Odd Sayings

[GNC]

I remember a bit of swearing in Catcher (the reason some would like to ban it from schools), but must admit I'd forgotten that phrase. Thanks for the info!

 

[Mungoman]

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.

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

 

[Mungoman]

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.)

 

[Gizmos Mama]

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.)

God, that could be confusing!
If I was doing something stupid or annoying down under, and someone yelled at me to "turn it up", I'd probably assume they wanted me to "double down", so to speak, and do whatever it was even harder, louder, faster, etc.

So, thanks, good to know if I ever visit, which I hope to do sooner than later!

 

[JamesWhitehead]

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

Earlier than that, I'm sure it was in Steptoe & Son. Implied, at least, if it wasn't fully enunciated.

I have tried to find it online, though it has become such a meme!

 

[Mikefule]

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


View attachment 32788

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.

Stook: "a group of sheaves of grain stood on end in a field," or the verb to create stooks. From middle low German "stūke".

Stookie: "gypsum, a plaster cast, a plaster figurine" from old high German, "stukki" and linked to Italian "stucco".
More details here: https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/view/id/4247

And, the basis of gentle teasing of our Scottish friend after he used "stookie":
Stuka: contraction of German Sturzkampfflugzeug ‘dive-bomber’.

 

[PeteS]

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.

 

[Nemo]

“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.

You mean going "on the mitch" S.Wales/West Country

 

[Schrodinger's Zebra]

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.)

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

 

[GNC]

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.

Wasn't the phrase "As queer as a clockwork orange"? Which obviously would mean something different now.

 

[Spudrick68]

"As mad as a box of frogs" may have an interesting origin:

Where does the phrase “mad as a box of frogs” come from? - Quora

 

[Mungoman]

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.

 

[Schrodinger's Zebra]

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!

 

[Mungoman]

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!

My most humble apologies Mrs Z. It, shall not happen again.

It's a strange situation of warmth with rain at that time of the year. I always have a delicious guilty feeling that My Mum will yell out "Come back in here you little bugger - don't you know that there are names for people who don't know when to come in out of the rain!"

I cannot thank my Parents enough for emigrating out here. It's been 'Boys own' adventures all my life.

 

[PeteS]

Wasn't the phrase "As queer as a clockwork orange"? Which obviously would mean something different now.

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.

 

[Souleater]

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 have in the passed used the phrase 'like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle'

 

[Souleater]

One of my favorite phrases is still 'on it lime a tramp on a sandwich' meaning that so.eone is quick to do something

 

[catseye]

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.

 

[GNC]

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.

It is, "I wouldn't trust him further than I could spit a rat", said by Ford Prefect, I think.

 

[Tempest63]

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.

 

[Spookdaddy]

In London we used the phrase “Turn It In” in exactly the same way.

I've heard 'turn it up' used in the way Mungoman describes at least a couple of times in Galton and Simpson's writing for Tony Hancock. It may be something one of the actors brought to the script - from memory, both Syd James and Tony Hancock use the phrase.

Simpson was a South London boy - Galton, I'm not sure about, but I think down South also. It might have been that it was local to those areas, as distinct from the East End, but I suspect - after what Mungoman wrote - that it might have been a wartime/post-war thing picked up from Australian soldiers.

Another phrase I'm pretty sure I've heard in Galton and Simpson scripts, and which I've never been able to trace a source for is, "not my 'ammer" (hammer, amma, ammo?): meaning, I'm pretty sure, "not really my cup of tea" / "not my thing". My maternal grandad occasionally used the same phrase - he was born in the East End, but moved to Chatham pretty young. I like it - but I've either totally misinterpreted what I was hearing, or it's one of those rare things that's not on the internet.

 

[Lord Lucan]

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

 

[EnolaGaia]

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. ...

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.

 

[Mungoman]

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).

 

[Yithian]

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).

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?

 

[escargot]

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

Had a bloke, British, 40-odd years ago, who'd sometimes exclaim 'Fucking spiders!' in exasperation.

 

[Lord Lucan]

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.

Here's Margot in all her fabulousness...

 

[Mungoman]

Being an Aussie, I was taught that an ex is a hasbeen...and a spert is a drip under pressure - but I thank you Yith for the complement. Anyway, I'll do me best.

The majority of Asians in Australia are very urban, and when we do comes across them outside of Sydney (I live six hours inland from Sydney), they either speak their own lingua, or sound very Aussie.

It takes two or three generations before they move away from their Expat communities, and in that time, if you spoke over the phone with one, you would think that you're talking to a Dinki Di Aussie.

What does come across from The Asian into the Aussie lingo is due to cuisine, technology, and philosophy I reckon

This is all generalisations, mind you, and someone elses reality could be very different.

 

[Lord Lucan]

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?

@Yithian An interesting article from Honi Soit, the student newspaper of Sydney University:
Omagoor: The quest for the Asian-Australian accent

 

[Mythopoeika]

...you would think that you're talking to a Dinki Di Aussie.