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Where Does It Come From? Origins Of Phrases & Expressions

escargot said:
I'd use it in a mocking way - 'Don't get shirty, now!'

The local expression here is 'Don't get yer'air off!' or 'Don't go gettin' yer'air off!'
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"Keep your hair on." Used darn souf to tell someone to calm down if they're, well, getting shirty.

I've also read the US expression having conniptions, which I think means hysterics but it doesn't seem to have caught on over here. The word that is, plenty of people having hysterics.
 
My Father used to refer to any female being a bit vocal ( or disagreeing with perceived wisdom) as " Shirty Gertie from number 30" I don't recall this ever being used about a man.

He also used to call "Daft Appheth" if we were messing around. I caught myself telling the dog he was a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
 
Eyespy said:
He also used to call "Daft Appheth" if we were messing around. I caught myself telling the dog he was a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
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Yeah I'd always assumed it was for halfpence but thinking about it what's daft about a halfpence?
 
I know, possibly they were not useful currency?

i have vague recollections of this being an affectionate term of abuse, but also of quite pleased when given a couple of Apennies for sweeties. No wonder I'm confused and conflicted.
 
Eyespy said:
My Father used to refer to any female being a bit vocal ( or disagreeing with perceived wisdom) as " Shirty Gertie from number 30" I don't recall this ever being used about a man.

He also used to call "Daft Appheth" if we were messing around. I caught myself telling the dog he was a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
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“Daft a’porth.”

It’s a contraction of halfpennyworth, i.e. something of low value or significance.

maximus otter
 
Eyespy said:
a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
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a daft half-penny-worth (of minimal value, but not nothing at at)

Sollywos said:
what's daft about a halfpence?
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You'd be daft to give, receive, lose, or find it....or to think it was worth anything..or nothing.

I do remember an old saying of my grandparents "ye canna shove nor toss a ha'penny!" as an admonition for their youngsters being tired when trailing behind them whilst walking ....see https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shove_ha'penny for the bar-game, from which I assume the saying originated. Therefrom also I read:
the appropriate penalty for someone unfortunately wetting the (shove ha'penny) board with a drink ring (and thus compromising its playing surface) is to be "painfully destroyed without benefit of clergy."
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...showing that beer & skittles isn't all just beer & skittles.
 
Ermintruder said:
a daft half-penny-worth (of minimal value, but not nothing at at)


You'd be daft to give, receive, lose, or find it....or to think it was worth anything..or nothing.
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A halfpenny bought two Blackjacks in my day, young man!

414341e3a15d30d00efc559a030b37d8.jpg


maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
A halfpenny bought two Blackjacks in my day, young man!

414341e3a15d30d00efc559a030b37d8.jpg


maximus otter
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My very hazy memory is that the picture is of post-decimalisation black jacks and fruit salads - didn't they get bigger at that point? I can't find any other images online to confirm this.
 
Custard can be chocolate flavoured, or strawberry flavoured. These days, anyway. Horrible stuff.

And I always thought that the 'happ'orth' in 'you daft happ'orth' referred to the person being small or a child, as in a halfpennyworth of person. A sort of affectionate way of calling you a silly kid.
 
Eyespy said:
My Father used to refer to any female being a bit vocal ( or disagreeing with perceived wisdom) as " Shirty Gertie from number 30" I don't recall this ever being used about a man.

He also used to call "Daft Appheth" if we were messing around. I caught myself telling the dog he was a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
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My Dad occasionally used the term 'daft apeth' (or however it was spelt) but he wasn't from Yorkshire.
 
Eyespy said:
My Father used to refer to any female being a bit vocal ( or disagreeing with perceived wisdom) as " Shirty Gertie from number 30" I don't recall this ever being used about a man.

He also used to call "Daft Appheth" if we were messing around. I caught myself telling the dog he was a daft appheth last week. No idea where it comes from, but maybe a contraction of Halfpence?
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catseye said:
Custard can be chocolate flavoured, or strawberry flavoured. These days, anyway. Horrible stuff.

