Have you ever used a word or phrase that you thought everyone knew but they didn't?

[CaramelJones]

Prompted by a discussion with a friend. When we first met she kept saying mardy and I had no idea what she meant.

Has anyone experienced similar with a regional word or a term that only your family use? It's making me wonder which regional words I might be using without thinking of it.

One I was on the receiving end of - greeting. Apparently to Scottish folks this means crying. Took me at least a year to figure it out.

How can you answer anything but say, 7, to both of those

I thought it was a real word until I read your post! 😂

@ThanksAntsThants
Mine too! I didn't realise it wasn't a real word I read your post

Same in Stoke!

FatFilledTrottyPuss HappyHappyJoy EllieQ yes, west Cumbrian - we're a jameating family.

I baffled the dog groomer when I apologised for all the cotters in the dog's hair, and warned her that DDog was a bit of a flarch, so not to give in to her big brown eyes...

My mum used to tell me and my brother of for ‘clodhopping’ about upstairs (making a noise/being a bit rowdy). I’d completely forgotten the word until I came across it in a book recently. Never heard anyone but my mum use it.

'Fettle' = mood as in 'he's in a right fettle', 'she's in good fettle'.

Tyneside/Northumberland

I'm confused about island and roundabout. Its an island. Don't be so weird 😂

Donnies for hands.
Tip tops for ice pops
Gambols for forward rolls
Caylie (sp?) for sherbert

It's luggy cos it's full of lugs. What else do you call them lol.
West Midlands here

@HariboReckoning I use that all the time - usually when DS is clodhopping about the place with his big feet

Angin

Yes yes to daps, Also had to explain dank, combe, dimpsey, dollop and jasper.

Asking where's it to causes some hilarity.

Scrow or Scrowy

@ForkHandler and @EllieQ might know what it is.

also ... cotters

And also - when cakes sink in the middle, they're 'sad'. I said that very knowledgeably during Bake Off one night childhood spent in WI baking tents and DH looked at me as if I'd gone mad.

I walked into work saying I was mafting (hot) and got some very odd looks
(I live in the midlands but am from Yorkshire)

I also say ‘croggy’(giving a ride on the back of a pushbike),’ginnel/ten-foot’ (alleyway),‘chuddy’ (chewing gum),’plaggy’ (plastic) ‘they are mafting round your ankles’ (your trousers are too short) ‘Mardy’ (meaning your sulking) and ‘playing hooky’ (bunking off school)

I drive my southern partner insane as he never knows what I’m on about!

We call knotted hair "matted", lugs here are your ears!

Oxters for armpits

Hunners - any number between 2 & a gazillion "there's hunners ay midges doon by the loch"

It's 'Chock a block'

Tabs are ears! "meks yer tabs laugh" describing a fizzy drink

Ow bist?

@SleepingStandingUp I was surprised when I realised that everyone didn't use roundabout and island interchangeably.

Bay too bah.

Anyone come across ‘spice’ for sweets?

Not quite the same but in my family we would say "I'm knackered" meaning very tired but people informed me once that it is rude!

An Australian colleague got quite shirty with me for using the expression " by a long chalk", saying they'd never heard of it. While it didn't surprise me, I was taken aback by their evident irritation.

I always kept my mouth shut when Australian colleagues who never ever use strong language say of a meeting: 'That was a wank, wasn't it?" or " Had a wog over the holidays", meaning an annoying but minor illness.