Words/phrases you have seen in books that you have never heard a real life person say

[OneUmberJoker]

Little high little low - stuart little

@Imanexcellentdrivercharliebabbit as a divorced woman , ‘erstwhile’ came in handy for describing my children’s paternal grandparents- they were the erstwhile in-laws!

Jury rigged. In Rivers of London and just about every other book I am reading right now. I had to look it up.

We curly girls don't own hair brushes!

If you met my friend Mark from Galway you'd understand that!

1. Hate, hate the use of 'padded' or 'padding' across a floor
2. Big-toothed comb for curls please! (Or your fingers)

Whaaaat is it not jerry-rigged?!

Some of these are just dialect from elsewhere, as has been flagged!

I agree about "padded across" though, ugh.

"Don't let's" and also "You oughtn't to" just scream Mallory Towers to me 😁

I verbally do think it's incredible how many authors don't seem to have ever heard people having a conversation in real life. Or maybe I'm being naive and books would all be shit if they're wrote dialogue realistically!

Milly Johnson has used that in a book with it being said by a character from Barnsley.

David Tennet does this a lot (as part of his acting). For whatever reason I've fixated on it and it bugs me enough to dislike him as an actor

Clearly an unresolved issue I need to work through 😂

This… I hate all the padding people do in books…. I might excuse it from a feline but no one else

A woman has just spoken to a man while raising her chin again in this book. Fiddle de dee!

Don't worry, there are many other reasons to dislike David Tennant!

Completely different roots apparently!

This is actually quite interesting.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/jerry-built-vs-jury-rigged-vs-jerry-rigged-usage-history

Very well!

They say "you and yours" at 12 o'clock nearly every day on Radio 4.

Edited to add, I see a PP got there before me.

I was pondering the other day while listening to R4, what does "you and yours" actually mean as a programme title.

Blinking, characters in books are always blinking at each other, I don’t notice anyone blinking in real life. Obviously I know everyone does all the time, but it’s not something that is noticed.

I’ve always taken it to mean everyday consumer issues that affect 'you', the listener, and 'your', family/nearest and dearest, @Choccyp1g (the latter saying possibly also a candidate for the thread?)

I use this phrase. A lot 😁

she uses the phrase fizzog for people’s faces and I have never heard that used though, it doesn’t sound very natural. Is it an insult? Like ‘look at the puss on her’ type remark?

Apparently liars blink a lot.

It's an old term, comes form physiognomy (I think)

Sort of thing you used to hear Bertie Wooster say!

I call them jerseys too.

we said "fisherman's jersey" in the early 80s to distinguish a jumper from big chunky knit.

"A penny for your thoughts, Margery!" when someone is a bit distracted.

Most unnatural things are the exposition ones. "As you know, Margery, we've been married for 43 years..."

I grew up in the West of Scotland and we used "fizzog" as a neutral/mildly derogatory synonym for "face".

fizzog is physog -as in physiognomy.