Yorkshire expression?? Up in Annie's room, behind the clock.

[upinaballoon]

In the generation above me, members of my family would use the expression 'Up in Annie's room, behind the clock'. It means you don't know the whereabouts of someone or something.

The only other person I have ever known, who knew the expression, was an elderly woman who came from Yorkshire. My grandmother was Yorkshire-born, too, so maybe she brought it into my family.

Does anyone else know the expression?

My Yorkshire FiL uses "behind the clock", but I've lived in Yorkshire for 25 years and never heard anyone else say it.

No, never heard it before. I've always lived in Yorkshire.

Irish here.
Grandparents in Munster, a province in the south of Ireland would say,
"Up in Nelly's room behind the wallpaper." if they were a wee bit annoyed that you couldn't find something.
They would then add "Where do you think it is?"

Yorkshire born and bred and never heard it before.

Yep, I'm in Yorkshire and hear it frequently in my family (though my grandparents are from much further north/south so may not be very local

Up In the loft, behind the clock was used by my Yorkshire grandparents.

I’m from Yorkshire (and fairly ancient). In our family it was “up in Nellie’s room at t’back of t’ clock” 😁

What a lovely phrase! I've been in Yorkshire 40 years (north, south and west yorks), but I've never heard it. Definitely a thing though, and a quick Google suggests it might date back to ww1.

My grandmother sometimes used to say 'too late!', followed by a slight pause and then '..she cried, waving aloft her wooden leg'. From old music hall, apparently. Love these old phrases!

I'm in Yorkshire though not a native, and haven't heard it yet, but I like it and might start using it, as I have a DH who ichronically mislays things and asks me where they are.

I’ve lived here 2 different Ridings) nearly 20 years and never heard it. Yorkshire is a big place.

In our house it became Up my arse on the second shelf. Not quite as poetic.

@LadyEloise1 my mum used to say it was time to go and see nelly behind the wallpaper at bedtime. Thank you for bringing back such a lovely memory. Also irish (not munster though).

My kids favourite response to most questions: "up a dogs bum on the second shelf " 🤣

My dad always says "it's in granny's room, behind the clock" when you ask him where something is and he doesn't know. He's used it all my life. East London, but one of his parents was Welsh so it may have come from him.

Oh and he's 77 and his dad would be 128 if still alive now!

My Yorkshire father has a far worse version of this which is "up cow's arse, third shelf."

'Up yer bum on t'second shelf' - West Yorkshire (Wakefield/Ossett/Dewsbury)

My Essex born dad used to say In Annie’s room behind the wallpaper. He was born in 1916.

My dad: up my bum, hanging on a nail

You have brought back a lovely memory I had completely forgot about. My late dad used to say ‘up in Annie’s room behind the clock.’ He came from the Scottish Borders.

I don't recall it in the West or East Ridings. Maybe a North Riding expression from long ago.

My great-grandmother, great-aunt and grandmothers all used to say exactly this and my mother still does occasionally. All East Anglia born and bred.

My Londoner Grandma used to say”up in Annie's room”, without the clock part.

My mum used to say something similar to this but she was Welsh.

Another of her sayings was if we asked where she or my dad or anyone really, was going, she'd say "there and back to see how far it is"!

She had some strange turns of phrase when we were kids. 😀

Round the corner, up Jack's arse.