Rhyming slang and other linguistic curiosities

[WildRosie]

Do you ever use words and expressions that would usually be associated with another part of the UK or another country altogether ? I'm from West Yorkshire and I say things such as 'half inch (pinch)', 'syrup' (of figs - wig), 'wee' (small), 'bairn' (child) and 'canny' (good) without thinking about it. I've spent very little time in London, Scotland and Tyneside so I can't explain any of this. I don't mind, though, as the English language is made more colourful.

It's probably fair to say that 'wee' and 'bairn' are generally northern Britain words anyway.

People pick up all sorts of things.

Remember the stuff (you may well not) when children started doing an uptick at the end of sentences and it was thought to be because of neighbours? And more recently vocal fry.

The spread of 'estuary English' is blamed on TV as well and there's concern about regional accents getting watered down and lost.

Both DDS use USA words and phrases a lot (internet) and I've started using some as well despite being the sort of person who isn't keen!

I use some expressions from my mum's part of the world that are not used where I live. And working a lot with people from other parts of the UK is expanding my vocab!

Final one is we have always taken words from other languages etc eg shampoo, schmaltz.

Syrup is very Cockney rhyming slang, isn’t it? At least, half my family are eastenders and they’d use it! I don’t coz I am posh

I love the linguistic variations in the UK. My current favourite is clothes horse/maiden that husband and I banter about

Half inch and syrup are cockney yes.

Only fools and horses and EastEnders may have spread them!

Petit filous!

We have a lot of issues over scones.

My mum is from a rhyme with bon place and DH is from a rhyme with mown place. I am right obviously even though it's not how most people round here say it!

‘Wee’ for small is in relatively common usage in NZ, presumably for the number of early Scottish settlers here.

I am also convinced that our propensity to say ‘fush and chups’ (in contrast with the Aussie ‘feesh and cheeps’) is also due to our Scottish ancestors.

In terms of other sayings I have no claim to, my DH is Irish, so I’ve picked up a few of those - yer man, yer one, gas craic, omadhaun (amadán?), etc...

I also say 'yer man' and 'craic'; I knew the latter was Irish but not the former.

Scone rhymes with gone.

Shampoo is an Indian word but I don't know from which language or dialect. Schmaltz sounds like a German-Jewish word.

I'm as irish as the day is long but my oh is cornish and our slang has merged into some weird irish / cornish hybrid 😂😂 he has picked up far more irish sayings though.

I'm originally from Yorkshire and I'm currently in Wolverhampton. I have also lived in Lancashire, Oxford and London.

If I go to buy food in a new area I run through my head which will be best understood

Batch
Barm cake
Tea cake
Bread Cake
Butty

My brother moved to Cornwall in his teens and his wife is from Devon so between us we know a few local words.

'Crack' was (not sure now) used a lot in Lancashire when I was growing up as, "What's the crack going on here?" I assume that has come from Irish immigration and become anglicized.

Add to that lots of people in the family have worked / do work in the NHS, the police or as teachers and there is another level of jargon.

My mother once asked us to 'stop speaking jargon and start speaking English'