Roadmen

[SeedyBaguette]

Is this an expression used round your way? If so, where are you? Am in Edinburgh and no but friends in Gtr Manc, yes (much to the hilarity of the DCs)

Yes, same here. I'm in London and in my mid thirties, and I honestly just can't quite follow the new, less literal, meaning. Are they cosplaying road men?

Are they cosplaying road men?

I think so, very weird

Yes. South London

I’m guessing it has nothing to do with highway maintenance?

Yes, East Mids. I'm not quite sure what they are though, I'm too old and DC is too young. I think it's a teenage/TikTok thing

I'm pretty sure it pre-dates tiktok, I've known it for years and use it myself when talking to my children. Not sure how many adults my age would know what it means though

Little rural nth east town. We have a few (sheltered white boys) who think they are roadmen. As we say “is it the road to Darlo or Bish?”

Glad I'm not alone!

What an odd way for people to refer to themselves. Is this what people are saying: that people try to apply this term to themselves because they think being poor/ on drugs or connotations of that lifestyle are "cool"? Or that it is an insult thrown at people that they are behaving as if they were "roadmen"?

The latter is not more savoury but would make a lot more sense.

Time for good old Korean Billy.

We would call them scallies here, they're widely mocked/robbed in the street. 13 year old boys in grey trackies they think look like HMP wear and manbags

Oh yeah and they do that cringeworthy thing were they hold their hoody right around their face when cameras are around because they think they are figures from the international criminal underworld.

🤣 those naice roadmen fixing the potholes

Yes, north London

Apparently it's a thing in Essex, my DD uses it. I don't and was a bit 🤔 when I heard her use it, she explained. I'm getting old....

Oh dear! How comical!

West Yorkshire it's a well known saying here... its a way of life for those who are actually a road man.

Yes. South East.

Yup, Berkshire - in fact my DD just looked out of the window before going on a walk, and said 'Oh God, Roadmen on the common'. . .

My term for them is 'trouble on the hoof'.

So the actual ones that maintain the highways?

This all seems a bit unkind to highway maintenance staff if their job description js being used as an insult to insinute drug dealing. Although I suppose it would explain why there are so many needless roadworks that seems to continue for months on end with not much road maintenance progressing.

@SheeplessAndCounting I don't think road men refer to themselves as that, the term is used by others calling one a road man. However.... road men often say they are on "road"

This is rather baffling. I mean most of us are "on road" at various times each day when we go out?

No, North Yorkshire

It's a slang term....

It's slang for dealer.

Learnt that from watching BBC's Informer - great piece of drama

I think your going to have to use a bit of imagination here. I don't think of myself on the road to be honest and it's not a phrase I use personally. Who really says that? It's a well known saying... I would of thought most people understood the defination it's been around years! The term "Road man"

It's not just the fact that they are on Road though is it? It's how one carries themselves, the circles they are in and the way they speak along with a.. Burner phone most likely!