Old expressions not in general use.

Overthehill, I used the phrase ‘it’s a glory hole’ to my adult son who lives in Australia a while back, I was referring to a very untidy cupboard & he nearly. choked on his drink, apparently it has a completely different meaning over there!! So I have to watch my P&Q now??

I grew up in Ireland 'setting' the table. Lots of things were kept in a/the press. Often threatened as in 'I'll settle your hash'.

I had a younger brother who was rather needy and cried a lot. My mother's usual response was to ask him what he was skriking (crying) for and then tell him to stop mithering (bothering) her.

I’d forgotten a lot of these sayings but will bring them back into use. One my aunts used a lot was, if asked where they’d been, ‘there and back to see how far it is.’ My mother’s favourite was ‘let me and my heart take counsel for war is not of life the sum.’ I’ve never met anyone else who used this. Oh and then there was Uncle Ron’s ‘lummy day’ to express surprise and ‘fur coat no knickers’. The one that really puzzled me was ‘she loves lumpy custard’ said about anyone who was a prophet of gloom.

I'm originally from Yorkshire now Devon & there's a lot of similar words used.

Keep yur 'and on yur 'apenny - often said to teenage girls going out with a lad

Set the table = lay the table

Side the table = clear the table

Ginnel = narrow alley also known as a Snickett (sp?)

My DGD always called me "Blossom", DiL (Devon) calls every-one "Flower"

Put wood in'th 'ole = shut the door

You make a better door than a window = shift out of the way!!

Were you born in a barn? = close the door you've just walked through

More than one way to skin a cat/rabbit, often used when undressing a child who was being awkward or finding another way of tackling a difficult task

Well I'll go t'foot of our stairs = expression of surprise

All fur coat & no knickers = all top show

Let the dog see the rabbit

I'm talking to the Organ Grinder not his Monkey

Gosh I could go on, this has really sparked some memories, I can hear my Granddad/Mum's voice when I say certain phrases/words

I think when my mother used it, it meant hang onto your virginity!!
And sometimes it was 'keep your finger on your ha'penny'!

My Grandma used to say "It's looking black over Willie's mother's" when it looked as if it might rain. Never knew if it was just something she said or a regular 'saying'.

My dad used to say “make a noise like a carrot” much to our bewilderment and my mother used to say “I cried because I had no shoes, then I saw a man with no feet” when trying to impress upon us how lucky we were.

As children if we pulled a face when asked to do something, my mum use to say ' your face looks like a cat's bum turned inside out!!'' or 'watch out the wind don't change' meaning you will stay looking like that. Where ever did these sayings come from!!!

We always set the table. Surely to lay a table would hurt!

We say 'it's looking dark over Bill's mother's' I expect Willie and Bill were the same person.

Can't find who asked but do lally is from the Indian place of Deolali where troops who had had a nervous breakdown, as it was then called, were sent.

Did you see anybody better looking than yourself? My aunt always said that to me - from Eire!

I have a glory hole, and I mash the tea (and love Saxby's cider!)
I was a very curious child, and had to have the expression 'the cat ran up the entry' explained when I was quite young. I'm afraid that where I lived, the cat ran up the entry several times.

in america set the table.
i wonder if the penny one is similar to the>put an aspirin between your knees-keeping virtue safe
more than one way to skin a cat-more than one way to do something difficult.
ggm was a scot and husband was dutch heard many of these growing up

An ex boyfriend of my daughter's had never heard the expression "to go indoors" - as in "I'm just popping in doors". We are Londoners and he was from the Isle of Man.

If a house is untidy or dirty, "it's as bad as dirty Dick's", which I think refers to a poor man who was jilted at the altar and became too depressed to look after his house and it got into a terrible state.

Set the table in Edinburgh and Fife, the “bunker” and the “big light” and “ were you born in a field” seemed to totally confuse an English dil

Confusing me too Summerstorm! Except I think "Were you born in a field?" means you have left the door open?

I was born " up north" and recognise several of these sayings.
Set the table. = lay.
Mash the tea. = brew.
I"m really nithered = cold.
Snicket...ginnel = passage or short cut.
More ways than one to skin a cat. = different ways to do something.
Up the wooden hill = time for bed.

My mother told any child who dared to say "I want" that "I want gets a smacked bottom" - not that I ever remember her carrying out the threat.

My Grandma used to say nettie for toilet, and gamp for umbrella.
Also 'hold your tongue' if we were cheeky.
That was in Northumberland.

Still say set the table in Scotland. Lang may yer lum reek wi' aither folks coal is one rarely used nowadays.

In for a penny in for a pound. Don’t know what it ment.
A bird in the hand is worth two in a Bush? The early bird catches the worm. Night night don’t let the bed bugs bite.

I too am from the East Midlands and use the expression ‘skin a rabbit ‘ when undressing the children but don’t involve any money! When I lived in the West Midlands, I loved their expression of ‘I played my face’. I think it meant you let people know how you were feeling. What do others do when they leave the tea to mash? I’ve heard, brew, stew and steep are there any more?