Sayings of Welsh Parents

[C0rdelia]

You tell them something mildly interesting.

Nooooor. I never.

Cwtch confused me on Gavin and Stacy, my dm used a cwtch as cupboard or cubby hole, if she said something was in the cwtch she meant the cupboard under the stairs!

"I'm tampin' I am" (angry)
Twp (stupid/foolish)
Kift (Pembrokeshire specific - clumsy/wonky)

My grandma would never dare "take the Lord's name in vain" but would mutter "Duw duw" whenever she was surprised by a piece of news.

My dad used cwtsh for the coal hole, the cupboard under the stairs, the dogs bed, any warm nest or bed made by an animal.
‘Go is how we send the dog to his bed.

Daps for plimsolls.

Go cwtsh is how we send the dog to bed sorry.

BestIsWest

I'm glad someone else heard it - it's something I'd half convinced myself I'd misheard.

Our neighbour used to say "Iesu Mawr" (sort of "Jesus Christ"; literally "Big Jesus") but my mother didn't. I was given to understand it was worse than Duw, Duw.

And, of course, I was "bach" or "bachgen" - "little one".

Gosh, this takes me back

ych a fi I still say it now to my children.

I also got "mochyn budr" if I picked my nose or similar

A favourite family story was when my great aunt started "courting".

Her father, seeing her come downstairs in her Sunday best commented on the amount of coal he'd better mine next week in order to afford Ceinwen putting herself on the marriage market ...

My GM used to talk about candle snuffers (snuffer cannwyll) - people who blow out your light to make theirs seem brighter.

Oh, I still use kift now! I once met a South Africa woman who knew exactly what it meant as she'd used it at home as well though - heaven knows what the linguistic link is there

Oh and I forgot "tidy"

*South African, obv!

Whose coat is that jacket?

If you fall off there and break your leg don’t come running to me!

I have no idea what this one means, or how to spell it if someone wants to have a go at translation. It’s something my grandmother always said when she was annoyed...

Jow Lariod a meplyn peploeth 🤷🏻‍♀️

Don't be so twp

I'm absolutely tamping!

Tidy

Oh! Love!

Butty for friend and chips

I'll be there now in a minute

I must say this fifty times a day in half term

I'll be there now mun!

always said nos da,iechyd da at bedtime

Ach a vie...horrible...my darling Mum used that expression so often . Cutch...cuddle and ‘so long’ meaning bye for now

Fairs doos ?

Another was used as the equivalent of "hold your tongue".

It sounded to me like kyda gaig...the nearest I can find on google translate is cau'r geg for mouth shut????

Can any welsh speakers confirm? Thanks.

I tell you now

Now in a minute

Ych a fi (and also ychy, rather than yucky)

Where's it to?

Little dwt

Mochyn fawr

Tutty on down yer

Twp (and we lengthened it to twpsin)

Cwtch

Ah, so many! And now I say them all to my kids

@DeRigueurMortis cau dy geg! Shut your mouth

RozTheSchnoz

Fairs doos ?

Oh, yes! For "fair play".
We used to say "wara teg" for that as well.

TheFairyGarden
Jow Lariod

The first bit of this is Diawl - devil. My mother says something similar.

@C0rdelia the correct spelling is “ycha fi” 😊

Awwwwww I want my granny and grandpa now!

Cwtch for both under the stairs and cuddle. My very very London born and bread dh uses it for under the stairs in my house now.

Tup, by here, butty, duw. Takes me back to being a kid.

Daps I'd say is as much SW as Welsh. I live near Bristol and we're all about the daps. DH had to have it explained.....

I remember being very little and at the end of school we would say ‘Nos da’ and I would be confused and think ‘But how do they know there will be no stars tonight?’