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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do you know where Will's mother lives?

237 replies

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 16:54

For 20+ years I lived in an area where everyone knew about Will's mother. People would arrive late to meetings explaining that they were really sorry, but roadworks on X Road meant that they had to go round Will's mother's.

I'm aware that in the Midlands they know about Bill's mother's, not Will's. And that sometimes it's black over Bills mother's house. But I've now moved to a different part of the country where no one knows about Will's mother's, or Bill's.

So,
YABU - who on earth is Will/Bill's mother?
YANBU - everyone knows about Will/Bills mother.

OP posts:
FeetLikeFlippers · 21/09/2025 18:59

What a strange post, and I’m not even talking about the subject matter! It’s written like we’re overhearing the last part of a drunken pub conversation where the context is unclear if you missed the beginning. The YABU/YANBU options are the wrong way round. Even though I’ve never heard the phrase before it’s blatantly obvious that it’s a local folklore thing, and you only need to google it to find out more. It feels like the whole post was written by a bot, but I can’t fathom the purpose of that!

Emanwenym · 21/09/2025 18:57

It's 'Paid a galw Wil ar dy Dad'.('Don't call your father Will') @ItsNotUnusualToBe
It's from Ryan a Ronnie. Ryan and Ronnie - Wikipedia
The father was called Wil. The son Nigel Wyn would be scolded by his mother for calling his father Wil.

Ryan Davies died far too young and was a HUGE talent.
Phyllis Doris Myfanwy Talog - Wikipedia (the daughter in the sketch) was David Jason's long term partner. She also died too young and was talented.

Mum23plusC · 21/09/2025 18:55

MarxistMags · 20/09/2025 17:00

I have no idea whatsoever what you are talking about ....🤔....

Glad its not just me!!

ItsNotUnusualToBe · 21/09/2025 18:40

“Paid a galw Wil a dy Dad” = don’t call your father Wil.

meaning - show respect. I think!

Grandma60 · 21/09/2025 18:26

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 17:10

If there are roadworks or a traffic accident and there's a really long diversion, then you end up going "round Will's mother's".

ETA at least, in Cambridgeshire you do

Edited

Cambridge girl here, and yes, I still have to go round Will's mother's every time there's a traffic jam on my preferred route. Everyone nods sympathetically when I tell them of the journey

RaininSummer · 21/09/2025 18:17

Never heard this before. We tend to say that we had to go 'all round the houses'.

Isinglass20 · 21/09/2025 18:15

“It’s black over Bill’s mother’s “ impending doom😃

billandtedsexcellentadventure · 21/09/2025 18:12

I know bills mother

Mummamap · 21/09/2025 18:07

I live in Sussex and my Nan always used to use wills mother as an example of anything and everything.
if it was raining she would say it is dark over wills mothers.
if there was something happening it would busy round wills mothers

Ohdearanotherone · 21/09/2025 18:04

Bills mother in the Black Country in the west midlands is something to do with a storm coming I think? Something like this

Laura95167 · 21/09/2025 17:49

TeenToTwenties · 20/09/2025 17:03

Down South. Never heard this.

Up North. No idea what this means

Thingscouldntgetanyworse · 21/09/2025 11:54

What?

Confusdworriedmum · 21/09/2025 11:42

Never heard of Will's mum or Bill's. Lived in South West all my life and don't think it's a saying down here.

HadEnoughOfBears · 21/09/2025 11:38

in this part of Scotland we have Ben

Q. Where will I put this cup?
A. Ben the kitchen.

Q. Where’s Dad?
A. Ben the house.

And sometimes it’s as ‘Black as the Earl of Hell’s waistcoat’

CallMeDaphne · 21/09/2025 11:06

It’s always raining over Will’s Mothers’.

That I do know.

diddl · 21/09/2025 11:04

MarxistMags · 21/09/2025 00:13

@Bohemond23 He must know my Dad then !
But what were they doing ?

Must have been meeting my Dad!

Original poster
AnnaQuayInTheUk · 21/09/2025 10:19

Orangedoris · 20/09/2025 18:36

I know nothing about Bill’s/Will’s mother, but I do know about Dicky’s meadow

Oooh, tell me more

OP posts:
Missingducks · 21/09/2025 07:41

Oo ooo did anyone else's nan (grandmother) used to kiss something better and say "it'll be a pigs foot in the morning"

MarxistMags · 21/09/2025 00:13

@Bohemond23 He must know my Dad then !
But what were they doing ?

Wingedharpy · 20/09/2025 23:19

Bohemond23 · 20/09/2025 17:05

This sounds like my dad going to see a man about a dog.

Is your Dad Irish by any chance @Bohemond23 ?

MissyB1 · 20/09/2025 23:15

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 20/09/2025 17:23

Tell me more!

Show quote history

That was one for old school nurses. Mrs Brown was code for a cup of tea in the ward kitchen.

toonananana · 20/09/2025 20:28

Lancashire born and raised and now living in London- never heard of it. “Eeeh, there’s a storm brewing reet there” and “going round t’houses” was what we said!

Talipesmum · 20/09/2025 19:33

purpleme12 · 20/09/2025 17:15

Never heard of it either

From sounds of the explanation above it might be the same as 'going round the houses'

Was about to say the same - sounds like “going round the houses”. I have heard the phrase “bill’s mothers” but only on here, never in real life as it were.

Peteryourhorseisheree · 20/09/2025 19:31

“It’s black over will’s mothers” - my grandmother, born in 1912, every time the sky was dark and about to rain.

She was from Watford.

I know it’s supposed to be a midlands thing, but I’ve lived in the midlands 5 years now and married a Black Country native and I’ve never heard it uttered here.

OdeToTheNorthWestWind · 20/09/2025 19:29

NeverDropYourMooncup · 20/09/2025 17:53

Does he come back when it's a bit dimpsy looking like the wreck of the Hesperus?

Show quote history

Oh God, that takes me back! My grandmother always used to say I looked like the wreck of the Hesperus when I'd been out in a strong wind! 😁

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