Has anyone else heard this saying….

[IncognitoUsername]

… or did my family just make it up?

When I was a child, if the sky was darkening due to incoming rain, my DM would say ‘It’s a bit dark over Will’s mother’s’. I grew up thinking this was a saying everyone used but if I’m honest I can’t remember anyone outside of our family saying it!
My DH thinks I’m crazy - or at least my family is. Please tell me someone else has heard this?!

In the Midlands we'd say 'round the Wrekin', as in taking a long time/going the long way around.

My DP, from London, genuinely thought I'd made it up.

My Nan (born 1925) would say Black over bills mothers

My Mum, who was very proper, used to announce that she ‘could ride bare arsed to London on this knife’ if she found it blunt.

Yes, “all round the Wrekin” is taking the long / convoluted route. Never heard bill’s mothers in that context.

I’m from Cheshire and we say it round here - we say Bill’s mum!

That's brilliant😂

I knew it as 'you know what thought did? Followed a muck cart and thought it was a wedding'
Usually after me saying 'but I thought..'

I thought that this was specific to Birmingham (or perhaps midlands more generally) for when there are clouds south (in the direction of Stratford upon Avon, where William Shakespeare 's mother Mary Arden is from....).

Have no idea where I got this highly convoluted explanation from, but it's funny to see that it's used even by people who are no where near Will Shakespeare's mum's!

I've heard it and used it ( South Yorkshire)like a pp. I thought it related to Shakespeare

Oh I like this thread 🧵

my grandma had some great sayings. She was adopted from north to south post being an evacuee.

Wondering if anyone else has heard these

1. I must spend a penny ( go to the loo).
2. bent as a yard of pail 🪣 water ( used to say someone was crooked / bad person).
3. About as much fun as a barrel of oak 🌳 ( meaning someone was not fun at all).

Black over Bill's Mother's.
My grandmother said that. Northern Ireland. I'd forgotten, so thank you for the flashback!

This is interesting! My dad always says 'black over dicks mothers house'. If I remember correctly, he told me it came from a cricket commentator who was talking about the weather, his colleague was called Dick and Dick's mams house was visible from the stadium. Whether or not thats absolute bullshit I cannot say! He is Lancashire through and through btw (my dad not the mystery Dick)

Also yes to enough blue to patch a sailors pants! And, my personal fave, cowder than a witches tit 🤣

Black over our Bill's mother's- South Yorks/ Notts border

Black over Bill's mothers. Warwickshire.

Bill's mother. Wilts/Glos border.

Well Dr Google
England's oddest phrases explained - BBC News

My MIL from Kent uses it.

I'm pondering who william/ will/ bill or any other random men's man's actually were and why it always got the rain in their direction first. They prison should have Cushendall trekking somewhere sunnier!! Admittedly baffled.
My nan always used to say she could smrll the rain coming which used to amaze people in a warm sunny day when 30 mins later it was bucketing down without warning. Now as an adult I also can usually smell the rain coming too ( I assume,we pick up the petrichor from a long way off?)

Polly's mother here - North West

Not quite the same meaning but a similar phrase- if someone or something takes a particularly difficult or complicated route then my family would always describe them having "gone all round the back of Will's mother's."

I grew up in Guernsey though my whole family were from London originally- I use the phrase interchangeably with the local saying, that someone had "been round the back of Sark to get to Herm."

It's dimpsy not dumpsie

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dimpsey#:~:text=Noun,the%20evening%20just%20before%20dusk.

Londoner here and it was Wills mum

I say black over bills mothers but can’t tell you where I picked that up from 😂 I’m from West Midlands

My nana said this too, she’d say it as ‘well you could ride your bare backside to London on that and never cut yourself’. It used to make me laugh and my mum would tut haha.

Other good ones of my nana’s
-Sat here like piffy on a rock bun
-Spitting feathers
-You make a better door than a window (if you were in the way)
-This won’t buy the baby a new dress (meaning time to get back to work)

In my family knots or tangles in your hair are ‘lugs’ - only realised this wasn’t universally understood quite recently!