Funny English expressions ....
Watch this post‘Bob’s your uncle’, ‘Going to see a man about a dog’, ‘I’ll eat my hat’ are just some of the peculiar expressions that we use. Do you have some favourite ones, and can you remember who you learnt them from? If you know the meaning behind the phrase, let us know! 🙂
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The potential source is the music hall. The earliest known example of the phrase in print is in the bill for a performance of a musical revue in Dundee called Bob's Your Uncle, which appeared in the Scottish newspaper The Angus Evening Telegraph in June 1924.
Bob's your uncleThe expression also formed part of the lyrics of a song written by John P. Long, and published in 1931 - Follow Your Uncle Bob. The lyrics include:
Bob's your uncle
Follow your Uncle Bob
He knows what to do
He'll look after you
The song was sung and recorded by Florrie Forde, the celebrated music hall artiste of the early 20th century.
I HAVE TO SEE A MAN ABOUT A DOG
This has been a useful excuse for absenting oneself from company for about 150 years, though the real reason for slipping away has not always been the same. From other references at the time [around 1866] there were two possibilities: (1) the speaker needed to visit the loo (2) he was in urgent need of a restorative drink, presumed alcoholic .
I'LL EAT MY HAT
Charles Dickens used an extended version of the expression in The Pickwick Papers, 1837:
"If I knew as little of life as that, I'd eat my hat and swallow the buckle whole."
Oh yeah and my A**e is a cream bun = I don't believe it.
unfortunately most of the phrases I know are a bit rude! <---- not my fault just the fault of those I mingle with 😉
Ya conna - you can not
Ya wunna - you will not
Ya shunna - you should not
Ya munna - you must not
I bet ya didna ay a clue wot I wor wittlin on about, it's cos way spake proper round 'ere
I think that's surprise / and amazement
A Yorkshire saying I think
If that's any help to you Derby lad
'You are in Dickies meadow' is a Lancashire saying that means you are in trouble.
My Lancashire ex used to say, 'I'm standing here like cheese at 4d.' I never worked that one out!
'Put the big light on' which means switch on the living room ceiling light.
'Going for a camp' in East Lancashire has nothing to do with tents, it means to go for a chat with a friend.
put pan on....make a pot o tea, my Mam's fav.
does anyone know where this came from.? my dad used to say it. but never did ask why...lol.
While out in the car with my 5 year old grand daughter we passed a grave yard . She asked me what the stones with writing on were for ?
I said in a simple way that when someone dies we put their names on a stone to remember them .
Her Great Grandma died in Dec so I knew what was coming next , has Gu got her name on one because she is in a Heaven . She was happy that she has and on we went .
On return journey about 4 hours later on passing same grave yard she said ."your name will be on one of those soon Grandma because you are old ."
I am 60 !!!
I still love her to bits !