Just been bedding in some pads in the street and the old bloke from over the road came out and said…

“Ah say! How do you want a lift to clock on?”

Then he repeated it, burst out laughing, gave me a cheery wave and went in very pleased with himself.

Any ideas?

He wanted to bum you, you should be flattered.

Reading our son Thomas the tank engine stories and some of the phrases/sayings in it are just lost on me.

Knock on his door and ask him if he’s taking the piss.

He probably was.

Offering to give you a lift to work?

BTW how do you “bed pads in the street” ? Drive/cycle up and down the street ?

“5 and 20 to 3….”

BTW how do you “bed pads in the street”

Ride up and down with the brakes on to get them hot then chuck water in them.

‘Crikey’o’likey I fell off me bikey’ grandad norm.

Good morning young chap. Would you like me to tow you using my motor car in order for you to get some speed up?

My long gone Grandad used to confuse the heck out of his 6 year old grandson by piping up in a proper northern accent ‘I’ll come t’foot of our stairs’ to which I’d always reply ‘but Grandad you and Grandma live in a bungalow’.

Occasionally he’d ruffle my hair (so this was a VERY long time ago when I used to have some) and proclaim ‘tha’s not as green as a painted cabbage’ and smile benevolently.

To this day, I’m still not absolutely sure what he was talking about. Lovely man tho.

“5 and 20 to 3….”

That’s quite common rather than ‘random’

Could have many origins, certainly used by Shakespeare and also in rhymes etc. ‘4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie’ etc.

I’ve heard it used a lot in Eastern England so I reckon it’s just a literal Dutch translation that came across and stayed.

Alex – the cabbage thing means you’re not daft. I know folk who say ‘I’m not as green as I am cabbage looking’ when someone tries to take them for an idiot.

I’ll come t’foot of our stairs

is an expression of amazement or surprise I think, (could be wrong about that)

tha’s not as green as a painted cabbage

again, I may not have it right, but this means, you’re not daft/gullible.

I thought my mother was quite astute

people nowdays seem to have so many labour saving devices that they don’t have time for each other anymore

my fathers song ‘have you ever caught your bollocks in a rat trap’ – army I think

” darkies…”

A generational thing

A cup and saucer please (and a spoon)
Where are the grape scissors, marmalade spoon?
In my day….
What are they wearing….
Turn it off….
Can you turn it up….

This reminds me of a time I listened to my Grandad giving a driver, who was clearly not from the region, directions using northern affectations and referring to parts of the village by their local names, (i.e. up yonder, past Copyhold). Even though I was less than 10 years old, I could see that the fella had no bloody clue what he was going on about.

This was 30+ years ago, I’m quite sure the poor bloke is still lost. 😀

“Do you think I came up the Clyde in a banana boat” (as in, do you think I’ve just arrived, completely naive…)

“Old age doesn’t by itself…”

My mum’s not far short of 90, I’ll collect a ream of them next time I visit her.

“Fits like a ready made shirt on a chickens lip”

Just what the hell is that all about?

The original Thomas the Tank Engine books (Tank Engine Thomas) are full of great little phrases like sandwich eater says.

“Where have you been lazybones?”

“My system is out of order, no one understands my case”

“Rubbish,” said Thomas. “You’re too fat, you need some exercise”

Also enjoy reading the Richard Hannay shocker novels by John Buchan – crackingly out of date phrases like ‘feeling a bit seedy’ and many others – some not really PC any more..

In fairness to the o.p they do speak particularly strangely in that little corner of north Manchester. In fact the local dialect is responsible for the oddly named boozer at the end of his road 😉

The Same Yet.

It used to be called The Star but when the sign was being re-done a few years back the sign writer asked what the landlord wanted painting on it. The landlord wanted the same again, but in local speak it is “t’same yet”.

Is there anyone who was out on Monday nights filth-fest who wasn’t bedding new brake pads in this morning?

I had no comments from pensioners, but then I was swearing a lot. It’s fair to say, it didn’t go well. Sodding Avids!! :cry

Back to the OP. I used to love my gran’s expression “aye… Well I’m not as green as I’m cabbage looking”.

“Ah say! How do you want a lift to clock on?”

this would make more sense
“Ah say! How do!,….. you want a lift to clock on?”

Man on the train: “D’ye ken a chameleon son? A chameleon?”
My brother: “Yeah!”
Man on the train: “No ye dinnae son, there’s nivvir bin such a thing! Ah just made it up!”

Thanks all. Every day’s a school day 🙂 I have now been reminded that another Grandadanism(tm) was ‘There’s more ways to kill a pig than by choking it with strawberries’ to which you could only respond ‘er, yeah I suppose that’s true’

My Dad has a tendancy to repeat the last word I say when we`re having a chat “chat, aye” 😀 so if its a long one “one, aye” it can get quite irritating! “irritating aye” lol! “lol, aye” 😀 😀

my very scottish grandfather used to say to us kids when we were in a sulk.
‘aye ye’ve got a face like a well skelped erse’
which translates as you got a face like a well beaten bottom, or it could have been a welsh skelped arse, not quite sure.

biglee1 – Member

My Dad has a tendancy to repeat the last word I say when we`re having a chat “chat, aye” so if its a long one “one, aye” it can get quite irritating! “irritating aye” lol! “lol, aye” 😀

My uncle does that, so I just avoid him, it’s better than murder

‘Yyyees, never mind ‘ (Uttered with air of resignation and slight absence)

‘Well bugger me backwards with a broomstick’

I’d rather not thank you.

“Tarnations!” Was as near as I got to hearing my grandma swear. She’s been dead these last thirty years.

‘Someone’s just walked over my grave’ said after having a sudden shiver.

When foxed by something my dad used to say…
I don’t know if my arsehole is punched,bored or reamed.

I don’t know if my arsehole is punched,bored or reamed.

I’m borrowing that.

Hearing one half of a telephone call, my grandad being talked at by his brother:

“Aye”… “Aye”… “Aye”… “Aye”… “Now!”… “Aye”… “Aye”… “Aye”… “Oh aye?”… “Aye”… “Now”… “Reyt.” *click*

“Like a dog with two d**ks” my Dad used to describe someone who was very happy.
Also heard him say someone was dressed like a pox-doctor’s clerk.

‘tha’s not as green as a painted cabbage’

I’ve not heard it in that form but “green” means naive. So that’s basically saying “you’re not as naive as something that’s very, very naive.” I’m not wholly convinced it’s a compliment.

As others have said, “I’m not as green as I am cabbage-looking” is the more normal form I think. Almost literally, I’m not as daft as I look (or you aren’t, etc).

One of my grandma’s: ‘If he were alive today, he’d be turning in his grave’

Eh?

When talking about someone who’s doing a bad job: ‘I’d not pay him wi’ washers’

“Less haste, more speed” my mum (aged 80 1/2)
Translates as don’t rush, you’ll mess it up and it’ll take longer to put right (applies to my bike mending)

“I was sat there like piffy on a rock cake”
You talked to your mates all night, I didn’t understand the in-jokes and couldn’t get into the conversation