Daft as a brush, and other very British sayings

[GypsyRoseGarden]

Reading another thread, a poster mentioned “daft as a brush” which made me smile - it’s so very British - expressive but not vindictive

Another saying I like is “completely trollied” for so very drunk that they can’t walk straight

What are your favorite very British sayings ?

My canafian housemate at uni struggled with bob's your uncle. Kept saying and Bobs my uncle. That always makes me smile

Best: bless your cotton socks
Worst: squeaky bum time

I'd really love to know where they come from though.

Recently discovered where tenterhooks comes from, and why it has that meaning. Language is amazing.

One that always surprises me is that no one else says fortnight (and I don't mean the game....)

I discovered last night (Phil Spencer at Chatsworth House Channel 4) that we say drunk people are 'plastered' because plasterers doing fancy work used alcohol to mix it so it dried quicker. Maybe they drank some of it too.

Couldn't stop a pig in a ginnel.

Although it's origins are to do with having bandy legs from ricketts.

It's looking a bit black over Bill's mother's.

To mean the sky's gone dark & it looks like rain.

I think it's specific to Notts, maybe Derby? Hadn't heard it elsewhere. (Apologies if anywhereelse in the UK uses it too).

'Charlie's dead' - your slip is showing, although I don't suppose anyone wears a slip anymore.

'Flying without a licence' - your flies are undone.

Steppemum English also used to have 'sennight' for a week (seven nights) but sadly that has been lost.
My old french teacher could never get his head round the saying 'I'm feeling under the weather' -- very common but when you think about it, it makes very little sense at all.

If someone’s trousers were too short my granny would say “have you lost your budgie?” Something to do with half-mast I think.
I love “and Bob’s my uncle”

When reading American novels, I have to be careful to adjust to American slang as it completely changes the meaning...
British... Pissed person is drink. Pissed off is annoyed.
American... Pissed person is annoyed.

"Black over Bill's Mother's"....Lincolnshire too.

"Charlie's dead", also "It's snowing down south"

My French colleague used to make me laugh with
We are all in the same ship

Best thing since sliced bread.
Especially now sliced bread is seen as 'inferior' by lots of people.

About as much use as a f&rt in a collander/chocolate teapot.
Craftier than a barrel load of monkeys.

Better than a poke in the eye (with a sharp stick)

You'll be as right as rain ..... to someone recovering or getting up after a fall etc.
What's right about rain?

It's black over Polly's mother's here! (NW)

Some of my mum's
Thin as a lat
Thick as Dick's hatband
Face like a farmer's arse on a frosty morning
Tilly Mint (from Lyme Street Station where a woman called Tilly sold mints)

My Dutch friends think "raining cats and dogs" is the funniest thing ever.

And more weather related stuff (we are British, after all)
It's raining cats and dogs.
It (rain) is coming down in stair rods.

Quite a few for people who are, um... a bit dim.
He's a sandwich short of a picnic
Thick as two short planks
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

If we played up as kids Mum used to say she was going to wring our necks. We used to think it was hilarious but it’d probably get someone arrested these days

The lovely man who lived next door used to threaten to box our ears if we went onto his garden, I doubt that’d be allowed now either

Bit black over Will's (not Bill's) mother.... I'm in Bucks

Black over Bill's Mother's here in Staffordshire too - I thought it referred to looking stormy a way away, over Shakespeare's way in Warwickshire.

My favourite ever was my Grandad's saying 'keep aht th'oss rowd wench' meaning look after yourself - keep out of the horse's way my dear girl

“Until the cows come home”
Not sure if it’s a British thing or not.

“Not to be sneezed at” is one of my dm’s favourites.

A French friend said she had 'flies in her leg' and was amused when I told her we called it 'pins and needles'.