That sound you made at primary school if someone broke a rule

[TheFirstOHN]

When I was at primary school, if someone broke a rule or did something deliberately naughty, we would make an ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! sound, with the inflection rising then falling.

My husband (who comes from the West Country) says his peers used the same inflection, but with an 'ah' at the end: ummmmmmmmmmmmah! A friend once told me that where she came from (Northern England), it was a similar inflection, but the sound was ooooooooooooooh!

I've asked my teenage children about this, and none of them have any idea what I'm talking about. Was it just a 1980s thing? Does anyone here remember children doing this? If so, what sound, what part of the world and which decade?

North Yorkshire, 80s, we had Ommmmm-murs. With the up-and-down intonation. Sometimes just shortened to 'murs'.

Interesting that this seems to be the only part of the country with the 'murs' bit. It was just as long as the 'Ommmmmmm' bit.

We called Plimsolls pligs or pliggies but I think that was a shortened form and not necessarily a dialect word. When I did a teaching practice in E Yorkshire in the mid 00s the kids all called them 'sand shoes'.

I did Linguistics/English Language at university and there have been studies done on regional variations of words like plimsolls, bread roll etc. But not this 'ooh you've been naughty' noise.

Excellent thread OP!

My kids (secondary) say they said "ah Barbie bah bah" at primary for this....NWest, 5 years ago.

West Midlands - Ommmmmmmmmmmm. I always have a silent chuckle at yoga when we Om at the end!

We also had:

Itch my beard (said in a funny voice)
I'm telling, you're smelling, you went to Batman's wedding.

Ummmmm-er! I’m telling, you’re smelling, you jumped off a lorry and you never said sorry!

East Midlands

Nw england we said ooooower (emphisis on the oooo the wer was hard and short) or aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh (pitch getting higher)

Then if someone fell over/dropped something/ got dragged out by teacher it was waaaaaaaaaaaaayy

Plimsoles where called pumps.

Sandshoes! Not heard that for decades haha and yes to "you'll get wrong"

Northumberland:
EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!
And yes to aayaz, sandshoes, and you'll get wrong

Oh you're so right. I'd said 'ooo' but it was 'eeee'!

thepurple

Im in Yorkshire

Also just remembered there was also a variant of ommmmm that was more like omm omm omm 😂

Oh Yes! Eeeeeeee!

'Eeeeeee you'll get wrong for that man!'

Can I also add, in a NE accent:

'Chinny tree-creepers!'

Seemed rude not to contribute given my username!

We were ummmmmmmmm

What IS the origin of all the itchy chins/beards/reckons?!

'Ummmmmmmm, I'm telling' - then the person would stick their tongue out but through their bottom lip/chin area - GOD that used to annoy me!

We did ommmmmm (west mids), dh did ummmmah (east mids) in the 80s. Ommmm was often followed up by 'telling on you' said in a really annoying way.

What IS the origin of all the itchy chins/beards/reckons?!

Could it be related to the tale of the three little pigs? (By the hairs on my chinny chin chin)

90’s child, it was always ‘ummmmmmm, I’m telling’

Another NI and we were exactly the same as Treaclesoda

Just remembered
"Ummm I'm telling
You're smelling
You went to bat man's wedding
You jumped over my garden without saying pardon"

Dd 14 said in reception and year 1 people said
"Ummmm I'm telling" but she doesn't remember rhymes

Highlands!
We wore sandshoes, and went aaaaaaaAAAAAAAaaaaww! if someone did wrong.
Or said “I’m telling, you’re smelling, in the middle of your spelling!”

I read the OP thinking ‘eh’ we didn’t do this til I suddenly remembered we DID. It was a short sharp Ohwa! West coast of Scotland. Great thread!

Ours was weirdly specific

"oddie, oddie ey oh" in a sort of chant or "oddie, I'm telling" if you didn't have time for the full thing

My dd went ooooOOoooooah at primary 2008-2015 (West country)

NW England. It was more of an 'Orrrrrrrrrr' and usually followed by 'I'm gettin you done'. This thread made me smile.

West London 50s and 60s. Uuummmmmm.