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Words and phrases that you like and wish you'd hear more often (light hearted)

167 replies

ShockingBritain · 05/05/2026 09:42

Any phrases people would like hear more often?

After reading thread about phrases that give people 'rage'.

OP posts:
Ilovecheeseyah · 05/05/2026 09:45

The proper use of good morning / afternoon etc.

SnorthSnarf · 05/05/2026 09:45

I love the word 'pillock'

I thought it was a type of fish until quite recently 😬

I think its a brilliant description of someone laughably incompetent, useless or dense but basically harmless. I'm trying to revive its use.

MatildaTheCat · 05/05/2026 09:52

I love the old fashioned phrases that were commonly used years ago. A bit of how’s your father etc. I make a point of using some of them and am certain that the younger demographic have no idea what I’m on about.

Darrara · 05/05/2026 10:15

I love words and expressions borrowed from Irish and used in everyday speech in Hiberno-English. I think it was more usual in my parents’ generation. My dad in particular says things like ‘aingiseoir’ (a misery — ‘Look at that aingiseoir coming down the road with a face on him that would curdle milk’) or the bewildering and wonderfully specific words for different sizes of handfuls, as much as you can carry in one/two hands, eg ‘Give me a gabháil of those screws.’

FuzzyPuffling · 05/05/2026 13:26

Spiffing.

DreamyScroller · 05/05/2026 14:24

I've seen neither hide nor hair of them.

Yellowpapersun · 05/05/2026 14:27

Peas above sticks. As in, if someone is becoming arrogant or big headed, they're getting peas above sticks.

PauliesWalnuts · 05/05/2026 14:27

I like “you’re welcome”.

youalright · 05/05/2026 14:28

Oh Codswallop. Nobody ever says it and just so random and funny if they do

BiteSizedLife · 05/05/2026 14:30

"Splendid"

Floppyearedlab · 05/05/2026 14:31

Please and Thank you
Sorry
Excuse me

Sunisgettinganewhaton · 05/05/2026 14:32

Vexed.. Seems as harsh as fucking fuming but more dc - friendly!

alexdgr8 · 05/05/2026 14:34

Well I'll go to the foot of my stairs.

Dextersgoneovertherainbowbridge · 05/05/2026 14:34

Fiddlesticks…I say that quite a lot

alexdgr8 · 05/05/2026 14:37

Yellowpapersun · 05/05/2026 14:27

Peas above sticks. As in, if someone is becoming arrogant or big headed, they're getting peas above sticks.

Have never ever heard nor read this one.
And I'm quite old.
Is it regional perhaps?

Inarightpickleandpreserve · 05/05/2026 14:37

MatildaTheCat · 05/05/2026 09:52

I love the old fashioned phrases that were commonly used years ago. A bit of how’s your father etc. I make a point of using some of them and am certain that the younger demographic have no idea what I’m on about.

I said Robert’s your father’s brother to one of my teens recently and got a blank stare 😁

alexdgr8 · 05/05/2026 14:39

I quite like
Balderdash.
Rarely heard nowadays.

IHeartJonathanBailey · 05/05/2026 15:14

Higgledy-piggledy

ComtesseDeSpair · 05/05/2026 15:25

“D’ye think I button up at the back?” spoken with a broad Glaswegian accent. I really like it, to me it sounds exactly like what it’s intended to describe.

NotAWurstToIt · 05/05/2026 15:45

Discombobulated

Jo1667 · 05/05/2026 15:54

My auntie used to say "oh ecky peck!"
You just don't hear that now!

And I also think it's interesting how there are regional variations of phrases that mean the same thing. In South Yorkshire if someone is mouthing off at someone they're "making their mouth" at them. Here in the North East I've heard people say "he was setting his lip up to them".

PauliesWalnuts · 05/05/2026 15:57

Inarightpickleandpreserve · 05/05/2026 14:37

I said Robert’s your father’s brother to one of my teens recently and got a blank stare 😁

My mum used to say “Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt, and the baby’s name’s Dripping”. :-)

WinterCarlisle · 05/05/2026 16:05

“Dig” as in “I really dig your new top”. I did try for a while after listening to Peter, Paul and Mary but I just got odd looks.

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 05/05/2026 16:08

Frock - ‘do you like my new frock?’ while giving a little twirl maybe.

TheDogsMother · 05/05/2026 16:15

We’re all going to hell in a handcart. Feels very apt right now.

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