words?

Oryx

My gran used to say 'secula seculorum' when she meant something would happen eventually.

She would tell you to 'hawld yer whisht' when you were to shut up.

In 'auld gods time' meant ages ago.

OldGoat

Love 'hawld yer whisht', I still use it all the time.

Penny Dreadful

itac wrote: »

A courting couple would be "Doing a line"....
rather different connotations nowadays, have just about persuaded my Mum to stop using it!

The word "vexed" seems to have disappeared too....often dependent on the person and their level of anger; but when someone in our family was vexed with you, you knew you'd done a major wrong!

When my mother was "very vexed" you knew you were in a whole of trouble. "I'll malavogue you" was another. It wasn't as bad as very vexed but was a step up from ordinary vexed.

Oryx

A 'poor creathur' was an unfortunate person, a 'drop of the creathur' was a small whiskey.

Bearhunter

AS my mother used to say after deciding she'd be quicker doing a chore than getting the brother or me to do it: "Ah sure, tis the ould dog fer the hard road and the pup fer the path..."

There was also something very canine about my youth. If you were bad you called a pup or a whelp or a cur. "God yer a pure cur today whatever's wrong with ye."

And my auntie had a lovely phrase for when things were going well, in a "now we're sucking diesel" kinda way: "Begod we have it be the hasp o th' arse now."

OldGoat

Bearhunter wrote: »

And my auntie had a lovely phrase for when things were going well, in a "now we're sucking diesel" kinda way: "Begod we have it be the hasp o th' arse now."

"Fartin' through silk"

chucken1

My nana never went to the doctors surgery..she went to the dispensary.
The garda station was the barrack.

Never send a boy to do a mans job!

Beruthiel

OldGoat wrote: »

"Fartin' through silk"

Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

looksee

My mum would clean up after dad's diy efforts muttering 'do a job and make a job'.

And there was the favourite - 'its a bit black over Bill's mothers'', meaning the sky had darkened and it was going to rain. We never did establish who Bill was, much less his mother.

Feeona

Ideas above his station=Someone who thinks he's great (feckin' begrudgers :pac:)
Fired with the drought=thirsty
Be back before you're there=Hurry up
Get the messages=Get the shopping
Mistress=Teacher :eek:
Frock=Dress

My father regularly called us little ******s and little fairies if we did something wrong. He also used to put the emphasis on 'fic' in the word 'certificate' (he was from an era when certificates weren't handed out willy nilly)

star-pants

Onkle wrote: »

My OH (who'll probably batter me when she sees this) uses some 'older' terms like 'divil' and 'bipping the horn'.

They always make me laugh

Yeah yeah! :P

I'm not sure which is worse, him laughing at me, or the fact I use some of the phrases in this thread.

Does no one use 'getting the messages' anymore?
I put the messages away in the press
And I dial numbers sometimes

We also have a dresser in the kitchen.... we used to have two

mariaalice

Yep I put things in the press.. and I have said put your top coat on... I had people laughing when after a long steep hill walk I sat down and said I am bet altogether...

I think a lot of the way older people talked was about being discreet/kind... thats why people were stout instead of fat or suffered with there nerves instead of being mentally ill or were fond of the drink instead of being an alcoholic and so on. On the other had we as a race are great at sweeping things under the carpet and ignoring things so perhaps we developed a way of expressing our selves that reflect that?

Bizzi Lizzy

I was born in England along with four other siblings, and before we moved back to Ireland we used to come "home to Ireland" for our holidays, and if we were naughty my nan used to call us "very bold", this had us very confused as kids, because in England Bold was washing powder

anewme

For someone small -

He could walk under the bed in a tall hat.

If someone died -
Did you hear John Smith died.
What did he die of?
He died of a Thursday!

Das Kitty

Oh dear, I say well over 50% of these things still.

A few more, an egg was a guggy

And you were never sweating because,
"horses sweat, men perspire and ladies glow!"

My granny used to wear a roll-on which was basically control pants to hold in the gut.

Wizzbit

Das Kitty wrote: »

Oh dear, I say well over 50% of these things still.

