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Original poster

...to think that this expresson is dying out?

441 replies

WalkDontWalk · 05/10/2025 14:25

On another thread someone used the expression 'taking the mick'. And I thought, 'I used to hear that all the time when I was a kid. But I rarely do now.'

So I started to think of others that my dad used but my kids don't.

'Having a kip' or 'I was akip'.

'Yikes' (My daughter says I'm the only non-cartoon that says 'yikes'.)

'Swinging the lead'

'Bunking off'. (Daughter: 'Never heard that. Sounds rude')

'Going Dutch' (Daughter. 'Nope. No idea. Is that rude too?')

'Haven't the foggiest.'

These were all in use in London fifty years ago. Maybe they were always regional.

OP posts:
ThreePears · 07/10/2025 17:13

mzpq · 05/10/2025 14:27

I think 'Taking the mick' is now considered offence, as in a slur against the Irish, isn't it?

No, it isn't. According to other sources, it is from Cockney rhyming slang, taking the Mickey Bliss (aka taking the piss) which has been in use for a long time. Londoners very often use the first half of the slang and not the other - eg barnet meaning hair (Barnet Fair).
Bliss was a common surname in London, but the original Mickey has never been identified.

DancingwiththeEuropeans · 07/10/2025 17:04

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:04

[Dark tone, addressing someone who said "But I thought..." on finding out they were wrong:]

"Well, you know what Thought did."

We hadn't a clue for years what Thought did.

Turned out that Thought followed a muck cart and thought it was a wedding.

In other words, you were a bit of an idiot to have thought what you did.

Round our way Thought thought he had a head, but he had a cabbage

UnctuousUnicorns · 07/10/2025 16:54

I last heard that watching The Goodies!

Lovesabadboy · 07/10/2025 16:28

Oooh...and another thing my husband once said, recently, that had me crying with laughter...
I told him that we were having his favourite meal for dinner and he replied with...'Oooh, Goody-Gumdrops!'

Who on earth still uses Goody-Gumdrops?! I haven't said that since I was about 5 years old!
He has never lived it down!😂

Lovesabadboy · 07/10/2025 16:10

Winnertrinner · 06/10/2025 08:33

’I’ll take one for Ron’ (meaning I’ll take an extra one for later on’

Ha! I just thought that was an 'us' thing!
DH brought the phrase into the marriage 33 years ago and I now use it all the time, but have never heard anyone else use it, ever!

Tiredofwhataboutery · 07/10/2025 09:59

Sourisblanche · 06/10/2025 07:41

I got in the car this weekend and said to my husband who was driving, “home James and don’t spare the horses!”.

He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. He’s not called James nor is he British. My mum used to say that a lot driving home from school and it just came out of nowhere!

That was a song way back in the 1930s but I think it’s been used as a line in films a few times too

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FjNUgRgyE

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B2FjNUgRgyE

zingally · 07/10/2025 09:46

I've never heard "swinging the lead", but know and use all the others. No, actually I wouldn't use "going Dutch" but I do know what it means. I thought that was a bit of an Americanism?

FurForksSake · 07/10/2025 08:34

I don’t think any of today’s lingo will come into common parlance. We aren’t going to see our kids in their forties say “six seven”.

Sharptonguedwoman · 07/10/2025 07:55

WalkDontWalk · 05/10/2025 15:20

It means skiving or not doing the job properly.

Ships at sea used to find the depth of the water by lowering a rope over the side with a lump of lead on it (lead in Latin is 'plumbum' hence 'plumbing the depths' and, actually, 'plumber' - someone who works with lead).

When the lead hit the bottom, you could pull it up and measure the wet rope.

But if you swung it about a bit, you might hit something and get the job over with sooner.

At least, that's the derivation my dad told me.

Show quote history

Interesting. I thought it came from the idea that swinging the lead was an easy job on a ship. I was wrong-looked it up:
Before the days of sonar, ships would determine the depth of the water by posting a sailor at the front of the ship with a lead weight attached to a long rope. The rope would have a knot in every fathom (6 feet). The sailor's job was to swing the weight forward into the water and, when the ship passed directly over the weight, determine the depth of the water. As retrieving the lead weight was hard work, a lazy sailor would swing the lead as if he were about to release it. He would keep swinging it until such time as he thought he was being watched and only then release it into the water. Therefore, a sailor who was swinging the lead was being lazy. from Grammar Monster

LakieLady · 07/10/2025 07:55

OSTMusTisNT · 05/10/2025 16:07

"Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana boat?"

Haven't heard that for years, not sure if the origins of it?

And,

"Its as much use as a chocolate fireguard/ashtray on a motorbike."

Guessing central heating and vaping will be the demise of these 2.

I used the "ashtray on a motorbike" phrase a few months ago.

My 22YO niece looked puzzled for a few moments, then asked how bikers managed to light a ciggie while riding...

