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Original poster

The MN meaning of Liff

344 replies

AuntieBulgaria · 12/05/2011 14:39

Douglas Adams and John Lloyd wrote a book called The Meaning of Liff that used existing place names to give names to commonly recognised feelings, experiences and objects that didn't already have a word for them.

For example:

Cotterstock - a piece of wood used to stir paint and thereafter stored uselessly in a shed in perpetuity.

I was thinking last night, as I stood behind my 3.5 year old daughter sort of herding/hooshing her upstairs to the bath avoiding a variety of potential distractions, there ought to be a word for this.

And then I thought, there are probably loads of commonly recognised parenting phemonema that could be 'Liffed'.

I browsed google maps this morning and came up with the following place name/ definition combos but would love to know yours too...

Kirtling - benign kettling required to keep small child going in the direction you need them to.

Poxwell - act of knowingly covering up of active chicken pox spots in order to make a quick dash into shop for milk or make an international plane flight home.

Ousden - constant flow of greeny/silver snot from small boys, the trail said snot leaves on the shoulders of all of your clothes; 'ooh, hang on, you've got a bit of ousden on that shirt'.

I am sure there must be good definitions for:

Two Mile Bottom
Throop
Weeley
Little Clacton and Great Clacton

And good place names for:

The poo that takes out an entire outfit.

The child-related objects (spare pants, raisins, playmobile duchesses) that fall out of your handbag in important business situations.

The face that teenagers pull when you suggest a healthy walk after lunch.

OP posts:
nagynolonger · 15/05/2011 15:12

Mablethorpe - An elderly maiden auntie who your 10+ DCs do not want to visit because it's so boring.

hairtwiddler · 15/05/2011 14:15

We passed through Little Bavington earlier today. The older child who you watch pushing over your child at soft play, then cries and claims your child him him/her first.

tracyvontrapp · 15/05/2011 13:07

Walberswick - a family picnic memorable for all the wrong reasons, probably ending in a big row (from the infamous Walberswick Incident of '98)

Mercedes519 · 15/05/2011 08:32

balls cross the feeling your DH claims after he got his hopes up with a horninghold but you have to get up/go back to sleep

GentleOtter · 15/05/2011 07:41

Culbokie - the brief moment between feeling nauseous and then actually being sick.

peeriebear · 14/05/2011 22:13

I haven't seen the book for years, thanks for the reminder! I found Kettering to be incredibly apt (the pattern on your thighs from sitting on a wicker chair) and still use it. Also applies to the fabric pattern imprinted on your cheek after falling asleep on the sofa.

Milkycheeks · 14/05/2011 22:08

Lostwithiel - used to describe an item which you gone to fetch from a particular room, only to find when you get to said room you have no idea what it was you came to look for.
Can also be used to describe an item which you swear was in particular place thirty seconds ago but which has mysteriously vanished.

Taunton - the repeated crying of a small child in the middle of the night, just at the point when you are just drifting off again.

Sourton Cross - the mood of a mother who has been repeatedly woken by DCs during the night, while DH has spent the night in snoring oblivion.

ttalloo · 14/05/2011 20:31

Trotters Bottom - describes the red raw state of a toddler's bum after they've been running around in a stinky nappy for an hour

Borehamwood - the dullness of having to endure the same repetitive activity much enjoyed by small children

Barnet - hair

High Barnet - big hair

Chipping Barnet - when your hair smells unbearably of deep-fried food, and you just have to wash it.

jugglingwiththreeshoes · 14/05/2011 18:41

It's nice when you know the places isn't it ?
I have fond memories of Didcot and HappyValley
and will think of them in a new light now Wink

rockinhippy · 14/05/2011 15:57

Happy Valley = post coital "Lady Garden"

Hedley Hope = please God be nit free after the scrum in at a kiddies party

Nether Exe = The Ex you'd rather never deal with again

Murton = The crud found in the bottom of pockets when sorting out a wash

Copston Magna = the large gangs of over enthusiastic Police officers seen following protests

PigeonStreet · 14/05/2011 15:31

Lower Peover - puddle of wee left on bathroom floor around base of toilet by dh ds in middle of night.

kitbit · 14/05/2011 15:30

Bletchley Park village green frequented by students on Friday and Saturday nights

