: "Up and down like a closet seat"" Up and down like a bride's nightie (John Shuttleworth)

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Thu 27 Nov, 2008 9:55 pm

There used to be a comic on the radio called Ken Platt - typical deadpan Lancashire comic and his opening words were always "I won't take mi coat off, I'm not stoppin'" whether he invented it or he'd heard it I don't know, I do know that my aunties - who'd both worked in the mill used to say it when I was a kid. The also used to do the mouthing of words they didn't want you to hear like Les Dawson used to.As for rhymes seeing as Christmas is coming:Good King WencleslasKnocked a bobby senselessRight in the middle of Marks and Spencers

Si · Post by Si » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 8:55 am

"As thick as a workhouse sandwich.""He's about as hard as a Monday morning sh**e.""Neither use nor ornament.""As much use as a chocolate fire-guard.""As welcome as a f**t in a space-suit."

Dalehelms · Post by **Dalehelms** » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 10:06 am

As bent as a nine bob note.

simong · Post by **simong** » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 12:58 pm

Trojan wrote: There used to be a comic on the radio called Ken Platt - typical deadpan Lancashire comic and his opening words were always "I won't take mi coat off, I'm not stoppin'" whether he invented it or he'd heard it I don't know, I do know that my aunties - who'd both worked in the mill used to say it when I was a kid. The also used to do the mouthing of words they didn't want you to hear like Les Dawson used to.As for rhymes seeing as Christmas is coming:Good King WencleslasKnocked a bobby senselessRight in the middle of Marks and Spencers Ken Platt, yes indeed, who, according to his obituary in the Independent, also came up with 'daft as a brush', or at least adopted it as a catchphrase.Spike Milligan had a theory about the infectiousness of catchphrases: that through repetition they would become commonplace. He illustrated it in an episode of the Derek Roy show by having a character open a door and shout 'more coal!'. On the third repetition he had the audience applaud, and it briefly became common currency. Not all survive, fortunately.The mouthing of words has only died out since the mills have gone - I remember a documentary, possibly presented by Les Dawson, where he went back to the mills of Preston and Darwen in the mid-80s, where the mill workers, mostly ladies of a certain age, still used it as it was the only way that they could communicate over the noise. It also came in handy outside the factory, particularily when they wanted to say something rude or scandalous. It must have been part of the mill culture on this side of the Pennines too.

Lilysmum · Post by **Lilysmum** » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 1:48 pm

simong wrote: Trojan wrote: There used to be a comic on the radio called Ken Platt - typical deadpan Lancashire comic and his opening words were always "I won't take mi coat off, I'm not stoppin'" whether he invented it or he'd heard it I don't know, I do know that my aunties - who'd both worked in the mill used to say it when I was a kid. The also used to do the mouthing of words they didn't want you to hear like Les Dawson used to.As for rhymes seeing as Christmas is coming:Good King WencleslasKnocked a bobby senselessRight in the middle of Marks and Spencers Ken Platt, yes indeed, who, according to his obituary in the Independent, also came up with 'daft as a brush', or at least adopted it as a catchphrase.Spike Milligan had a theory about the infectiousness of catchphrases: that through repetition they would become commonplace. He illustrated it in an episode of the Derek Roy show by having a character open a door and shout 'more coal!'. On the third repetition he had the audience applaud, and it briefly became common currency. Not all survive, fortunately.The mouthing of words has only died out since the mills have gone - I remember a documentary, possibly presented by Les Dawson, where he went back to the mills of Preston and Darwen in the mid-80s, where the mill workers, mostly ladies of a certain age, still used it as it was the only way that they could communicate over the noise. It also came in handy outside the factory, particularily when they wanted to say something rude or scandalous. It must have been part of the mill culture on this side of the Pennines too. When I started work in the early '70s as a hairdresser a lot of customers were mill workers and you had to be very careful what you said when they were under the dryer as they could lip read due to the noise in the mills and a lot of them ended up deaf as a result.

sundowner · Post by **sundowner** » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 2:33 pm

If someone had a fall they would say He or she went a*se over tit.Another one if someone did not know what they were doing. They would say you will meet yourself comeing back.

jake · Post by **jake** » Fri 28 Nov, 2008 6:17 pm

my mum used to say when ever we asked for an ice cream, " well if you wish in one hand & sh1t in the other i know which one will get full 1st!"& "you'll be laughing on the other side of your face in a minute" what does that mean??