He doesn't know if he needs a **** or a haircut

Tha wants hapenny and cake
If tha had a few more brains tha would be a halfwit

Brunlea wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:00 am

Mentioned this a while back but when clearing up at home with Mrs B told her she “had more shoes than soft mick” which is something my mum used to say to me donkeys years ago

Apparently Soft Mick was a shoe pedlar in Accrington in the early 1900s

Dickie’s meadow was a reference to Bosworth Field where Richard III was defeated.

As for other lancs sayings I’m with Volvo, missing school was skiving in Burnley. First time I heard the phrase bunking off was on Grange Hill. Definitely not a Burnley phrase.

2 Bee Holed wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:03 pm

Sorry agreenwood, I'm an Accringtonian and I understand all 3.

What you skennin at?

What are you looking at?

The wider east lancs area then.

Skennin is one I haven’t heard for years.

Back in the 70s if you looked at some girls they would immediately say "Scen" or "what you scennin at". Playing hard to get naybe ( if we are still allowed to say that?)
Sometimes the reply was " don't know, label's dropped off" or if you were more sensitive you put on a brave face and walked round the corner and burst into tears.

If someone has done something particularly stupid, my wife says “if they had a brain they’d be dangerous”.

(And yes, it’s usually said about me )

A bit off topic I suppose, but there'll be celebrations all over the county on Sunday for the annual Lancashire Day.

nonayclaret wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 23, 2022 6:40 pm

Back in the 70s if you looked at some girls they would immediately say "Scen" or "what you scennin at". Playing hard to get naybe ( if we are still allowed to say that?)
Sometimes the reply was " don't know, label's dropped off" or if you were more sensitive you put on a brave face and walked round the corner and burst into tears.

skennin meant someone that was bog eyed

Weaving bout weft or stuck for bobbins. Obviously old cotton mill sayings.

I used to have an old aunty who had a secret pouch sewn into her blouse that she would call her 'Haggate pocket'.

**** off you ******* Blackburn ****

yer angın round like cheese at 4 pence

oyer riet cock?

Bacup - r yer catchin buzz?

Paz it ear

England are crap

Aways having been interested in Lanky history and folklore from an early age, having put mi thinkin cap on since this thread started, a rake more commonly used local sayings have come to mind.
I suppose being an owd codger, -(ahm pre war thanose) - has helped,
Sooooo, - seeing as it's Lancashire Day tomorrow as I previously mentioned, heres a bumper bundle for thi to chow o'er whilst tha's ayting thi hotpot, cow heels, pigs trotters, conny onny butties an t' like.

Thurs more meyt on a butchers apron.
Shis legs like pickin sticks
Shut thi cakeoyle.
Gerrit darn thi neck.
Ah were off at t’ boggart.
Ah thowt thad av more oil in thi can than that.
Al leave t door ont sneck.
Shi wer gaggin furrit.
It sticks like snot to a blanket.
Shi can tawk a glass eye ta sleep.
Hiz as daft as a brush.
Yull be smiling on t other side of yur face.
Hiz as thick as pig 5h1t
Ya daft aypeth.
Bloody Nora!!
Al clatter thi earoyle.
He keyked o'er an popped his clogs.

Hes shappin like a wet lettuce ( Hes not doing it very well )

Stad owt t'eight ? ( Have you had anything to eat ?) Question: Weir toff nah ? ( where are you going now ? ) Answer: Abanna go chip oyl furt supper ( I am going to the fish and chip shop for some supper )

A young me. "Dad, can I have a bike for Christmas?"
Dad. "Bike!! bike,!! I'll give you bike lad, now go and play with yer wotsits"!
PS. I'd get a bike tho.

" what's yon mon lookin at "

The only word I can recall being used in Burnley I’ve not heard anywhere else is agate used as a verb to mean to say - he said, she said etc. Used in a very Burnley way with the word were - so he were agate

I fondly recall my mother, a Liverpudlian, despairing at the corruption of the Queens English - scouse - as we all started to preface every verb with the word ‘were’ like he were going, she were going etc.

The word agate is probably derived from the old Norse to mean on the move, which must have got corrupted to going on so it became he were going on abart t’match - he was talking about the match.

I’ve never seen it to mean to say so I guess the old Norse moving on became going on in East Lancashire to mean someone talking about something. Be interested to know where the phrase come from if anyone knows different

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:36 pm

Local lasses were advised to "keep yer hands on yer 'apenny'

Just watched Hindle Wakes this afternoon and that was used in the movie. 1954 remake so not sure about the original.

"Carry on and I'll give you something to cry for"
If I was morning about something

"Right next time you're in, you're in"
Always used if I was in and out if the house alot whilst playing out the front.

"Shall we go for us dinner "
When working away over Manchester or Liverpool they could never understand why I said us.

Also as mentioned, he's a gate, they were Always puzzled

"Do you want to put your leg in bed?" Used when out for a walk on an uneven surface, usually with an elderly relative, offering an arm for support.
"You're wanted in t'warehouse". Being called when there was a visitor or phone call. I think this one originates from the mills when the cut-lookers called for the weavers to point out the mistakes in their cloth.

Two more.
"Is that them there the band?" and "We have a picture at home, two and half by three and a quar-ter" The latter was said in a pseudo-posh voice. Both used when someone was trying to be posh or getting above themselves.

When I was a kid we used to say its Kiff meaning good. No idea where it came from or when it disappeared.

One of my late dad’s favourites when we were fidgeting about
“You’re up and down like a fart in a bottle”

Some of the names so called each other
Bumweed
Wazzock
Prannock
Gobshite

Tha can't mek an omelette wi-out breakin t'ggs

Chobulous wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:24 pm

Some of the names so called each other
Bumweed
Wazzock
Prannock
Gobshite

No Pete, that's what we all called you.

