A weird phrase I only ever see on Mumsnet.

[Pinksalamanda]

I'm really curious if anyone else has noticed this.

I keep seeing, only on Mumsnet, people using the phrase "stays" instead of "lives".

For example on a currently active post, the OP says "he stays in a city near by". And I see this a lot.

In all the scenarios I have seen it, they are definitely not talking about a temporary situation, holiday, etc.

I don't know if it's right or wrong (and don't massively care), but I've just noticed it increasingly being used on here recently and I wonder if anyone else has?

I think it might be a bit of an Americanism, but I don't see it being used elsewhere.

It’s a common thing in Glasgow

Sounds more regional than foreign to me- I've never come across this in a US context.

@NeverDropYourMooncup - here in Cornwall "Where are you to?" means "where are you" - it took me a while to get it when we first moved here especially when someone on the phone asked me - I thought it mean't where are you going (and I wasn't going anywhere just enquiring about something)!

As a South African, this is a completely normal phrase and this would be a normal discussion:

Question from A: wher'dya stay?

Answer from B: Just around the corner
(In reality that would be possibly 5 corners and a few kilometres)

B: Come pull in.

A: Shot

😀

We took a playpiece to school but it could be crisps or a sweetie too.
In the NE a piece wouldn't be a sandwich it would be a cake, homebake type of thing. I love a coffee and a "fancy piece".

Also, I'd call the end of a loaf the doup or doup slice. Doup means bum here so it's the loaf's bum 😅

Black Americans will also ask where you stay. I have wondered where it came from.

For people who use stay for living somewhere, what do you use for describing where you are on holiday etc

If you scroll up, @sittingonabeach, I’ve already asked that one & it’s been answered.

I'd use stay for on holiday as well if it came up in that context but I think if someone was asking about a holiday it would go more like:
'I'm going on holiday next week'
'Oh lovely, where are you off to?'
'Turkey'
'Nice, whereabouts?'
'Antalya'

😂😂😂

I remember disparagingly being called a 'fancy piece' in my youth much to my and my colleagues amusement 😂

It’s Scottish

'facny piece' means something quite different in my book
A piece in Glasgow is a sandwich, is it not?

Yes we say this in Yorkshire

Its definitely not amencan. I me its more of a northern thing.

@PinksalamandaI totally didn’t know “stays” until I started dating my Scottish husband!

FIL has an inevitably long and convoluted story about him and a Cornishman trying to meet somewhere that involved lots of 'to's, at least one postbox related confusion, two rivers, one leat and them giving up and finding each other in the pub in the end.

It was far less confusing when his mate started going on about playing with fireworks as kids and ended up dropping a lit banger in his wellies.

No it isn't an Americanism. Let's maybe not just assume because you haven't heard it before with so many amazing regionalisms.

Definitely very common here, in Scotland. Where do you stay? I sometimes say it, but it’s one of those things I know wouldn’t be immediately understood everywhere.

Its definitely used here in the states and I'm sure traces back to scottish immigrants.

Its heavily used in the black community-'oh you mean John Smith, he stay over in Chicago-now if you mean John Smithers he stay in Cleveland' would be an example.

There are no counters in my kitchen as I don’t live in a shop or a butchers! I’d say side or top. I’m in East Lancashire if it is regional.

Agreed.

OP - you’ve found the Scots!

Some fun ones on here.

A piece is a sandwich )we don’t have guns 🤦‍♀️)
A play piece is a snack eg kids take a play piece to school, but it’s hardly ever a sandwich 🤣.
A fancy piece also isn’t a sandwich, it’s a derogatory term referring to the OW(other woman).
I don’t say side or worktop, I say “bunker”, no idea why.

Quite comical to read these.

We also call armpits “oxters”, in case anyone needs more of these.

I was wondering if someone would mention 'bunker' - I'm Scottish and know a few people who say this (mostly in Edinburgh).