Sutton sudden fear that you may have overseasoned the lamb casserole

Didcot an outgrown Moses basket

SpringHeeledJack · 14/05/2011 15:08

Chipping Sodbury fast food detritus left on London streets that your dog has got hold of in spite of your best attempts to avoid

SpringHeeledJack · 14/05/2011 14:59

Upper Poppleton nipple peakage from summer dress worn for the first time this year, making you remember- too late-that that's the precise reason you didn't wear it last year

Skipton shoddy reading of bedtime story in haste to go downstairs to drink booze and watch Road Wars

Headly Down inevitable try on by dp after three hours of the above

Surbiton feigning of sleep to avoid above

Canterbury childless and naive adult who enjoys frolicking with friends' dcs at festivals, parties etc and gets taken advantage of

SpringHeeledJack · 14/05/2011 14:38

Grin kitbit

Chippenham (of dcs) process of attrition; repeatedly asking parent for something, preferably in public place

Wilts (of parent) the inevitable giving in to above

duckymum · 14/05/2011 14:36

My favourite from the book - Peoria - the fear of peeling too few potatoes.

This is rampant in my family and results in massive overcompensation.

My contribution - Driffield - The area of clothing affected by an unexpectedly leaky boob.

kitbit · 14/05/2011 13:01

Lowestoft the furthest point your lady garden will be allowed to grow before being tamed

kitbit · 14/05/2011 12:59

Winchcombe descriptive of the look on MIL's face when she desperately wants to contradict you but realises she hasn't got a leg to stand on

Shurdington how you feel when you've realised MIL was actually right

West Wittering MIL's 'I was right' speech

Grinstead the look on your face while experiencing West Wittering

East Grinstead the look you give your husband that MiL doesn't see

Meeth how you feel when she shuts up

SpawnChorus · 14/05/2011 12:17

LOL at Yockenthwaite

jbcbj · 14/05/2011 11:12

and one more: yockenthwaite - the unstoppable projectile-vomiting incident done by a young baby in a smart public place (mine did a yockenthwaite last week.....). to be a proper yockenthwaite neither you nor the baby must have any spare clothes.

jbcbj · 14/05/2011 11:07

love it! Grin i am almost as amused by some of the actual placenames as their definitions!

frenchay - over-amorous teenage kiss with a floppy=haired yoof from the local private school.

stoke gifford - next stage on from a frenchay, usually done amidst much giggling in your bedroom while your parents watch tv downstairs. often just abbreviated to gifford.

fishponds (yes, really!) - where floppy-haired yoof ends up when your father catches you giffording....

Spacehoppa · 14/05/2011 10:30

Here are a few in use in our house

Frog=Child
Horrorfrog=bad child
Grobbler=Child
SnotGrobbler=Child with cold
Pooter=Computer
Poot=Play on the computer
Bat=My mother
Fruitbat=Oh dear my mother is having one of those days
Wobblebottom=Large lady
Pack=Remote control
Heat the pack=press the remote

Come to think of this there are thousands. Does anyone outside this family understand a word?

legspinner · 14/05/2011 09:00

and here are some NZ ones

Raglan a scruffy child
Timaru a kitten who is shy and hides under the bed
Oamaru a bolshy, bossy cat
Te Puke - what happens to DCs if they are prone to travel sickness
Hokitika - the sound you make when you clear your throat
Whangamata - collective name for under-the-breath mutterings of teenagers when asked to do something, usually by their parents
Taranaki - a greeting or farewell commonly used by famers

legspinner · 14/05/2011 08:32

Towcester- a kitchen appliance that has a vital part broken, rendering it unusable, but hasn't quite been thrown away yet, "just in case"
Ditto Kettering

legspinner · 14/05/2011 08:29

brilliant thread - love it!

Clent - what you do when doing pelvic floor exercises
Lickey End - when you eat an ice cream cone, bite the end of and suck all the ice cream out
Hagley - a little old lady who stops you when you are pushing your DC in a buggy to tell you her life story
Princes Risborough - posh breakfast cereal
Monks Risborough - not quite so posh!
Didcot - that shrapnel of stone / pit that hasn't quite made it out of dried fruit