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:55 pm

No Pete, that's what we all called you.

Pot and Kettle springs to mind

Oy you, this is a Lancashire thread
Keep thy Tyke neb to thisen .

Volvoclaret wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:55 pm

No Pete, that's what we all called you.

OK Boris, I know I’ve been called worse

Credence Clearwater cretin was a favourite

Can’t beat a bit of Creedence, I still have their box set on the media player in the car. I’ve just had that installed because the old phonograph I had jumped too much especially on bends and at roundabouts

My mum


"What's for tea ? "...what you can catch

" Why can't I ....?"...That's why !


My dad...about one of our neighbours


" Arse like a boiler end ! " I never really knew what a boiler end was like...still don't !!

ClaretPete001 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 27, 2022 8:43 pm

The only word I can recall being used in Burnley I’ve not heard anywhere else is agate used as a verb to mean to say - he said, she said etc. Used in a very Burnley way with the word were - so he were agate

I fondly recall my mother, a Liverpudlian, despairing at the corruption of the Queens English - scouse - as we all started to preface every verb with the word ‘were’ like he were going, she were going etc.

The word agate is probably derived from the old Norse to mean on the move, which must have got corrupted to going on so it became he were going on abart t’match - he was talking about the match.

I’ve never seen it to mean to say so I guess the old Norse moving on became going on in East Lancashire to mean someone talking about something. Be interested to know where the phrase come from if anyone knows different

Interesting post Pete.
Sorry for the late response and resurrection of the thread which had perhaps run it’s course.

Referring to your last sentence. I’ve done quite a fair bit of digging into this saying over the years, because as I said in one of my previous posts, Lanky sayings and history have always been interests of mine.

I’m pretty sure it’s not of old Norse origin which I originally thought it probably would be.
The nearest Norse words which I’ve found it could be even loosely associated with are Gat(t) - door or opening, or Gata -, path, or way.
I’m now of the strong opinion that it’s derived from the word Gait meaning manner of walking – or to walk - which originated in Scotland in the 16th century and became common in use over the years. Eg “He has a funny gait/walk”
So, it seems to me, the difficulty in getting to the bottom of it stems back to the ‘first time’ somebody wrote it down.
They spelt it wrong. They spelt it Agate when it should have been Agait,

Your point about prefacing verbs with ‘were’ is worth a mention here. Our saying doesn’t make any sense, whatever it’s source, without it – (or the one often, but far less frequently used preface ‘got’ . as in –“ He got agait ………..” Quite regularly heard in Burnley in the 50s/60s

So ………, on to my reasoning,
Gait = walk. Add the prefix a, (as used in afloat, adrift etc), Agait = walking. Folk ‘round here commonly use ‘going’ instead of ‘walking’, - ( walking to t‘ shop /going to t’ shop), and also as ‘talking about’, as in the common expression ‘going on about.’ Eg; “ He were going….’Shut tha Gob or ahl belt thi’ “ or “He were agait……’Shut tha gob …………….”
A bit convoluted I know, but whichever path you take, – no pun Intended –it always is, and this explanation seems the most plausible one to me.
Anyway, having blathered on, (“OH NO! he’s not gonna get agait explaining how that originated is he?” I hear you all cry) I’ll bog off.
Tarrar.

One I sometimes wonder about ..... slutch ...... sloppy mud, clay etc. It was common when I was a kid. Is it still used?

Another one I have never heard anywhere else apart from agate back in the day is 'chep' meaning cheap.

"That just looks chep"

Wigan has its own language
My favourite being Where's Fait gewin
That's nearer French.

'Atty Oppen?' - My grandad once asked the fella behind the bar at a posh London hotel.....

Translated - 'Are you open?'

How's ye belly for spots,(how are you)

You've got a face like a smacked arse (red face,hot)

How are you fettler

Asti got time on ya cock?
No, I wear it on me wrist like most folk.

My grandma used agate as in "Come on, get agate!" Ie get a move on.
My mum often said "We'll make a do" if there wasn't really enough to go round.
Also "a lick and a promise". For those not familiar with that saying it's probably not what you're thinking!

Not a saying but " an out of Lancashire Experience"!
Was talking to a couple from Bury at Euston underground waiting for the tube. It was their first visit to London and were going to see Les Mis for their Golden wedding anniversary. As the tube approached the very packed station, this Bury guy runs to the front by the track and sticks his arm out, waving it for it to stop!!
I will never forget the look on the tube drivers face...or the waiting passengers,!!
You can take the lad out of Lancashire...... But you can't take the Lancashire out of the lad!

Canteen in Bolton that i was visiting lad asked from the dinner time lunch menu. a Baby’s head and Lancashire caviar , and wet the baby’s head.








He was asking for steak pudding mushy peas and gravy just to clarify

I’d give that 5 minutes!

"Burnley born and Burnley bred,

Strong in th'arm and wik in th'ead"

When I was younger, I always thought it was weak in th'ead - not very complementary - but who's perfect?

But after a little thought - a glimmer.

As an eight-year-old we used to call the tiddlers we caught near Heasanford as being wik - meaning quick - as they darted around the jam jar.

So . . ."quick in th'ead"

Relevant to this site, as follows.

Atta goin on u' Satday ?

Are you going to the match on Saturday ?

In memory of many wet afternoons at the Bee 'ole End.

Might be time to find some Wandering Walter performances.

Are you reyt fettler?

Top Claret wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 18, 2022 10:51 pm

You have to nail everything down in Bacup

Why did Bacup get this reputation, in Tod we say to kids who touch or pick up things "put it down, they look at things with their fingers in Bacup"

When I wor a nipper, when something was good we used to say it was kiff. No Idea where it came from or how long it was in usage but by the time I was a teen it seemed to have died out