When I was diving regularly from small boats around the British coast, one of our club cox'ns often described a rough sea as "Up and down like a bride's nightie."
The opposite, on a calm day, was "It's as flat as a witch's tit." (Women and witches reading this: I merely report the expression he used, I do not condone it.)
Elsewhere in this thread there has been mention of some Scottish sayings. The former Foreman of my Morris side is a Scot and if a dancer forgot to move when it was his turn, he would refer to them as "Standing like a stookie."
A bit of Googling suggested that a "stookie" is a plaster cast figurine. The word, stookie, is related to "stucco" which is a plaster-like render used on buildings.
Same here (southern USA; 1950s onward) ... 'Put up' was the standard phrase or idiom for stowing items in a storage location. With kids it was most commonly used to mean "put away your (e.g.) toys in the place where they're usually stored."
The "up" didn't have any special significance. Whether you were stowing something upward (on a shelf) or downward (into a chest on the floor) it was still "putting stuff up."
The "put away" version meaning the same thing was something I didn't hear until years later.
The Free Dictionary provides a list of uses / meanings for "put up." Interestingly, the use as a synonym for "put away" isn't mentioned among them.
https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/put+up
In Australia, to 'turn it up' means to stop immediately whatever is being done.
Quote: 'Yers can turn that right bloody up, or I'll up yer for the bloody rent'. (Cease, forthwith good sir/madam, or there shall be further repercussions. Soonest.)
I've heard "as cold as a witch's tit", in fact I heard that in the late 1980s used by American comedienne Kit Hollerbach
Yes, they are stooks in standard British English. But a "stookie" (rhymes more or less with "cookie") is a Scottish English dialect word (rather than Scottish Gallic) meaning a plaster figurine.G'day Milkefule.
I grew up recognising a stook, or the act of stooking as being a double handful of wheat or oats that had been cut off just above ground level, and then stood on end to further dry/cure the stook
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“Hopping the wag” – which I always believed to be a London expression, and which the old man accused me of many times as a lad when bunking off school.
In Australia, to 'turn it up' means to stop immediately whatever is being done.
Quote: 'Yers can turn that right bloody up, or I'll up yer for the bloody rent'. (Cease, forthwith good sir/madam, or there shall be further repercussions. Soonest.)
I saw Clockwork Orange at the flicks before it was withdrawn. What I hadn't realised until a few years ago that the title was a play on words. Apparently "as mad as a clockwork orange" was an expression in the early part of the 20th century in the south. I had never heard it. Relates to McDowell's character. Orang also relating to "man" in other languages, thus clockwork man which McDowell's character became, after re education.
That would be confusing to a non-Australian if they were playing loud music.
"Turn it up!"
Ok then, if you insist.
Loving your translation, by the way
Thank you Mr Z.
The Australian vernacular was the second thing that I fell in love with as a 7 year old - the first was the fact that after Christmas, it could rain while the ambient temp. was 90 degrees F.
You weren't to know, but it's Mrs Z
That rain sounds lovely. I always like a nice, good, heavy rainstorm, not the drizzly nonsense we tend to get over here!
Yes you're probably correct. Still not something I had ever heard, but then I'm a Norvvenner and very rarely venture into Suvvern parts.Wasn't the phrase "As queer as a clockwork orange"? Which obviously would mean something different now.
I have in the passed used the phrase 'like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle'My Dad, rather than saying "like a bulldog chewing a wasp" instead often said "like a bulldog licking p*** off a thistle". I've never heard anyone else say it but apparently it is indeed a saying.
It's quite bizarre because generally he wasn't one to talk that way, but it does make me smile whenever it pops into my head.
I love to use the phrase 'I wouldn't trust it any further than I could spit a rat.'
I think I remember this coming from H2G2, but now I'm not sure. And I do have to qualify that I could probably spit a rat quite a distance, with a following wind.
In London we used the phrase “Turn It In” in exactly the same way.In Australia, to 'turn it up' means to stop immediately whatever is being done.
Quote: 'Yers can turn that right bloody up, or I'll up yer for the bloody rent'. (Cease, forthwith good sir/madam, or there shall be further repercussions. Soonest.)
In London we used the phrase “Turn It In” in exactly the same way.
I'm surprised no Australian has mention the odd saying we have here ''I'm/we're not here to fuck spiders!''
Which essentially means, I'm/we're not here to waste time/muck around. ...
In London we used the phrase “Turn It In” in exactly the same way.
I am of the opinion that Australian lingo is the bastard child of the alleys and byways of 18th century London - there are too many similarities to say that Australian rhyming slang, and our specific pronunciation is antipodean in origin.
Gawdstruth mate! let's 'ave a butchers at it...Where's the old cheese - she'll like a gander at this too. 'Ere! Dulcie! have an optic at what Bruce found. (Which was not an uncommon mode of speech heard 60 years ago).
Had a bloke, British, 40-odd years ago, who'd sometimes exclaim 'Fucking spiders!' in exasperation.I'm surprised no Australian has mention the odd saying we have here ''I'm/we're not here to fuck spiders!''
Which essentially means, I'm/we're not here to waste time/muck around.
The Urban Dictionary defines it thusly:
Not here to Fuck Spiders
Australian slang. The term is derived from and is another way in saying, “not here to fuck around. I am here to get the job done”. ” Stop wasting time we have things to do”.
It also can be used as declaration that a person has arrived at place of work or sporting team etc…with set of goals and is determined to meet them.
Can be used as reply to obvious question.
Also can be used around women and children as “not here to fornicate with arachnids’"
1. "Mate look at this"...Barry
" Barry, we are not here to Fuck Spiders, get back to it."...boss
2. "Do you think we can win the championship?"...Player
"Well I am not here to Fuck Spiders"...Coach
3. "Digging a hole mate"
“Well I am not here Fuck Spiders"
by Parker26 August 19, 2010
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Not here to Fuck Spiders
Not in this thread, but it's come up before. See:
https://forums.forteana.org/index.p...u-never-want-to-hear-again.54907/post-1739379
... and the discussion that post initiated.
I have a question for you, as one ot our resident experts on Terra Australis Incognita.
I keep on hearing that the East and South-East Asian immigrant communities are large and growing. Has this had any discernible impact on popular slang or idiom?
...you would think that you're talking to a Dinki Di Aussie.