Slang words/phrases

[Gusbear]

I’m sitting here bored to the back teeth here in lockdown in Melbourne Oz, so here goes:

My late mum used to refer to spiders and crawling insects (basically anything with lots of legs that you wouldn’t want in the house) as ‘anti-go-wobblies’. The dog was always referred to as ‘Bugerlugs’ (a term of endearment meaning mate or little friend). Anyone else ? ...

 

[Meowy Catkin]

My grandma used to say 'who do you think you are, Sweet Fanny Adams?' to me or my sister if we were a bit cheeky as a gentle reprimand. I was a bit bit shocked when I finally found out that Sweet FA was a murdered child.

 

[Keith_Beef]

My mother uses the word "buggerlugs" to mean "a stupid person", usually referring to herself when she's mistakenly trusted somebody to do a job that has never got done "until buggerlugs, here [meaning herself], did it".

We used the term "daddy long-legs" to refer to the crane fly; when we moved to the US we found that children were using that term for the harvestman.

 

[cold_feet]

My brother was buggerlugs and I was Fanny Adams to my Dad ?. Not sure how to take that..... I always considered them terms of endearment, but apparently not!

 

[Gusbear]

Interesting Keef Beef as in Oz we refer to pholcid spiders as daddy long legs.

 

[hollyandivy123]

there is defiantly a north south divide when it comes to "jaspers"..........

 

[rabatsa]

If an item was lost my mum would always say it was hanging from the ceiling on a pin.

 

[dogatemysalad]

When I was small and living in Africa, my mum used to sing lullabies and irish folk songs when she was doing housework. The very beautiful, Go to Sleep my Baby contained a word that became my pet name. In turn, i used to sing it to my own babies to get them to sleep.
Sadly, I cannot write the word here, it is now deemed unacceptable and the lyrics have been rewritten, but whenever the tune comes into my head, I remember how much my mum loved me as a small child.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Oh I haven't heard buggerlugs since my step dad died, with him it was a term of affection. I'm now in tears, that caught me by surprise.

 

[Nasicus]

Woodlice are Cheesybobs in this household! Mum grew up in Guildford, and apparently it's a common slang for them in that area, so stands to reason we grew up calling them Cheesybobs.

Woodlice actually have an insane amount of local slang names the world over!

 

[TPO]

The plant cleavers are Sticky Willy/Willies

 

[Keith_Beef]

there is defiantly a north south divide when it comes to "jaspers"..........

I'd forgotten about jaspers!

 

[Keith_Beef]

When I was small and living in Africa, my mum used to sing lullabies and irish folk songs when she was doing housework. The very beautiful, Go to Sleep my Baby contained a word that became my pet name. In turn, i used to sing it to my own babies to get them to sleep.
Sadly, I cannot write the word here, it is now deemed unacceptable and the lyrics have been rewritten, but whenever the tune comes into my head, I remember how much my mum loved me as a small child.

There's an interesting explanation of the word here.

 

[dorsetladette]

The plant cleavers are Sticky Willy/Willies

We called them stickybobs

 

[Green Bean]

As I am not originally from the UK, I have had a few stares when I have said a word that obviously means something different here. I said 'well that's rude' in response to someone saying something I didn't really agree with - he took offence and hubby had to quickly explain it was the equivalent of saying 'you're having a laugh'!!
Not a slang word, but I take on a slightly higher pitched singing voice when I call my horse across the field which she responds to. I was out on a work site visit and was walking passed a field of young cows with one walking towards me when I said 'Hello' in the same voice, it turned on its tail and made a mad dash away, with his field mates in tow - I felt suitably chastised!

 

[Hollychops]

Wood lice are chuckypigs in our house, wasps are 'those stripey B......ds', horses are usually 'gee up, stinky neddy bags' in my borthers eyes

 

[Sandstone1]

when anyone asked mum whats for dinner her answer was "run round the table and a kick at the cat" No idea where that comes from!

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Got some horsey ones .
I came across a condition called ' Bran Head ' in an old book ( which could cause behavioural issues in horses due to malformation of the skull caused by calcium deficiency in case you're interested !) - thus any horse misbehaving is said to be ' doing a brannie '.
A horse that stops dead and plants itself four square is 'doing a coffee table '.
A seat saver is ' a bumnah '.
Stirrups are ' pedals '.
Hats are ' lids'.
Riding tights are ' spray on jods '.

 

[my bfg]

I grew up in Yorkshire, aye up buggerlugs is still how i greet my mare also aye up ya daft bugger is the go to if she's excited about something when ridden or in hand

 

[mini_b]

I love my Yorkshire slang.
I’m quite broad laak and my OH is a “sand dancer” (points if you know) and I recover my thick vernacular when I am with my grandparents.
my FAVOURITE is
“As tha left’door oppen?”
“Why like?”
“Thas tungs wagglin like thers a draft up y’arse!”

basically, yer talking sh*te ?

 

[Archangel]

I was a bit bit shocked when I finally found out that Sweet FA was a murdered child.

I've just googled Fanny Adams. That poor child.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My childhood pony was nick-named buggerlugs or bugs by my much older sister who originally bought him but I thought it was something to do with his big ears!

 

[Shilasdair]

Lugs is Scots for ears if that helps.
I struggle with knowing what is 'slang' and what is actually Scots (aka Lallans or perhaps the Doric if you are from the north). And now I live in England I tend to use Scots words without realising until I see the blank looks on the Sassenach faces >
Some of my favourites are 'Shilpit wee nyaff', cushy doo, ducket/doocot, hoolet, puddock, cuddy, een, oxters, graip, stour.

 

[mini_b]

Wisht!

 

[Shilasdair]

Wisht!

Haud yer wheesht

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've just googled Fanny Adams. That poor child.

Yes it was a shocking murder. Poor, poor girl.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Wisht!

Oh yes one my mother used to use and I do too mainly to tell the dog to shut up if he’s woofing unnecessarily or grumbling.

 

[rabatsa]

Anyone else wear Keks?

 

[mini_b]

Anyone else wear Keks?

yes - very often I have “sh*t me keks” if something has given the big lad a spook.

 

[Keith_Beef]

when anyone asked mum whats for dinner her answer was "run round the table and a kick at the cat" No idea where that comes from!

If I said to my grandmother "I'm hungry, what's for tea?" she would reply "a run round t' table and a kick at t' cellar door".
When, one day, I pointed out that the table was pushed up against the wall, so I couldn't run round it, she said back "well, tha'll get nowt, then!"

Stirrups are ' pedals '.
Hats are ' lids'.

It's common over here to refer to stirrups as "pédales", and motorcyclists often call their helmets "skid-lids".

Lugs is Scots for ears if that helps.

In Yorkshire, too, ears can be "lugs" and the bit where the wax collects is a "lug-hole" ("hole" rhymes with "oil").
As a kid I often heard "When were t' last time you cleaned out your lug-holes? I could grow spuds in them!"

Anyone else wear Keks?

Definitely. I got confused the first time I heard the term "cake-hole", when "cake" rhymes with "keck"...