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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Stuff I’d never heard before I joined mumsnet.

173 replies

TotalRecall · 10/12/2019 05:37

Disclaimer: I’m not from the UK!

“Grim” - I’ve heard of the word obviously but I’ve never ever heard anyone actually say it to describe anything. It’s a favourite here!

“Naice” - I’m still scratching my head over this one. What does it mean? Blush

“Pants” - I’m going to assume these are undies/knickers? Otherwise some conversations I’ve read really don’t make sense Blush

Also, what is half term please? I’m gathering it’s some sort of holiday half way through the school term, how long do your terms go for? Ours are only 8-10 weeks (4 terms per year) so obviously don’t need holidays in the middle..

Teach me all the UK things!! Xmas Grin

I had a whole list, I’ll be back when I remember the rest.. Xmas Grin

OP posts:
sashh · 10/12/2019 06:50

Pants - there are regional variations, in some parts of the UK it means underpants, in others it means trousers.

Someone from NI will probably pop on and tell me they have another word. They have some fab words.

Durex - my grandmother spent a year in Australia as a nanny, she was quite disturbed when the father of the children she looked after asked if she knew where the durex was.

Spunk is ..., well we would not refer to any male as 'spunky'.

Lollies are sweets, or toffees, ot spice or spegs. Most people would understand sweets even if they call them spice, which is also the name of a recreational drug.

Do you just want words or other things?

Most houses do not have a separate utility room so you find the washer in the kitchen usually it opens at the front.

Our plugs are three pin except the bathroom where there is a 2 pin that can only be used for razors and toothbrushes. You dry your hair in the bedroom.

Spiders are not dangerous which is why Australia banned an episode of Peppa pig.

Kittens are cute, not 'darling', in fact nothing is 'darling' except people.

Shops don't do 'lay away' you either buy it or you don't. No where does BYOG.

We have to pay a licence to watch TV.

originaldomesticgodess · 10/12/2019 06:50

Pants is also used to describe something that's not good or a situation where you are uneasy....'that's a load of pants'.

KatherineJaneway · 10/12/2019 06:50

I'd never heard of boak before I joined MN. Think I got a few Hmm thrown at me for not knowing what it meant when I confessed.

Bloodybridget · 10/12/2019 06:51

I use the word "grim" frequently, but only to describe some unpleasant experience I've had myself, not to disparage other people's household routines.
I'd never heard of Christmas Eve boxes pre Mumsnet (although of course they're in all the shops now).

ThingDoer · 10/12/2019 06:54

In England (and Wales I think), as pp said 3 terms of about 12 weeks split by half-term holiday after 5-7 weeks. Yes, the schools often refer to these as 6 terms nowadays. School year runs from September to late July. In some areas half-term holidays are sometimes 2 weeks.

In Scotland, school year runs from mid-August to the end of June. Unless it has changed since I was at school (but I don't think it has), half-term is not a thing there, but there is a 'long weekend' partway through each term except in October when there is "the October week" -a whole week off.

Not sure about N.I. - more like England I suspect as they do GCSEs and A Levels.

Original poster
TotalRecall · 10/12/2019 06:55

What is boak? Blush

OP posts:
Vulpine · 10/12/2019 07:00

I was about to ask the same question!

MiniGuinness · 10/12/2019 07:01

The noise you make when you puke.
What is BYOG?

ThomasRichard · 10/12/2019 07:03

I’d ever heard of people being offended by being expected to take off their shoes when entering someone’s home. It still seems odd to me. Different houses, different rules, just go with it 🤷‍♀️

ThomasRichard · 10/12/2019 07:04

Boak: sick noise 🤢

nononever · 10/12/2019 07:09

Are you on glue

Born and bred in the UK and have never heard anyone say that in real life! When we were in Australia on holiday I had no clue what an esky was when we were buying beer (from the huge walk in fridge) and apparently we needed one. Soon found out it was a cool bag.

MiniGuinness · 10/12/2019 07:14

Are you on glue was vaguely amusing when said in the original thread (meaning it was such a strange reaction that it wouldn’t be unusual to assume they were on drugs) but when everyone started parroting it (usually apropos of nothing) it became a bit tedious and distinctly unfunny.

Difficultcustomer · 10/12/2019 07:20

I’m British and new to me from MN - naice, grim in MN context, zoflora, Christmas Eve boxes

MrsMoastyToasty · 10/12/2019 07:31

I'm from the UK but am a great fan of the TV programme Say Yes to the Dress. I can't get over the fact that when the shop staff say that they're going to jack up the bride (add all the accessories to her dress) because in the UK it means to inject illegal drugs.

flouncyfanny · 10/12/2019 07:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BikeRunSki · 10/12/2019 07:35

“Naice” is “nice” pronounced in an imitated upper class accent. MN didn’t invent it (my parents used it in the 1970s), but it became popular on here after Somebody posted about a shopping list they’d found, which included “naice ham”.

Our terms are about 12 weeks long, with a week off in the middle. That is half term. There are longer breaks (2 weeks) between terms.

Some terms are shorter/longer, depending on where Easter falls, because many places still have an “Easter” holiday, rather than “spring holiday”, the Spring term can be very short (early Easter) or long (late Easter), and the summer term correspondingly long/short.

MoreToEatMoreToDrink · 10/12/2019 07:38

To me, boak is a really Scottish thing. I moved to NW Scotland from SE England and now in central belt of Scotland. I’d never heard it too I moved north.

To me it’s used in the phrase “it gave me the boak” as in it made me feel sick. I think it’s a really descriptive term!

Scottish school terms are a bit different from England and Wales although there used to be a 2 week break in October in some areas. A friend of mine grew up having 2 week tattie holidays in October and it was literally for bringing the crops in. In the Lothians all our kids finish at lunchtime on a Friday every week 🙄😂

sashh · 10/12/2019 07:38

What is BYOG?

Bring your own grog - lots of restaurants are not licenced so you take your own wine / beer. The restaurant provides glasses and ice.

nononever

My cousin took me by the hand, took me into her utility room and pointed at an esky because she couldn't describe it.

I also used the term 'bungee rope' and that was something different, OP what do you call a piece of elasticated rope with hooks at both ends that you use to secure things to a motorbike or a car roof rack?

Original poster
TotalRecall · 10/12/2019 07:39

I’ve never heard of Durex as anything other than condoms either. Blush

OP posts:
MiniGuinness · 10/12/2019 07:40

They do exist in the UK. (Not grog obviously, Lizzieeeeee)

Vulpine · 10/12/2019 07:40

Richardthomas - likewise people being offended when you dont take off tour shoes in their house

Vulpine · 10/12/2019 07:40

*your shoes

DoTheNextRightThing · 10/12/2019 07:40

Wait, you don't say oval in England? We have "ovals" in Scotland.

Hellofromtheotherside2020 · 10/12/2019 07:41

@flouncyfanny with a username like that, I bet you do indeed know about all the naughty stuff Grin Aghhhh cassettes. Seriously those were the days!

Original poster
TotalRecall · 10/12/2019 07:42

what do you call a piece of elasticated rope with hooks at both ends that you use to secure things to a motorbike or a car roof rack?

Occy strap Grin

OP posts:
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