Words and phrases that remind you of your parents?

[Plinketyplonks]

My late dad was a great one for being organised and filing things and labelling them correctly. He always had a box file labelled ‘sundries’, I rarely come across that word now but if I do it instantly makes me think of my lovely dad.

He also used ‘for Pete’s sake,’ ‘a pad’ (meaning a flat) and ‘digs’ (meaning university accommodation). Don’t often hear these now but they always remind me of him.

My mum always uses the phrase ‘took off like a Polaris missile’ when describing something taking off vertically (like a cat when you accidentally step on its tail). Polaris missiles were around in the 60s so I suppose that’s her reference. I never hear anyone say that

My nan used to say “you’ve got more front than Blackpool”

@Shinyhappyapple my mum used to say "and thereby hangs a tail/tale" too, meaning there was more that could be said but it won't be. And in a similar vein "What a tail/tale our cat's got!" when she thought we were exaggerating, telling fibs etc.

And if you tried to carry too much at once she'd say "That's a lazy man's load" meaning do it in two trips. It might have been a farming term.

My husband uses the ‘scotch mist’ expression. I’ve never heard anyone else say it.

My mum used to say “Wreck of the Hesperus” as well. Also:
“a face fit to trip” - sulky
”no better than she should be” - a woman of easy virtue (never a man)
“second-hand goods” - if you had sex before marriage (again, I don’t think it applied to men)
“what she doesn’t know she makes up” - anyone who exaggerated gossip
“Very county” - upper middle class/establishment types
“like one o’clock half struck” - a bit dozy or slow on the uptake

I want gets nothing is what we were told

i now also say to my kids look with ur eyes not ur hands please !!

oh my mum also said French Stick!

my grandma used to say "Bloater and point" if you asked her what's for dinner. (you'd have one Bloater and you all point at it...large family, not much food)

My parents also used to do a double act where one would say "Say not the struggle naught availeth" and the other would come in with "Not the struggle naught availeth". How we laughed.

Loving this thread, I'm sure I will have more!

If we asked our Mum where something was when we were young, she’d say “It’s up in Nelly’s room behind the wallpaper.”
I was mystified as there was no Nelly in our house. 😂
I love the “I want, won’t get !”

What's for tea?
Bread and run round the table.
Thanks, Mum!

I'll gie ye somethin to greet aboot.
I'll tak ma hand aff yer face.
General threats made to children NE Scotland 70s and probably long before.

“If you saw my bum you’d want some!”
I kind of forgot my mum is quite funny and this thread made me remember that she is and I really need to see her again soon.

Growing up, in my family it wasn't "Fur coat" it was "Red hat and no knickers" which literally meant a prostitute.
Someone mentioned "crikey" - still in use now in our family 😁

My Mum had loads of sayings . She'd say "I want shooting with shit " when she was unwell . You make a better door than a window when someone stood in front of the TV . Stop crying or ill give you something to cry about .

I'll give it a coat of looking at (e.g. a new TV show).
Just a trifle (answer to how much pudding you want). Dad thought this was hilarious.
Mum said 'snow' for loose coins that weren't coppers.
You look like a sack of spuds tied in the middle.

French stick is common parlance in our house 😂

One my grandparents used to say a lot was 'You're not as green as you're cabbage looking' to mean you're not as daft as you look.

My dad always used to refer to himself as a 'knight of the road' and say it was 'nice to be nice' as he'd always let people in/out in traffic. Always hear his voice when I'm courteous when driving.

Remarks from Dad about Blackpool Illuminations were common in our house when we left lights on.

Mum was fond of “If you fall and break your leg don’t come running to me” or “Were you born in a field?” when doors were left open but her favourite was “Tough Cookie” if we didn’t like how something was going. She stopped when DS aged 2 said it to her when she told him to stop splashing her when he was in the bath.

My dad always said “hells bells” when he was annoyed. He died a couple of years ago and I find myself saying it now when I’m annoyed and then it makes me smile 😊

"I'm standing here like Joe Loss without his orchestra" my father when anyone in the family kept him waiting.

"You make a better door than a window" said when someone was standing in the way of seeing something.

“Look with your eyes not your hands” was a favourite of my DM. I remember using it with my DS when he was young, he then asked why I could use my hands, I told him it was because mummy’s are allowed to. An elderly lady next to me laughed and said she’d wished she’d thought to say that when her children were young.

We lost our DM when we were in our 20s, I love spending time with my DSis and her DDs because she frequently uses phrases our DM used. It brings a smile to my face because we always swore we wouldn’t be like DM.

My DF very rarely lost his temper, using dry humour to admonish us. You never really knew whether he was serious so always assumed he was. He was a very bright man who was incredibly knowledgeable about everything but in a quiet and humble way. He would often quote Shakespeare but in an umpompous way. One of his favourites was “ me thinks the lady doth protest too much” when we were trying to deflect and he admitted he always wanted a dog so he could call it Spot. He’d always wanted to say “ Out damn Spot”.

He rarely used swear words but you knew if he was frustrated because he would mutter “ oh hell” under his breath. He would avoid using the word “bloody hell” by saying “ruddy hell”. It’s all very tame nowadays but swearing was seen as very uncouth in their day.

"Much obliged" for a general thanks for (example) giving someone the remainder on your parking permit. Always my dear old Dad, still does it now (80yrs).

My mum would say “you’re the only one of the regiment in step” if I was disagreeing with the majority - hence my username!

You’re like the wild man of Borneo!

It was ‘They’re all out of step but my Johnny’ in our house 😁

better door than window
not as green as I'm cabbage looking
enough blue to make a sailor a pair of trousers (granny)
ruddy thing (other granny - "we say ruddy, men say bloody")
daft ha'p'orth (and yes I thought it was apeth)

were you born in a barn (if you left the doors open)
come in don't stand knocking
I don't know anyone who says it is I (this one may be a bit niche)
to answer I'm hungry: pleased to meet you, I'm Alan
nonsense!
goodnight, god bless
...wake up good in the morning
dashing around like a blue-arsed fly (this was on one occasion only and quite shocking to 8yo me)

My granddad used to say "more power to your elbow" by way of encouraging someone in an undertaking.

Stone the crows
Gordon Bennett