...to think that this expresson is dying out?

[WalkDontWalk]

On another thread someone used the expression 'taking the mick'. And I thought, 'I used to hear that all the time when I was a kid. But I rarely do now.'

So I started to think of others that my dad used but my kids don't.

'Having a kip' or 'I was akip'.

'Yikes' (My daughter says I'm the only non-cartoon that says 'yikes'.)

'Swinging the lead'

'Bunking off'. (Daughter: 'Never heard that. Sounds rude')

'Going Dutch' (Daughter. 'Nope. No idea. Is that rude too?')

'Haven't the foggiest.'

These were all in use in London fifty years ago. Maybe they were always regional.

I still use all those phrases 🙈😂

I referred to someone being square the other week and my teen dd had no clue what I was talking about 😂

I think 'Taking the mick' is now considered offence, as in a slur against the Irish, isn't it?

Actually I heard someone say their friend wanted 'get off with someone' and I thought that sounded terribly old fashioned now.

Reminded me of school discos 🤭

@mzpq We used to say ‘cop off’…we’d send our friend over to the lucky lad (🥴🤣) to ask if they’d like to ‘cop off wi’ me mate’. God love our 14 year old selves 🤣🤣

No. Taking the ‘mickey’ is from rhyming slang for piss - Mickey Bliss

I still use them!

Swinging the lead 😂 - my Dad always used to say that whenever I said I was too poorly for school as a kid!

Yes. Was just coming on to say that.

Oh interesting

“Big Yikes” is in constant Gen Z/A use, at least around here

The sun’s cracking the flags

He’s living off the smell of an oil rag (describing a person who is reluctant to spend money)

I laughed out loud… no it’s not!

I'd heard it came from trying to be refined - taking the micturition, or extracting the urine.

Gordon Benett has died a death. My mum once said it in a shop and the bloke behind her said ‘what?’ and was a bit offended that she’d taken his name in vain. Unless he was pulling her leg. And my DF used to say he needed to ‘see a man about a dog’ regularly when I was younger. I constantly thought we were finally getting a puppy. I was 12 before I realised what it actually meant. 😂 I was just saying to DH not even half an hour ago that colourful language seems to have died out and not been replaced with much.

“Hopping the wag” as in playing truant, East Midlands UK, 70’s

I still say Gordon Bennett or Flaming Nora!

No idea who they are though, I keep meaning to look them up but always forget!

Hell’s Teeth is another one no one says anymore. Or ‘blimey’ - but I still say that a lot. My children say I talk like an Enid Blyton character a lot - I also say ‘crikey’ and ‘yikes’ and ‘cross’

Im.in the Midlands, in my 50s. We used to say these expressions all the time

@mzpq I'm Irish, but born/ part raised around London. As far as I know it's not a slur against Irish people. If it is let me know how so I can fish out my offended hat next time I hear it 😜

@WalkDontWalk swinging the lead is the only one I don't know. What does it mean? Hitting someone?

I'm 37 so wasn't around 50yrs ago to hear that one

Enjoying this !

Haha I use the vast majority of those all the time! I am 44 though.

I’m 49 and from London; now live in Manchester. Have never heard a British person say ‘Yikes’ to be honest and I don’t know ‘swinging the lead’ but all the others are still expressions I use and hear all the time.

I say blummin’ Nora.

Isn't yikes very 70s and Scooby Doo?! I've never heard anyone use it in real life.

It means skiving or not doing the job properly.

Ships at sea used to find the depth of the water by lowering a rope over the side with a lump of lead on it (lead in Latin is 'plumbum' hence 'plumbing the depths' and, actually, 'plumber' - someone who works with lead).

When the lead hit the bottom, you could pull it up and measure the wet rope.

But if you swung it about a bit, you might hit something and get the job over with sooner.

At least, that's the derivation my dad told me.