...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 use all of the expressions in the OP, to a greater or lesser degree. We like an expression or two in NI. DP’s mum has loads of them. Sometimes stringing them together seems to be her entire repertoire of conversation😆

‘Do you think I came up the Lagan in a bubble?’ is a favourite here.

I found myself telling someone to take a long walk off a short pier a while back. No idea where it suddenly came from as I hadn’t heard it in years!

I don't think any of those are dying out, particularly! I still use, and hear, all of those. I'm surprised your daughter hasn't heard of any of them, perhaps she's just not mixing with people who use them! I always thought swinging the lead was used by somebody who was pretending to be ill -but then, perhaps they were doing that to skive off or not do a job in the first place!
I use 'yikes' all the time!
I'll tell you a phrase that does seem to have died off 'I'll have your guts for garters'! I used to be terrified when my nan said that - she was only ever joking, but the image it put in my head was horrible! :)

I use masses, as my parents were big on expressions. Dh, same age as I am, knows none! Ds actually asked if I could make a record of them all, particularly “hair as straight as a yard of pump water”.

I had an awkward exchange in a building laundrette a few years ago; I removed some dry washing from a tumble dryer cos the person had left it there for ages. Then he appeared and started getting cross, so I said, “Keep your hair on!” He went berserk, shouting that I was mocking his hair loss! He clearly was unfamiliar with the expression…

'If i dont see you through t'week, I'll see ya thru t'window'
My lovely Manc Grandma was full of sayings that I still dont quite fathom.
She has now 'cocked her toes up' unfortunately.

Not heard that for years!

I’ve never used these phrases but I’m Scottish.

we have equivalents

"This won't get the baby a new bonnet", I mutter that to myself to try and make myself get on with stuff at home. Never heard anyone else say it that I can recall so I don't know where I got it from.

We say ‘were you born in a field?’ It was one of my mum’s favourites. Or ‘were you born in a field with the gate open?’

Just remembered blootered for drunk. Also stocious, but haven’t heard it in years.

@MaturingCheeseball we also used to say, "Alright, keep your wig on!" sometimes! I don't imagine he'd have been impressed by that either! 😅

"Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana boat?"

Do you think I came up the Thames on a bike?

Also, "I'll swing for you". I always thought this meant swing a punch, but it actually means swing from the gallows 🤯

‘It’s six o’clock and not a child in the house washed!’ when there’s still loads to do. Makes my youngest laugh.

All the time from my County Durham granny

Taking the mic (as it should be spelt) comes from medical students. Medical word for passing urine is micturition and therefore it did indeed mean taking the p**s. That is what I always was told anyway.

Ooh yes, my mum used to say that! Also 'having kittens' to mean panicking, 'spitting feathers' to mean thirsty, and she would also call me a 'daft a'aporth' (which I always thought was a type of ape for many years until I realised it was short for halfpennyworth!) Near Manchester.

😄Perhaps because it's rare to wear a lacy petticoat/slip these days?

Day-O (Banana Boat Song) was a Jamaican work song, sung by dock workers loading bananas at night and waiting for daylight so their work could be counted and paid for. Made famous by Harry Belafonte over 50 years ago.

Great thread.

Was thinking this the other day. How old-fashioned sounding I must be getting these days.

Let's see... I say yikes, you're having a laugh aren't you, flipping heck, etc.

I swear a lot too, but that's another issue.

Don't get your knickers in a twist, too.

I said this to myself just the other day when I need to start working and really didn't feel up to it 😀 I've never even had a baby!

"You've got egg on your tie" to a man.

Anyone (apart from me, obs) know what it means ?

Very true! Although some of them catwalk models need to wear them - can see their drawers through them flimsy frocks a lot of the time! 😤 😅

'Done up to the Nines' - I said this to my husband this morning, and then we wondered where it came from and if anyone else ever uses it anymore!

🙄

I said hell’s bells recently and my son looked at me like I was mad.

My Mum wore drawers, my Nan wore bloomers, my posh Aunt wore panties.

"Take a hike" = polite way of saying "Fuck off". We were more refined back then. 🙂