Soft Mick. - Page 2

JohnW · 11-03-2005, 12:58

My grandfather used to come out with a couple of strange ones which I've never heard anyone else use. Maybe some of you will know these.

If you asked him a question to which he didn't know the answer, or didn't want to give you the answer he would say "Because there's a nail in't plank" eg. "Why are you late home tonight Grandad?" Answer: "Because there's a nail in't plank."

His other one, and this is even more strange was if you asked him what something was and he didn't know or didn't want to tell you he would say, and I don't know if this is how it would be spelled but this is how it sounded "Layores to catch meddlers." eg. "What are all those things you have piled up in the garage grandad?" Answer: "Layores to catch meddlers!"

What the hell is all that about - anybody?

WillowTheWhisp · 11-03-2005, 14:22

Dunno John but my Gran used to tell me to stop being a "mard article" and if I was getting under their feet I was often told by parents and grandparents to "go and play wi' Co-op truck!"

lettie · 11-03-2005, 16:18

Soft Mick was also alive and well in my Nan's house up Springhill, I remember him well

Margaret Pilkington · 11-03-2005, 19:34

The term layo'ers for meddlers was used if you asked something you weren't supposed to know about.......Like I would say to my mother 'what's that' and she would say 'it's layo'ers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks'
'Gedding agate' was to get going and was used extensively by weavers......in 'I am just going to ged agate' to get the looms started up.
The 'there's a nail in't plank' well my grandad used something similar......if you asked him why he was late he used to say 'I've a bone in me leg'.......and I can't shed more light on it than that.
And if you were useless they did say you weren't fit to wrap toffees at 'Toffee' Hodsons.
See what you've started Garinda!

garinda · 11-03-2005, 20:23

Lol, l knew a lady who used to say when l visited 'put th'wood in th' oil an' cum n sit thee down.'

Only later did l shut the door. l never did find the oil!

grannyclaret · 11-03-2005, 20:56

when we were kids if you went home crying you would be told not to be a mard _arse or a skrike_arse ,,stop skrikeing ,,,and if you were being silly you were told to stop lakeing about ..and then there was you pie can ,meaning you daft ha,peth ,,,,,oh now i am rambleing on

JohnW · 14-03-2005, 12:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Lol, l knew a lady who used to say when l visited 'put th'wood in th' oil an' cum n sit thee down.'

Only later did l shut the door. l never did find the oil!

The "oil" she referred to was the hole in the the wall where the door went. Hole, pronounced in Lancashire dialect as "oil"

JohnW · 14-03-2005, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

The term layo'ers for meddlers was used if you asked something you weren't supposed to know about.......Like I would say to my mother 'what's that' and she would say 'it's layo'ers for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks'
'Gedding agate' was to get going and was used extensively by weavers......in 'I am just going to ged agate' to get the looms started up.
The 'there's a nail in't plank' well my grandad used something similar......if you asked him why he was late he used to say 'I've a bone in me leg'.......and I can't shed more light on it than that.
And if you were useless they did say you weren't fit to wrap toffees at 'Toffee' Hodsons.
See what you've started Garinda!

But where do the sayings come from? That's the interesting question. I know that a "meddler" could be a term for someone who interferes. eg. "You're always "meddlin' in other folks business" but what on earth is a "layo'er"?

pendy · 14-03-2005, 14:03

If I was slow in doing something, I always used to be told to "Shape yourself". Never could work that out!

Anyone ever told they were as much use as a chocolate teapot?