Has anybody else come across this meaning of ‘a place’?

[Staygoldponyboystaygold]

I took my DM to a hospital appointment last week. The dr asked why she was wearing a small dressing on her leg. She said ‘oh that’s just a place’. He looked confused and DM repeated this a couple of times ‘it’s just a place’. I remember this from my childhood, ‘a place’ meant a small area of injury to the skin. I explained this to the dr and all was fine.

Ive realised this might be a really odd thing to say and am wondering if anyone else has come across this. I’ve never used it. Has my DM invented this??

I've never heard of it.

It’s something my Granny would have said, I think.

There's an AA Milne poem called the Little Black Hen where he refers to a nettle sting on a boy's knee as a 'nettle place'

Never heard of it

Haha I’m just imagining the poor doctor’s brain whirring trying to work out if your mum was crazy or he’d forgotten English 😂

Very commonly spoken phrase in my part of Devon!

Never heard of it.

Ngaio Marsh uses it

@Illstartexercisingtomorrow ahahaha that’s pretty much how it went!! The Dr looked so confused and DM confused by his confusion. I’m glad I was there to translate.

@Mummyofthewildones thank you, yes we’re in Devon. You’ve cleared things up for me. I’ve only ever heard my DM say it so I thought possibly she had made it up. It must be a Devonian thing.

I'm a nurse in a GP surgery so you can imagine how many "places" I see!!

It must be a Devon thing. I have never heard of it in London, Yorkshire or the North East.

Interesting, the French word "plaie" means wound. I wonder if it's a corruption?

@Mumsnut "Overture to Death"....love that book. I'm never going to play piano again!😂

I've lived in Devon my whole life and I've never heard this!

Definitely a Devon thing. And amongst older people. Have not heard it in years but knew right away what you meant.

I remember older members of my family saying it - South East!

My Granny used it to refer to any small sore spot. But she was born in 1896. I've never heard it in 30+ years clinical practice.

My granny used to say she had a “plate” on her knee; these days you’d think it was a piece of metal inserted to mend a fracture but she meant a sore scabby wound. I bet it’s the same derivation

@whenareyouback i wonder if it’s used in a particular area of Devon. DM grew up in a very rural part of Devon, you couldn’t get more rural really. DH has always lived in Devon and says he’s never heard it before.

@Mummyofthewildones haha, yes I can only imagine!

Suffolk-born here.
Yes 'a place' means an irritation or wound of some sort there too (or at least in my family)!

My family used to say it with that meaning (growing up in the South East).

I've never heard it, but that's not surprising. How interesting! The 'plaie' connection suggested by a PP is convincing.

Not one I have heard <adds to vocabulary>.

This thread has reminded me of this video of two older women with thick Devon accents. I can't understand a word 🤣

q_