And I always thought that the 'happ'orth' in 'you daft happ'orth' referred to the person being small or a child, as in a halfpennyworth of person. A sort of affectionate way of calling you a silly kid.
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Eyespy said:
I know, possibly they were not useful currency?

i have vague recollections of this being an affectionate term of abuse, but also of quite pleased when given a couple of Apennies for sweeties. No wonder I'm confused and conflicted.
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Was often called a daft ha’p’orth as a child, pronounced 'ape-eth', which I took to be an archaic term for 'monkey' or 'chimp'. :chuckle:
 
My dad, when I got upset, used to say 'don't take on so.' He was born in 1928, and his parents were the product of the Edwardian era, born in the late Victorian era, so I'm assuming that many of the phrases he picked up either came from them and were archaic sayings from a bygone time, or things he picked up in the army. I know he used quite a few Indian phrases - he'd hurry us along with 'imshi, imshi!' and taught me to count up to ten in Indian and Malay.
 
catseye said:
My dad, when I got upset, used to say 'don't take on so.' He was born in 1928, and his parents were the product of the Edwardian era, born in the late Victorian era, so I'm assuming that many of the phrases he picked up either came from them and were archaic sayings from a bygone time, or things he picked up in the army. I know he used quite a few Indian phrases - he'd hurry us along with 'imshi, imshi!' and taught me to count up to ten in Indian and Malay.
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My beloved late Welsh Gran (b. around 1900) used to regale us kids with an Edwardian prank. She played this on me many times. I always fell for it.

You conceal a small mirror in one hand and say to a classmate 'Look at the monkey!' and hold up your hand, and they look, and there's the monkey! :p

I subjected my own and other people's kids to this and still do it at work, except it's not a monkey any more in case I insult a non-white child. Le woke, c'est moi.
 
If you had a middle name was that only used if you were being naughty? Sometimes in combination with the first name, sometimes on its own.

(No my middle name isn't Hyde)
 
catseye said:
My dad, when I got upset, used to say 'don't take on so.' He was born in 1928, and his parents were the product of the Edwardian era, born in the late Victorian era, so I'm assuming that many of the phrases he picked up either came from them and were archaic sayings from a bygone time, or things he picked up in the army. I know he used quite a few Indian phrases - he'd hurry us along with 'imshi, imshi!' and taught me to count up to ten in Indian and Malay.
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(My bolding): brings to mind a recitation once heard, which I found hilarious -- would seem from context, to have first seen the light of day about 1919. The Night I Appeared As Macbeth -- the speaker being the self-confessed "worst actor in the world". The closing lines were, approximately:

Lloyd George and Clemenceau showed up with Alfonso --
The peace talks were threatened -- they all did take on so:
"There's another war coming, if you don't stop mumming" ...
The night I appeared as Macbeth.
 
escargot said:
She played this on me many times. I always fell for it.
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Another one that you could get people to fall for ... to be honest it was because some people didn't get it:

Adam and Eve and Pinchmetite went down to the river to bathe
Adam and Ever got drownded Who do you think was saved?

Kids can be vicious little bu88ers any excuse for a bit of violence!
 
Sollywos said:
Another one that you could get people to fall for ... to be honest it was because some people didn't get it:

Adam and Eve and Pinchmetite went down to the river to bathe
Adam and Ever got drownded Who do you think was saved?

Kids can be vicious little bu88ers any excuse for a bit of violence!
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Another, which I remember my much older sister perpetrating against me, was the Cheese Trick.

You'd hold out one hand, open palm upwards, and place the other hand as a fist on the wrist end of it.
This arrangement was brought to the victim's eye level and the words 'Smell cheese!' were spoken.
When the dupe pretended to sniff, you'd punch their nose with the fist.

Sis did this to me when I was about 7, so she'd be 13, and the pain made my eyes water. :mad:
Still not forgiven.

I did of course play it on other kids but was careful not to actually punch them.
The idea was probably to make them jump and that was funnier anyway.
 
escargot said:
Another, which I remember my much older sister perpetrating against me, was the Cheese Trick.

You'd hold out one hand, open palm upwards, and place the other hand as a fist on the wrist end of it.
This arrangement was brought to the victim's eye level and the words 'Smell cheese!' were spoken.
When the dupe pretended to sniff, you'd punch their nose with the fist.

Sis did this to me when I was about 7, so she'd be 13, and the pain made my eyes water. :mad:
Still not forgiven.

I did of course play it on other kids but was careful not to actually punch them.
The idea was probably to make them jump and that was funnier anyway.
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There’s nothing funny or clever about that. She sounds or was a bit of a bully. I wonder if she ever did it to someone bigger than her in the same way.
 
hunck said:
There’s nothing funny or clever about that. She sounds or was a bit of a bully. I wonder if she ever did it to someone bigger than her in the same way.
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Yup, it was nasty! :chuckle:

Spot-on, she was inclined to bully us younger ones. I can't see her trying it on anyone her own size.
 
escargot said:
Yup, it was nasty! :chuckle:

Spot-on, she was inclined to bully us younger ones. I can't see her trying it on anyone her own size.
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Has she improved with age & changed her ways or is she still a bit of a cunt? You can tell us - we won’t mention a thing.
 
hunck said:
Has she improved with age & changed her ways or is she still a bit of a cunt? You can tell us - we won’t mention a thing.
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She didn't change. Died a few years ago.
 
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