Is calling someone a Garyboy, G boy etc regional or nationwide?

[RebornFlame]

And very 90’s/00’s thing to say?

Would you know what ‘going for a Gary round the town in my car’ was?!

Definitely a Suffolk thing! I remember learning to drive back in 2002, my dad taking me out at 8pm on a Saturday night round Ipswich town centre to practise and being surrounded by them. My first boyfriend's brother was a Gary boy and had a shitty Astra with an exhaust that was so huge it practically dragged on the ground and massive speakers in the back!

Yes it's a Suffolk thing DH says it.
Now, where I'm from (Herts/Essex border) it was a Barry Boy.

We used to argue over who had it right (me of course) 😂

They just sound like chavs.

Are any other Suffolkers wondering how many times they've used expressions like this to people who didn't have a clue?!!

earslaps yes, so much yes . See also calling something a bit rum!

And worrying about billywitches getting in your hair!

Are any other Suffolkers wondering how many times they've used expressions like this to people who didn't have a clue?!!

I learned the ‘not everyone understands Suffolk speak’ lesson the hard way when I texted my new colleagues to tell them I was ‘on the drag’...

A "Gary" was slang for Ecstasy tablets (Lancs).

Back in the early texting days, we all thought that trigger words would flag up on a huge police database, so nobody dared text "you have any pills?"

It was: "Is Gary at yours?"
"Yeah, but he isn't staying long, you better hurry up if you wanna catch him"

We thought we were so smart.

I'll NC now

A Gary is an ecstasy tablet round my way

OP I remember Garyboys! I grew up in Suffolk and was a teen in the 90s/late 00's.
I think it's very much a regional thing as I now live in the West Mids and no one has ever heard of that term here!

Omg Earslaps- I remember Billywitches too and the fear of getting them in my hair!
The first time I mentioned them my DH thought I'd gone made. I feel all reminiscent for Ipswich circa 2000 now reading this thread!

Also from Cambs or equivalent term was Barry. When I read your thread title I just assumed you’d got mixed up over the passage of time!

‘Gary’ did not make it so far as Norwich

(You southern weirdos)

daisychain kartouche/zest ??

Someone asked me if ‘on the drag’ was a euphemism for being on my period! No, I’m just running late

I remember 'barryed up' being used to refer to souped up cars with the noisy exhaust, spoilers, go faster stripes etc.
London here.

nah @reborn, it was 'hollywoods' first! dear lord it was a crappy ole hole even then!

Haha I knew this was going to be about Suffolk!

Yes, garyboy was definitely used back when I was a teenager. Bury St Edmunds originally.

What are billywitches please?

And worrying about billywitches getting in your hair!

When I first moved to Suffolk I couldn’t understand what billywitches were and I couldn’t get anyone to explain it too me. You don’t get them so much in any other part of the country.

I also recall a local friend practicing an important speech he was going to give on me. I had to explain that ‘shew’ was not an accepted past tense of show.

Billywitches are cock chafers. Like that helps.

Never heard of it.
Depending on where you are in our region they're just chavs or charvers. (Ducks and hides before then Mumsnet language police arrest me for saying chav)

A billywitch.

We called them 'Kevs' too i.e. "Look at that Kev car speeding through the town!"

30s, Bucks

Urgh (shudders) at billywitches