Yorkshire between the rain storms…..
Talking to a fellow Yorkshire Citizen this morning and as he tried to navigate his possessed General Waste Wheelie Bin passed his brand new electric car. Very Carefully passed as the Wheelie Bin looked like it would win in any head to head contest. I asked him how is new car was and the reply was
“Sound as a Pound”….
Instantly I was taken back to my old Dad, that was one of his favourite sayings. Sadly since Brexit, even Dad would have to concede that there are way more financially stable currencies than ours.
But it did make me think about all those old sayings that were such a part of the cut and thrust of Yorkshire life back then. Most are now probably not best said before the children are safely in bed. But a few just about ok for polite conversation. I have also tried to write these in English rather than in Yorkshire. Trust me people in deepest Yorkshire don’t speak like those folk in that quite famous Yorkshire posh house, Downton Abbey.
“Where there’s muck there is brass”
As an Accountant I can confirm that is true.
“Back in my day”
Hawklad will confirm that I’m saying that one more and more along with the Danny DeVito line ‘Getting Old Sucks, don’t let anybody tell you any different’.
“Eat your crusts as it will make your hair curl”
Dad would say that one even after he had gone bald and now I’m getting to that stage where I would happily settle for curls, settle for any hair really.
As we continue the food health advice…
“Eat your carrots, you never see a rabbit with glasses”
That’s very true but unfortunately I’ve eating a shed load of carrots over my many centuries and it has done nowt for my Lazy Eye.
“I’m off to see a man about a dog”
That one is easy, Dad would say that when he was off to the pub for a drink.
“There’s no accounting for taste”
Our old headmaster would always say that to any child with a new haircut. Plus as I became an Accountant then clearly there is no accounting for taste…
“As fit as a butchers dog”
I’ve never seen a butchers dog so can’t confirm and deny that one.
“You would make a better door than window …”
Basically get out the way I’m trying to watch the TV.
“You don’t get owt for nowt…”
Never trust anything that is given to you for free. Strangely although Dad would say this one, I also never saw him turn down anything for free.
The best one I can remember was a favourite one Dad would say down his allotment. You can explain this one to me…..
“Never trust a man who doesn’t know his Leeks from his Scallions”
A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. 
Wonderful!
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thank you 🙏
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Got to hear them with the right accent. Can’t say I’ve ever heard that last. The photograph is gorgeous.
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many wouldn’t understand a word if I used my deepest Yorkshire accent 🤣
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Love the nostalgia in this post, Gary. The comment above made me think and realize you and Hawklad probably speak with an accent (to me at least it would sound like an accent). Now I’m trying to imagine in my mind what you sound like making all those sayings!
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funny thing is I have an accent but Hawklad took after his mum, no accent. Think Sean Bean….
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I am familar with some of these phrases and I am not from Yorkshire. I haven’t heard them in a long time.
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it’s funny how some words just drop out if favour
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I remember my Dad (born 1926)saying “as sound as a pound” and if he’d lived, he’d be 100 next year. Most of the others are familiar to me too! Some are slightly modified… “where there’s muck there’s money” is one. Clearly people in Ireland are familiar with these sayings too. Thanks for the memories!
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My Dad was a few years older.
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Thanks for the smiles. It is funny how, as we get older, we find ourselves trotting out some of these daft sayings. And some of them even make sense! Have a good weekend, Gary xx
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I am turning into my parents rapidly
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A fun set. You just have to trust a man who knows his onions
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Apparently so 🤣
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Hey ho, they take me back. Even a soft southerner like me had these banned about. The door/window conundrum takes me straight back to my uncle. Dad’s favourite had to ‘it’s cold enough to freeze a witch’s t*t’.
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😆
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I backed out using that one 🤣🤣
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Agree with Derrick here. A man who knows his onions is truly trustworthy!
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Yeah, he knows his onions is a good’n
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the great Greek Philosopher’s always munched on onions….
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I’ve heard a number of these growing up, too. I admit I’ve not passed on too many of them, but then, I’m not sure how many of these would make sense to this tech-laden generation…
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I think you would get a few strange looks trying to teach those words 🤣🤣
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Many of these expressions are new to me. I eat carrots and still have to wear glasses, but my mom ate a pound of carrots a week and she lived to be 95. I give the carrots some credit for her longevity.
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we have been sold a lie with those carrots
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Hahaha! These are very authentic and hilarious sayings. We also have a lot of sayings In vernacular Punjabi which are very hard to explain to others.
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I bet you have some good ones
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Yup, but hard to translate in English
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That hill looks as steep as Switzerland. My mum always told me that it was burnt toast that would make my hair curl. It didn’t, and we eventually bought a toaster.
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I was told burnt toast killed the bread germs….
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I’m sure it does. I’m sure nothing could live through my Mum’s toasting technique.
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I’ve started new ones just lately, because someone has to do it.
This one I used in the blog post “Jobsworth”
As useful as using doughnuts for a hat.
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a doughnut hat would be a useful snack on the go….
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I think the seagulls around here would love us to wear doughnut hats.
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About half of these are also well-used here on this side of the pond, but I did love “Sound as a pound” and “you don’t get nowt from owt”! As re the leeks vs scallions … well, they do look very similar, except leeks are bigger and fatter than scallions! Pretty sure they’re related! Oh, and about that “there are way more financially stable currencies than ours.” Yes, perhaps so, but ours here in the U.S. is damn sure NOT one of ’em! Fun post, Gary!
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I had an idea for a t shirt. Sound as a pound on one side and we are so screwed on the other 🤣🤣
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I can picture it!!! It would probably be a best-selling t-shirt, too! xx
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Love this❤️
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❤️❤️❤️
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A great flashback. My mom’s family said the crust/curly hair thing and several of these others are also familiar.
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I wonder who first came up with that scientific fact and just how they figured that one out ❤️
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Lol those were funny Garry. Especially your dad’s one about not trusting a man who doesn’t know his leaks from his scallions. X
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Dad didn’t trust many 🤣🤣
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It sounds like a walk into your history. It’s interesting the way language shapes our thoughts and perspectives.
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