If I told you "It's snowing down south" would you check your weather app or your hemline?

[TeaAndStrumpets]

Also, what about poor Charlie? He must have died many times.

What never gets said these days?

When did we stop wearing under slips (petticoats)? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/styleandd_beauty/958801-When-did-we-stop-wearing-under-slips-petticoats

This from 2010 they're talking about the snowing in Paris/Charlie's dead etc.

@inappropriateraspberry

Snowing for white and Charlie's dead for black!

Thank you, that makes sense!

I’m in my mid 40s and know the expression to spend a penny. Probably wouldn’t use it though.

@ThePotatoCroquette

When did we stop wearing under slips (petticoats)? [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style]]andd_beauty/958801-When-did-we-stop-wearing-under-slips-petticoats

This from 2010 they're talking about the snowing in Paris/Charlie's dead etc.

Brilliant thanks Croquette, very interesting thread. Now I'm hankering after a liberty bodice....

Never heard of the snow one but still use Charlies's dead

Looking at the other thread, I remember having all in one vest and underskirt/petticoat attached when I was little!
I wonder if they aren't worn now as there are less itchy wool dresses about nowadays!

I also still say spend a penny and powder my nose.

I've never heard either of them - I did used to wear a slip to school in the 70's - we had to, supposedly to make our clothes hang properly. But they were like a dress rather than a skirt with straps so they couldn't really fall down. They were very nylon and hot and nasty.

My mother used to say spend a penny - but it only referred to a wee, she used to say 'do you want to spend a penny, or The Other' and if it was 'the other' you had to whisper the answer.

I do like the expression 'neither use nor ornament' which a friend used about my ExH - definitely summed him up

Never heard any of these except spending a penny, which my grandmother used to say, and carrying coal to Newcastle which I thought meant doing a pointless task, not anything to do with slips etc. But then again I’ve never worn a slip!

Never heard of either, but we (northerners) had 'his Budgie has died' for anyone who's trousers were a bit short.

@PileOfBooks

I dont know most of these. Can people please post explanations alongside their phrases!?

My lovely granny always used to say "spend a penny" to mean going to the loo. I assumed it used to be from the days you needed to pay to access a public loo?

This phrase is so common where I'm from (North England) that I'm surprised others have not heard of it!!

??????

We used to say "cat's died" for trousers that were too short

@spotcheck

OP Put us out of our misery! What is the Charlie one???

It used to be used to tell someone that their petticoat (slip) was showing. I was taught as a child that it was a reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie and having a flag at half mast in mourning, but there is another explanation that it refers to King Charles the Merry Monarch and is a warning thta now he is dead and the Roundheads rule, its forbidden to show lace. I can't find any verification for either.

I remember my granny telling me about poor old Charlie and his demise! No one really wears petticoats any more though.

I know they both mean your petticoat is showing but I guess younger people wouldn’t as they’ve probably never worn them.

@MirandaWest

I’m in my mid 40s and know the expression to spend a penny. Probably wouldn’t use it though.

I still do. Mainly though if I say anything else being with 'W' the dog thinks we are going for a walk. A lot of my elderly patients also spend a penny

The only time I say spend a penny is if it's cost me a quid to use a loo somewhere, and I'll say I only wanted to spend a penny not a pound but I wouldn't use it generally.

You are showing next weeks washing

God, MIL says this, usually in public at about 90 decibels and then cackles. Its usually completely irrelevant too - like if you're struggling to lift something heavy and your pants show above your waistband for a split second. Not a wardrobe malfunction you need to fix. Completely misses the point of it being a discreet warning!!

I feel ancient now, as I can’t believe people would not have heard “spend a penny” “powder my nose” ( not a US phrase, simply from the Ladies having mirrors ) . Or any of the other phrases.
Does nobody else remember the old public loo doors with the slot for the penny ?

There are a couple of kids at my son's school (siblings) who say they need to "have a penny" when they need the loo.

My mum always says "more (whatever) than Soft Mick", eg: you've got more clothes than Soft Mick. No idea who Soft Mick was and why he has so much of everything.

Eg this.

TOC H is a memorial lamp re ww1 it was a charity set up to remember the dead or to support causalities after (there was a lot of badly injured men) (If memory serves me right)

@GetOffTheTableMabel

My mum still “spends a penny”. If my Dad thinks someone is a bit thick, he’ll say they’re “as dim as a Toc-H lamp”, which I think is some kind of camping style gas lamp from the 1930s. He’s only 78 but his mum used to say it. He’ll also say someone is “not as green as they’re cabbage-looking” if they turn out to be less daft than he thought.

Toc-H is (was?) a Christian organisation who had a dim Aladdin style lamp as their emblem. Hence the saying.

Round our way the "flies undone" notification is "you've gone out with your front door open".

Another one from my nan was "you weren't made in Pilks" (referring to Pilkington Glass works). It means that you're not transparent so stop standing in front of the telly

@Theoldcuriosityshop

Charlie's dead was really common down here in the South East. Never heard of any of the others though.

I'm 50s, South East Never wore a petticoat to school, and never heard of snow or charlie

Spend a penny, and powder your nose, yes