Idioms and sayings

I had identical twin aunts. They often used to change their named dresses over to confuse their teachers. However one day the class was disrupted by a very noisy dog barking in the next door garden. The teacher sent one twin to go and ask the neighbour to quieter his dog. While she was gone the teacher changed. The second teacher asked where twin no 1 was . Twin two replied 'she's gone to see a man about a dog' she got the cane for cheek!

there is a welsh saying that is the equivalent of "raining cats and dogs"
Raining old women and sticks

If we asked my mother how old she was, she would always reply ' I'm as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth'.

Mine would say that too!

@MiceElf - ' bread and pullet' - I never did understand that one! An alternative was 'bread and scrape'.

Eee she's a bit of a "'ere's your hat, what's your hurry?" referring to someone who is not very welcoming or makes it clear when it's time for you to leave!

What's for tea? something and nothing pie!

'Raining stair rods' but don't know where that came from.

That's if you remember them!

Red hat , no drawers.

Lace curtains and kippers.

There's a French expression that translates as 'raining halberds' - a halberd being a pike fitted with an ax head.

When asking some ones whereabouts 'Gone to see a man about a dog'

Put the wood in the hole....Close the door.

Born in a barn.....Left the door open.

Commenting on some ones walk.......'Here is my head, my arse is following

A person with knock knees.....One leg belting the hell out of the other.

Somebody who walks with their feet turning out....Quarter to three feet.

Il pleut a decorner les boeufs: it's raining fit to wash the horns off the cattle. Can't do accents on my smartphone.

Nonu I've heard "red shoes, no knickers". Problem is that I quite often wear red shoes but don't go commando these days

Thought it was 'fur coat and no knickers'.

It is 'fur coat and no knickers' where I come from AllieOxon.

Has anyone heard of the mysterious 'Lady Docker' my Mum always referred to when she thought someone she knew was getting a bit above themselves (usually my sister)

Yes I remember the Dockers - Sir Bernard and Lady Docker. Thought a lot of themselves though they weren't real aristocracy - a bit after the style of Fanny Craddock and Johnny. They went in for conspicuous splashing out in the 1950s and it was common to refer to uppity people as sook's Mum did.

Thank you Gagagran I believe you grew up in the same part of the country as I did so you will be familiar with the humour.

I did reply to your pm but sent it to the wrong person,

I had an uncle who when involved in a discussion about anyone who thought they were better than anyone else would close it by saying ''He/she goes to the toilet''.
My mother would always say about anyone who was crafty or cunning-''As cute as Old Nick'', Old Nick was the devil.
My grandfather, when describing anyone with poor personal hygiene would say that the last time he/she had a bath was when the midwife last washed him/her.

Gruesome ones like 'bleeding like a stuck pig' and 'skin a rabbit' when pulling a child's jumper off.

Most of these bought back many happy memories. My mum said many of these little idioms. If she didn't believe a story she'd say "it's as far fetched as a bucket of sh-t from china. When she heard us say "it's not fair" she'd reply "nor is a pigs arse" this always baffled me. I only 'got' it a few years ago when it dawn on me that a pigs arse is pig skin not fur! How slow am I. She also said a lot worse she was not politically correct but she never used really bad swear words.

Hot water was expensive so you had to wash 'the bits that show and the bits that smell'.

"not fair...blackman's hair" was what my mum used to retort to us. Not very PC these days probably.

"burning the candle at both ends" if we were up late and getting up early next day. I think my dad made that up, along with "late nights bring sad mornings". He used to pontificate a bit. He never smacked the 4 of us, but talked us into repentance! My mum would give us "a good paddling" !!

Funny how you only understand sayings decades later. My granny called sprouts Dolly Cabbages. It only occurred to me quite recently that she meant they were cabbages for dollies. I suppose I just thought they were called that.

"His eyes were stuck out like chapel hat-pegs" was another of my Dad's . Not one Mum used being Cof E and therefore considered herself "a cut above"

I remember the 'chapel hat pegs' saying as well, but it didn't refer to eyes! It was used to describe nipples sticking out, usually in the cold weather!

Well my Dad was a Methodist so he def. didn't mean that Bella (At least I think not - hmmmmm?)

Gagagran