Friday 12 December 2008

Things your mammy says.

I seem to say the same things over again to my children usually "Would you give yourself peace" To be fair I say this to everyone but I'm sure they'll always associate it with me. When I was little my mammy used to have a huge collection of sayings, one in particular would now be seen as offensive in our ultra pc society, so I haven't included it in case I offend anyone but here are a few gems from my mammy. Including translations. Some of them don't make a lot of sense but she said them all the same.

If you died wi a face like that naebdy would wash it. Please stop sulking

I'll gie ye yer heid in yer hauns tae play wi. When asked for something to play with/to do as I was bored.

You'll have me in a pine box, you have my heart scalded. You will be the death of me.

The road to Hell is paved wi good intentions. Just do what you were meant to do and don't make excuses

Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana boat ? sometimes for emphasis she would say "Do you think I came up the Clyde on a banana boat swinging a bag o totties ?" Do you think I'll believe anything ?

Hinging tae my lip shouting Tarzan. I have no idea where your (insert 70's toy of your choice) eg stylophone/clackers/spacehopper is !

Your soul is as black as The Earl of Hell's waistcoat. You are very naughty.

That last one's proving just a little too phrophetic for me at the moment.

15 comments:

Tim Atkinson said...

Wonderful! And, I imagine, highly effective. I'm going to try a few myself.

Anonymous said...

Haha...those are completely fabulous! There are some I always used too, hell still use with my students though I'm sure most of it gets lost in translation.

Mean Mom said...

Your mammys saying are great! I particularly like the first one.

My mother used to say things like 'You've got up with your bum in your hand, today!', meaning that I'd got up in a bad mood. I have said it to my lads in the past and it never fails to bring a smirk to their faces.

Nota Bene said...

My mammy never said nothing. She just smacked me round the back of the legs to leave a mark which stayed for a week. Generally I deserved it.

Please explain cryptic bit at the end...

ME said...

Those are great! I have a few of my own that I'm sure Pedro will remember for many years to come.

DAB said...

Great stuff :) TFx

scrappysue said...

i just love scottish accents! i can almost hear her!!!

GrandAnglais said...

The Earl of Hell's waistcoat - now that's inventive!

DJ Kirkby said...

You forgot to translate 'would you give yourself some peace'...what does it mean? xo

Squirmy Popple said...

I think I'm going to have to start using the Clyde on a banana boat one.

Laura said...

My mum said a lot of those too. I love the last one,ever heard it before.

Working Mum said...

I loved them!

Coming from Lancashire, I have a few from my childhood, like

"Tha favvours fell off a flittin'"

You look like you've fallen off a moving cart, ie you look a mess.

I try and use it at school as often as possible (just to keep the language alive!)

DJ Kirkby said...

I've given you an award on my Chez Aspie blog

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

God, what a wonderful trip down memory lane as my mother said almost all of those too. I am half smiling half weepy at the memory of it all. My mother also used to say 'Dear God, the things you see when you don't have a gun' Meaning usually some old pancaked up old tart with a fur coat and no knickers!

auntiegwen said...

Tim - I find myself turning into her

Lisa - yep, we teachers love the sayings

MM - I love your bum in your hand one

NB - May God forgive you, I hope your mammy never hears you say that, and I've been a wee bit less middle aged/boring/teachery recently, I'm becoming slightly less vanilla

Craze - oh yes, hope your trip went well

Tf - oh there's plenty more where they came from

Sue - maybe I should do an audio thingy, so you can have the full force of it !

GrandAnglais - Oh we are inventive

DJ - it just means, no way, really, thanks so much for the award x

Katie - I bet you know loads, living in the Hill of Mary

Lolly - Oh yes all the Glasgow mammies say them, I think it's the law

WM - we say, you look like ye fell aff a flittin ! means the same

Mob - how could I forget that one !