Things that you thought everyone did and said?

[PeppermintPie]

I had this discussion with two friends. One thought that sleeping with the tv on and a light was something that everyone did until she moved out and learned that it wasn’t the norm.

Another thought that everyone used the terms mardy and nesh until she moved here and people had no idea what she meant.

It’s making me wonder what I say that I think of as normal but is actually specific to my area.

What things did you do and say that you thought were ubiquitous?

I’m still not entirely sure what nesh means actually. Is it the equivalent of a wuss?

"Smoothing" the cat. As in, stroking or petting it. Everyone says it where I live, wasn't till teenage DS mentioned 'smoothing' the cat to his friend in Southampton, who collapsed in hysterics, that we realised it's not a UK wide thing!
Friend said it's daft, and sounds like we iron the cat or use sandpaper on it 😅

Washing a bath towel after each use!

@TheRomanticOutlaw i have never heard ‘smoothing’ the cat but like it very much. It should be used everywhere! Where do you come from?

I would say smoothing the cat... widely used where I am from too (south west)

Nesh is a Sheffield word and means 'feels the cold'!

I thought nesh meant you’re always cold or feel the cold more than others.

never ever heard of smoothing the cat!

but I do fall asleep with the TV on, much to DP annoyance.

I'm Cardiff born & bred. And @newandconfused5 yes, apparently it's common in the South West, too. I found that out afterwards! All my great-grandparents came from Somerset, Devon and Cornwall so it wouldn't surprise me if it's come down through the family from them.

Do you 'smooth' a dog too? Here in Scotland you 'clap' a dog which I'm just wondering if you also do to a cat...I dont think I've heard that said, smoothing sounds more like what a cat would enjoy!

DH laughs whenever say 'Im away to my bed'. I don't see how this is remarkable at all.

Never heard of smoothing a cat or nesh. The cat one sounds really weird 😂
Mardy to me means a bit sulky/stroppy often used in combination with arse - mardy arse.
i live in the SE, I’m sure there are words we use that others don’t but I can’t think of any probably because I just assume everyone uses them!
Although I have northern relatives who call bread rolls batches or barms which is just not on at all.

Yes, like frileux/frileuse in French. Lovely word.

When I first lived in the midlands, not really having come across the term ‘mardy ’ as a foreigner who’d lived entirely in London and Oxford, I confused it with ‘marly’ in the sense of mudstone soil…

Nesh is used all across the North
Lunched it is something I've only heard in Oxford. Meaning I failed to do something (mainly because I was stoned) so I lunched it. Or I lunched out all of yesterday (did fuck all).
I didn't realise people my age actually went to church I thought it was only pensioners and people wanting to get their kids into church schools.

Yeah, I think you can 'smooth' a dog. TBH I don't know anyone with a dog so I'm not sure!
Clapping a dog sounds a bit like hitting them 😅

I’m from the South-West and I’m not familiar with that use of “smoothing”.

When I was a teenager, a northern girl started at our school and I learned that the word “daps” (plimsolls) was a regional word and not understood nationally.

I thought everyone cwtched. Turns out it's only the Welsh that cwtch.

No idea why my post about plimsolls was controversial.

Well yes, because it's a Welsh word.

I come from a French background and moved to UK at young age - but not early enough to absorb that kissing every person you meet on both cheeks is not done thing.

After enough bewildered expressions and feedback, I absorbed it was a bit much.

Now I just freak people out with a firm handshake and hiya!

'Cwtch' has reminded me that we all say 'I'll be there now in a minute" or "'I'll do it now in a minute" and nobody outside Wales has a clue what that means. Whereas to us, it's very clear that it means "not straightaway, but very soon" 😂

I know, but there was a time when I thought everyone used that word.

Thats my experience of growing up in a small village in Wales. Thought everyone said/did it but realised not.

Oh yeah, I see now.

Ye you can use clap in place of stroke with any animal I think!

it is most commonly used with dogs as in clap the dug though rather than other animals but I think that’s because dogs are more common and your more likely to clap more dogs than say cats which many only let their owners clap.

@Beginningless I was going to mention clapping cats and dogs - def both. You can clap them or give them a clap. Not heard of in England.

My Lancashire in laws 'give a love' to a Teddy or baby where I would give it a cuddle or fuss.

Oh and planking things (eg so the weans don't find them...) not done where I live now either!

Does planking mean hiding?
And 'weans'... I like that, I wish we had weans instead of kids/children. Also 'bairns', I like that too