To think people should use these words/phrases more often

[SybilRamkin]

Inspired by the 'hubster' thread, there are several words and phrases in our glorious language that have been much neglected of late, and I resolve to use them more often.

My current favourites:

"I don't like the cut of your jib"

"steal a march [on someone]"

"lollygagging"

What words and/or phrases do you think should be brought back into common parlance?

If my children are faffing with their food I say "you're going to have a mullock" which in Yorkshire means you're going to spill or make a mess.

A particularly Yorkshire male friend of mine says "if tha's right I'll bare my arse in the Co-op window!"

I love the roaring twenties kind of phrases like "that's the cats miaow!" "ripper!" And such like

I referred to a noticeboard in one of my parishes being 'shooglie' the other day. The Councillors had never heard of the word, but they understood that it was rather wobbly! It must be a Glaswegian word as I think it was one of my grandfathers.

I use crikey and cheerio all the time. In fact quite a lot of these are in regular use in my house / my parents and we'd not thought that they were out of use!

Dd watching Katie Morag and Granny island just said "well wrap me in a clutie (sp?) and call me a dumpling"

Any scots tell me what a clutie/clooty? Is?

Jesus wept, my late DF's favourite curse, along with Iesu Mawr, (big Jesus in Welsh.)

I like Hells bells and buckets of blood, up and down like a whore's drawers, and the word disingenuous.

I'm quite keen on "I don't give two shiny shits" for when I'm not particularly bothered about something.

I also like that someone who has buck teeth "could eat an apple through a letterbox" and that someone who is hungry "could eat a nun's arse through the convent railings".

Also keen on "beezer!" as an positive exclamation.

A clutie dumpling is food of the gods material :). A steamed pudding of dried
fruits and spices can be eaten warm and yes really fried!! The pudding is wrapped in a tea towel (my mums is, anyway) during the cooking process.

I forgot about 'It's like herding cats.' Particularly apt when trying to get my DS with ASD to do his homework or anything, really.

One I read on MN recently and am waiting for an opportunity to use: 'Hope he/she treads on a plug'. Ouch!

Must also find an opportunity to use: 'Nervous as long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

"she had a face like a slapped arse" - to describe someone looking disapproving

cricketpitch

Max Miller's version of this ran:

There was a little girl, who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good, she was very, very good
And when she was bad, she was popular - 'ERE!

If we were dirty, my dad used to say we were "as black as hell's cricket."

The answer to what's for tea was usually "iffits and windmill pie - if it's big enough to go round you can have some."

DP's variation of 'Christ on a bike' is 'Christ on a crutch' which always makes me smile.

Re "shooglie"...A favourite at work if a colleague is taking the piss and about to receive their P45 is "his/her coat is on a shooglie nail".

'That'll soften your cough'....to put you in your place....

Tidy up your room, it looks like a tart's boudoir.

Bloody dog, he's in and out like a fiddlers elbow.

Glad someone else has heard of shooglie - Grandpa used to say "it's guy shooglie".

I got laughed at by teenagers for using 'in an undignified fashion' yesterday. I am a fan of formal sounding phraseology. I support many of the ideas on this thread.

EllenJane I favour up and down like a bride's nightie!

I use spiffing, lashings (as in, lots of) and good gracious a lot.

I also use the phrase 'it's like trying to herd cats,' usually when referring to trying to control my unruly 3 year old DS.

If I've been reading a lot of Jane Austin, I often end up speaking in the manner of Regency gentry - I don't even notice I'm doing it. DH usually points out how flowery I'm being!

My DP uses shooglie - but I have never seen it written so I always assumed it was spelt shugley. Scots?

herding cats - yes my SiL uses that and I love it. Makes perfect sense!

at the Max Miller version of the ditty -

I have always used fantastic elastic which is extremely silly but I just do. Oh and Blimey O'Riley

He shuts all the gates behind him ( to describe a "good sort")
This won't get the baby a new bonnet ( time wasting)
But a new favourite of mine is " it was a sea of Boden" as in when you describe visiting somewhere posh.

cricketpitch - yes it's Scots and having just looked it up the usual spelling is shoogly!

"Fly to the time of day" for someone who's sharp/on the ball and "pockets to let" / "not a feather to fly with" when broke are my favourites at the moment - both from a misspent youth reading Georgette Heyer.

Dim as a Toc H lamp. Fat as a tonky pig. Neither use nor ornament.

And from really unenlightened days:

Up and down like a whore's drawers on Boat Race night!