Shy bairns get nowt

[thismotherhoodthing]

If you are not from the north east this saying may mean nothing to you!

However if it does - can you help me out! I'm
Doing a project where I am writing funny definitions to local sayings/words from different dialects. I am stuck on this one. I need an amusing example of when you would use this phrase!

Answers on a postcard!

If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

I'm guessing it's basically "don't ask, don't get". So any variation on that really.

An extra scoop of ice cream? Best seat in the car for a family trip? I'm skewing young with examples due to bairns in origin quote

I wanted to procure a surgical system at cost neutral compared to my current system. I got the company to throw in a special operating table with the deal. shy bairns get nowt

My non British medical team love all the northern phrases I come out with. They've made Newcastle their second home, so they love the colloquialisms and my explanations of them. I asked if one was going to see his marra the other day.

Thanks all! I'm from Newcastle so I know the meaning but looking for funny way of describing it and funny examples to illustrate it - great so far keeep Em
Coming!

In my experience it's said to cover when someone realises they're being judged for making an overly cheeky request.

Eg. If someone is offered a drink and picks something especially expensive like a cocktailor single malt, there'll be an awkward moment, which they'll try to alleviate by saying "well, shy bairns get nowt"

I think it’s a way of minimising cheeky fuckery.. e.g eating more than your fair share of a shared bag of sweets/ drinking the last glass of wine from a bottle etc…

I think the alternative otherwise is "don't ask, don't get"

@Dimsummummy love the use of cheeky fuckery I may have to include that!

^^ Cocktailor should obviously say cocktail. Autocorrect is weird

I am a Geordie and still use the saying! Dc also use it for extra screen time requests!

@thismotherhoodthing go ahead 😊. I’m an adopted Geordie with Geordie kids and this is how I’ve seen it used, e.g picking up extra ‘free’ sauce sachets/taking hotel supplies/ going back to a refill station to refill a ‘fill once’ drink/ trying to get an extra free drink at a wedding/graduation by rejoining the queue/trying a different server.
All relatively innocuous acts that are self serving with minimal potential fall out but that you still wouldn’t do in front of a policemen/vicar/your kids headmistress … 😂 or maybe my friends/acquaintances are just wrong ‘uns 🤔 😂

I am Scottish and I don’t know but I would read this expression as shy kids (Bairns) get nowt as get in there or be left out so say sweeties where being giving out the shy kid has to get in there and get sweeties or be left out ahahha

I’m Scottish and my mum would say shy weans get nae sweeties. Basically if u don’t ask u don’t get so get in there if u get the chance: ironically I was a shy wean and wouldn’t have dared ask anyone for sweeties … my brother on the other hand would get a piece at any bodies door

I'm from Newcastle. I would use it for would use if asking someone for a favour e.g "Hi friend had your dd got any wellies in a size 1 she's grown out of, dd needs some for school..just thought I'd ask..shy bairns get nowt"

I think it's unfair to say it's CFery. You don't get if you don't ask is not the same as absolutely taking advantage!

Another Geordie here.

I use it all the time. Usually in situations where others would rather suffer than ask a polite question. So for example, in a bar and a couple are sat at a table for 4 or 6. I'd ask if we could share their table. If they say no because they're waiting on someone else coming or having a private chat, id happily hold my hands up and say ah well, shy bairns get nowt. Or is say it in triumph if they agreed.

It's great for breaking the silly, British, let's all be martyrs rule.

Agreed. It's not used when taking more than your share. It would be used if you asked if you could have more than your share just this once for some reason.

I'm a fellow Geordie.

I say it a lot.

Example;
Someone at work 'I'm going to ask if I can leave half hour early'
Me 'why not, shy bairns get joint'

Nout not a joint 🤣

Great example when I worked in a city centre hotel.

Woman walks in carrying her (rather mucky) dog. Speaks to reception who have to walk out back and burst into laughter over the radio and ask me to come down (I was the duty manager).
Came down and she asked me if she could please wash her dog in the sink in the restaurant toilets as be was scruffy bugger.

I had to tell her no (for many, many reasons) and she just shrugged and SBGN'd me and walked out like I was nothing.

Took me a bit to process

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea this is a great example! This is the kind of thing I need haha. Also can't believe that happened

@HSKAT this is also a good example I will use this!

Examples I had were asking for discount on something or for an upgrade to first class. But wanted something a bit more amusing!

My ex boss has used it on a few occasions where the request has been a big ask but do-able and she didn't want to do it herself but also knew asking me was a bit of a cheek.
"I know you've done 5 14 hour shifts in a row but can you do one tomorrow? I'm desperate"
"No"
"Ah well, had to try, shy kids get nowt!"

It's a sort of trying your luck thing to me, sometimes if I needed the money enough I'd say yes so it was worth asking from their pov.