ArmySurplusHamster · 07/10/2025 07:51

Re breaks in the cloud, the version I know is ‘enough to make a Dutchman a pair of trousers’.

Sharptonguedwoman · 07/10/2025 07:51

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 05/10/2025 14:39

No. Taking the ‘mickey’ is from rhyming slang for piss - Mickey Bliss

Show quote history

I had no idea!

Jasmineivy · 07/10/2025 07:15

‘Ya big Jessie’ - you wimp

spoonbillstretford · 07/10/2025 05:08

I say yikes, crikey, crumbs and oopsy daisy.

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:51

Did anyone ever sing this rhyme in childhood, complete with the actions??

I'm Diana Dors and I'm a movie star
I've got a cute cute figure and a Playtex bra
I've got the hips, I've got the kicks, I've got the legs of a star
Cos I'm Diana Dors and I'm a movie star, ooh!

I think there's enough material in this thread to keep everyone's kids bemused for quite some time! 😂😂

Oh - I just thought of another one! To call someone a big girl's blouse, to mean they're being a wimp!

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:45

Ginger knock, to mean the kids' game of knocking on a door and running away. Some people in a town about 15 miles away called it Knock-down Ginger, but clearly Ginger knock is the right one!

She's got the knock/He's in a knock - to mean annoyed.

Canny crack - to mean "nice try." Geordie.

He'll soon know which cuddy's kicked him. Also Geordie. Means they'll soon realise. A cuddy was a pit pony.

What a clart - what a hassle. Geordie too.

Elbow grease - to mean putting your all into something physical.

"GIVE IT SOME WELLY!" 😂😂 To put maximum effort into something, usually physical. Probably from welly-throwing contests.

Beesandhoney123 · 07/10/2025 04:29

My dm used to say guts for garters and so do I.

Going home on shanks pony

'Home James and don't spare the horses ' was my dms usual comment if out late and wanted to get home.

We say hark at the wind.
'Enough blue in the sky for a pair of sailors trousers' meant the weather would clear up. Still use this.

Throw it over your shoulder, like a continental soldier' my dm would say then giggle, if getting df to move heavy things. No idea why.
I also use it:)

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:12

Silverbirchleaf · 05/10/2025 17:40

Sorry, just saw this. Another expression for trouser zips being undone is ‘flying low’.

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We used to say "Flying low without a licence." 😂😂

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:05

70sMuuMuu · 05/10/2025 16:28

The era of ‘Diet Coke break’ too!

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THE ELEVEN-THIRTY APPOINTMENT!! 😂

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 04:04

[Dark tone, addressing someone who said "But I thought..." on finding out they were wrong:]

"Well, you know what Thought did."

We hadn't a clue for years what Thought did.

Turned out that Thought followed a muck cart and thought it was a wedding.

In other words, you were a bit of an idiot to have thought what you did.

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 03:51

notatinydancer · 05/10/2025 16:11

I say Gordon Bennet sometimes. Who was he ? 😂

Show quote history

There's a Gordon Bennett cup at the Isle of Man TT races each year. Maybe its something to do with that!

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 03:47

AutumnGlum · 05/10/2025 15:55

My Mancunian Granny used to say ‘I’ll have your guts for garters’, anyone heard that before?

Yes!!! My late Geordie grandma, born in the Edwardian era.

CrystalShoe · 07/10/2025 03:41

I know and use them all except swinging the lead! What on earth does that mean??

Godron Bennett
Lawks a mussy
Stone the crows
No fear!
Bob's your uncle
Forty winks
Six of the best
Have a butcher's

You could make your daughter's head spin, OP!

Carolenarua · 07/10/2025 03:14

"The apple doesn't fall far the tree " self explanatory meaning the person in question is just like their parent ( usually a bad trait).
My dad uses the phrase " little apples will grow again " which makes me laugh as I don't really get it but it means, he'll remember this ie. If you won't do him a favour, don't expect him to do you one in the future.

dcsp · 07/10/2025 01:57

Darragon · 05/10/2025 15:00

Gordon Benett has died a death. My mum once said it in a shop and the bloke behind her said ‘what?’ and was a bit offended that she’d taken his name in vain. Unless he was pulling her leg. And my DF used to say he needed to ‘see a man about a dog’ regularly when I was younger. I constantly thought we were finally getting a puppy. I was 12 before I realised what it actually meant. 😂 I was just saying to DH not even half an hour ago that colourful language seems to have died out and not been replaced with much.

I think "Gordon Bennett", was people who were going to say "God" or "God's sake" and catch themselves and correct it to something non-offensive (similarly someone saying "sugar" was someone about to say "sht", and someone saying "fuh crying out loud" was about to say "fcl")...

...so as "God" / "God's sake" isn't really considered offensive any more, there's no need to catch yourself and say "Gordon Bennett" instead.