Old local expressions

[walkinman221]

Look at yon whos gettin a bottom lip like a pigeon lettin board (sulking)
Use your heed lad its not just fur puttin yur hat on

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I've remembered it now......'it's all mi eye and betty martin'(meaning it's nonsense or unbelievable)...amazing when you stop trying so hard it comes to you.

Never heard that, but others have.

World Wide Words: All my eye and Betty Martin

Bit too papist for us Methodists.

Plus it sounds a little like you're cursing your great granny.

Or it would in our house.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I've remembered it now......'it's all mi eye and betty martin'(meaning it's nonsense or unbelievable)...amazing when you stop trying so hard it comes to you.

Even better ideas, and sources, on this link.

Language Log Who was Betty Martin?

I like this, and will use it now.

Thanks.

[Margaret Pilkington]

My auntie used this phrase very often...and in such a scathing tone of voice that I never needed to ask what was meant by the phrase.
I didn't get the derivation quite right, but was pretty near.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

My auntie used this phrase very often...and in such a scathing tone of voice that I never needed to ask what was meant by the phrase.
I didn't get the derivation quite right, but was pretty near.

It was very good.

I just copied and pasted what you'd written into Google, and bingo!

[cashman]

another one was "Gordon Bennett" which i always took to mean,"Shock" or "Surprise"

[garinda]

I will use it.

My great granny was Betsy Martin anyway.

So I can quite happily use poor Betty's name in vain.

[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I'm not sure but it could just be that it was 'Night, God Bless'...in a contracted form......I am sure soldiers used to say something like(and Retlaw might be able to help out here)...'its all mi eye and something(can't remember the word) martin'....this saying was supposed to have its roots in a french saying...but was bastardised by troops who didn't understand the french language.
Well, that is unless anyone knows anything different.

I was always led to believe that it came from East Lancs soldiers, who were stationed out in the Middle East well before WW1, who had heard wog god botherers chanting something like all mia beit martaine, and refered to it as all my eye and Betty Martin, very much like the saying its all Greek to me.
Retlaw.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I've remembered it now......'it's all mi eye and betty martin'(meaning it's nonsense or unbelievable)...amazing when you stop trying so hard it comes to you.

Just realised I have heard this before, and even used it myself.

Picked up off an old Mancunian, who used to say 'My eye', if someone was talking gibberish, or nonsense.

They missed off the Betty Martin ending though.

[garinda]

Rainin' stair rods - Very heavy rainfall.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Are you refering to whats under a cows tail.

Retlaw.

correct

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

Just realised I have heard this before, and even used it myself.

Picked up off an old Mancunian, who used to say 'My eye', if someone was talking gibberish, or nonsense.

They missed off the Betty Martin ending though.

A bit of a play on that Rindi "looking my eye can you see green" whilst pulling the skin on the underside of the eye, meaning do you think I'm stupid

[Retlaw]

Another old saying.
Thrutchin.
As in sat on the porcelain throne, a bit constipated, Ee I ed to fur thrutch to ged rid o thad.

Retlaw.

[mobertol]

Great word Thrutching...
Traipsin about - wandering with no particular place to go...

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Another old saying.
Thrutchin.
As in sat on the porcelain throne, a bit constipated, Ee I ed to fur thrutch to ged rid o thad.

Retlaw.

Just found this idiom at the back of my Lanky english booklet
"Least room most thrutchin' "
Have you heard of that one? Apparently it means: Those who have least about them boast the most!