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Wonderful Words of the past


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Upon seeing a bit of blue sky in an otherwise grey cloud cover an old lady I was travelling with said 'there wasn't enough sky to make a dutchman a pair of trousers'. I think you can transpose the lack of blue sky for anything you're short of. Not enough balsa etc would be fitting here!

Edited By Cliff 1959 on 19/03/2017 13:38:47

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You can't turn a sows ear into a silk purse.

As useful as an ashtray on a motorbike.

I toured a restored printing press in New Zealand recently. A very old one that was run by French missionaries in the early 1800's. there are an awful lot of sayings that came out of that trade.

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From a police force a long time ago before computers and correct thought processes, closing thoughts on police incident logs.

Incidents involving violent, aggro, verbal abuse, etc. NHBO, for no human beings involved.

Incidents like bee swarms, cat up tree, NTDOB, for nothing to do with old bill. There are obscene version of this.

And a favourite from a man mountain ex colleague, growled out, "pond-life".

Not forgetting another colleague universally known as Bungalow. Or the coroners officer, Dai Death.

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My family's version...

Child - "Mam, What's for tea?" Reply -"Bread and pull it."

Flapitt's family version...

Child - "Mam, What's for tea?" Reply -"Bread and pull it and a jump at the pantry latch."

Old Auntie - "Sonny, could you bend down and pick that up for me. I've got a bone in my back"

Confusion ... Someone round these parts might say. "Wait while I have put my coat on." Then at a level crossing it used to say "Do not cross while the lights are flashing"!

Nowadays ... Please tidy up. As a kid I would hear .. "Just side that up will you."

Nowadays ... Please close the door. Then... Put wood in t'oil."

Literary reference ... In Alice in Wonderland the dormouse tells a story about three girls who live down a treacle well.

1. As a kid molasses was known as Black Treacle, and Golden Syrup as treacle.

2. In the Ironbridge gorge there are caves known as the tar tunnels. I have heard that another name for them was treacle mines. (Although my recent web searches have failed to confirm this.)

We had a friend who trained to be a nurse in Cardiff.  She worked in the William Diamond ward.  (Web searches have confirmed this one.)  In typical fashion the name William Diamond was often abreviated to Willy Di.

Plummet

Edited By Plummet on 19/03/2017 16:05:36

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From my welsh Ma and nain

"He couldn't stop a pig in a poke" - meaning the he was bandy legged

"Its a better day adell adell day afore" - Its a better day today than it was the day before

"Be careful or the wizard will get you" - a reference to the herbalist the used to treat animals and humans pre the NHS in mid Wales

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Can you whistle son ?

Yeah Dad , why ?

I thought so, You've got larks legs.

You'll see if you hear summat.!!

Shut yer mouth and eat yer Dinner !!

Arranging to meet up......If I get there first I'll put a mark on the wall......If you get here first, Rub it off !!

You can't hang a man with a wooden leg son.

Why's that Dad ?

You need a rope....!!

D.D.

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Going round the Wrekin was a Shropshire saying.

ME what's that Gran

Gran It's a Layhole for a meddler and a crutch for a lame duck . A layhole was a trap set in the sand in foundries to prevent sabotage .It would cause an explosion if someone attempted to interfere with the casting

GRAN Don't sit on that cold step .you'll get chin cough in your bottom

DAD put your A;;;se to an anchor you are making the place untidy -

Or if you tripped he would say Your feet need rudders on themMOTHER /Yoi'd mither the skin off a flea/

Mother/ GRAN He's that mean he'd skin alouse to make an overcoat

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Posted by Donald Fry on 19/03/2017 17:09:11:

Dave, I think this is a reference to the Sin Eater of rural Welsh history, one who eats a meal laid out on the corpse, and takes the sins of life, in exchange for the calories.

No thats a different story - the Wizard was a real character who travelled round the Upper Wye and Servern valleys administering herbal medicine in the 20's and 30's some times also called the conjuror I think

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