A few more, an egg was a guggy

And you were never sweating because,
"horses sweat, men perspire and ladies glow!"

My granny used to wear a roll-on which was basically control pants to hold in the gut.

OMG I am lovin this thread...bringing back so many memories of my childhood and all the sayings my mum used and still uses today. My mum says 'roll-on' also about underwear..

My parents still call trousers 'slacks' which I think is hilarious. And as some other poster said, neighbours were called by only Mr & Mrs. Even in school we called our teachers Ms. or Sir... In my sons schools it's all on a first name basis. In fact I don't even know his teachers surnames... oh how times have changed..
Another classic word is 'grand', everyone or everything is 'grand'. Its such an irish saying.

Rubecula

My granny used to call me a "Little Sconehead" if I did something naughty. Dunno if that was a word used in Ireland.

anewme

Das Kitty wrote: »

Oh dear, I say well over 50% of these things still.

A few more, an egg was a guggy


My granny used to wear a roll-on which was basically control pants to hold in the gut.

For us a "guggy egg" was an egg boiled somewhere between soft boiled and hard boiled, chopped up in a cup with lots of salt and butter.

My granny was always saying to me - do you want a guggy egg in a cup. Make it now and again for myself. Yum.

Another old saying - someone who talked too much was deemed to be "like the clappers of a bellas (bellows)" My mam still says that about people.

And speaking of addressing people as Mr./Mrs. etc, where we lived, your dog had the same surname as the family.

"I was walking down the road and Spot Kelly ran out after me" Just laughing here to myself thinking of some of the names!


We also got "goody", which was bread soaked with hot milk and sugar. We usually got that for dinner the day before payday!

My mam had a roll on - I remember thinking yuk! I'll never wear one of them - oh how the mighty have fallen!!

Condatis

My mother:

"He has notions above his station."

For a family which liked to hold themselves as better than others but were of no substance.

"All lace curtains and no dinner."

Das Kitty

"did you meet anyone better than yourself?"

Still don't know if that means anyone in general or a possible suitor!

anewme

Das Kitty wrote: »

"did you meet anyone better than yourself?"

Still don't know if that means anyone in general or a possible suitor!

Never heard that one.

That is a great line.....I'd say it means suitor.....must start using it!

nesbitt

Janey Mack...
Jesus, followed quickly by Mary & Joseph
Bad with their nerves
Messages
Press
Give someone a ring...
Flipperty Gibbert
Ejitt
Powdering over the dirt
Bottle of Milk
Going down the country
Drop of the Crayther
Demon drink
Too big for their boots
Cool
Super
S/He is a bit fond of the sup
Andramartins
Shenanigins
Disco
Cheerio
Godbless

Bearhunter

Some fo my mother's:

Ludheramawn (sp?) - eejit.
Live horse and ye'll get grass - I have no idea what this meant/means.
That's the way with some and more with others and some with none at all - see above.

From my father:
Good night now and thanks - his usual goodbye.
How long would it take ye to get home if ye left now? - to an overstaying guest.

Das Kitty

"She has beef to the heels like a Mullingar Heifer"

My Dad would say this about girls with hefty legs.

jmbkay

My granny used to say her "poor prayers", (Westmeath) and my granda used to pronounce words that ended in ow sound as a, Wickla instead of Wicklow.

Condatis

Bearhunter wrote: »

Some fo my mother's:

Live horse and ye'll get grass - I have no idea what this meant/means.

It much the same as "lie with dogs and you'll get fleas"

katopyrgos

cml387 wrote: »

My late father, when we were young and being bad,describd us a "scutchers".

When we were young and would not eat something we were given, my mother would say yez will be following the crows for that next week. Has anyone heard that one?

mw3guc

Bearhunter wrote: »

Live horse and ye'll get grass - I have no idea what this meant/means.

The version I've heard is 'Live horse and you'll get oats'. The meaning is more about empty promises and false expectations - as in if you stay alive you'll get fed, though we all know you need to get fed to stay alive! Kind of a no-win situation.

uch

Stop Acting the Maggot you little sh1tehawk

mw3guc

A favourite of my late father's when you were talking 'blather' - 'Your tay in a bucket'.