Those wise old sayings! (and the not so wise and not so old)

[maccaisking]

As I am reading these they are all appearing in Alf Stewart’s voice. They work well that way.

My old man used to yell Gee Wilikas to describe most things, either good or bad; the only other people I’ve heard use it are my brother and I.

Just about anything from the 12th man, and much of Aussie Rules vernacular (kicked a sausage, wormburner, jesaulenkoubewdy) don’t translate well outside our borders

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Back in a jiffy

Take a gander

Take a bo peep

My / your peepers

Cackle berry

Moo juice

Put the nose bag on

Catch a kip

Stick a record on

Had a whale of a time

Hard up for a quid

Spot me a few bob

 

[Hvr]

And some of them are so old the young'uns have no idea what you're talking about.

For example, doing a 'Royce Hart'.

 

[Major]

A rat up a drainpipe

 

[Major]

'Go for your life' is taken differently in the good ol' USA. As is 'let's get a good posse'.

And conversely if you want to "root for the football team" is taken differently here

 

[drron]

If you are in the company of a few septic tanks and they ask what you do on the weekend don't say we just muck around in the back yard.
Sure to get a few stares.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

The bees knees

Full up to cough’s bow

Armstrong steering

Sandwich short of a picnic

A few cows missing from the top paddock

A shingle short

Would cut sixpence in half

Penny for your thoughts

 

[Hvr]

Full up to cat’s now

Full up to cough's bow.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Full up to cat's bow.

Yep pays to check before posting - and it was 5 letter young cat word that will not post

 

[Blinky]

You guys should stop coming the raw prawn.

 

[JohnK]

Choc a Bloc

Fair Dinkum

Bloody Oath

Piece of P!ss

Up yourself

Woop woop

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Or the 2 bob watch-as in he's as reliable as a 2 bob watch.

or he plays up like a two bob watch!

And some of them are so old the young'uns have no idea what you're talking about.

For example, doing a 'Royce Hart'.

?? and I'm not so young! Is it like doing a Harold Holt? ( edit , never mind, I think I just worked it out )

Sandwich short of a picnic ... A few cows missing from the top paddock ...
A shingle short

Elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor!

Stone the crows (sorry Buzz)

Fair suck of the sav!

Crack a coldie!

He wouldn't shout if a shark bit him!

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Beats working for a quid

Beats collecting coke bottles (still applicable in SA is it not)

Mangle or treadly

Hit the track

Saloon Bar

The big house

Guest of her majesty

 

[Milboo]

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[Deleted member]

In a recent thread, @drron quoted an old phrase "Shank's Pony". I've heard that saying for as long as I can remember and I foolishly believed that to a localised term (apparently, it's not) that meant by a slow but steady pace, but it made me think there must be plenty of those family sayings out there that maybe needs a little revival in this modern era.

So without using Google, what's the sayings you've heard (and used) and what is your interpretation of the meaning ...

I'll start with the phrase:
"Telling a furphy" - is, I believe a tall story or white lie. An old guy told me it originated from WW1 where the Victorian made Furphy water tank was hauled around the battlefields by mule and become a focal point to regale with tales of battle, with quite a few of those tales embellished somewhat.

What pearlers do you hold dear?

Aactually shanks’s pony more accuratly it means to walk , but what ever floats ya boat. (Lol)

I find that the more infuriating thing is the mis quoted expressions.
Eg. from Whoa to go, which in actual fact should read from “Go to Whoa” I.e. start to finish.
Then there is the proof is in the pudding, when originally the proof OF the pudding is in the eating !

Ok mini rant over.

To move quickly is to “Rattle ya dags”
To be of questionable value is “ as useless as an ash tray on a motor bike” or as useless as a hip pocket on a singlet” , “as silly as a two bob watch “. ‘“Silly as a wet hen”
An so on and so forth.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

To be of questionable value is “ as useless as an ash tray on a motor bike” or as useless as a hip pocket on a singlet” , “as silly as a two bob watch “. ‘“Silly as a wet hen”
An so on and so forth.

I've got a few more, but if I type them it would likely be the last thing I ever type on AFF!

 

[rainbowgirl]

My late old man used to say ‘Jesus wept’ when exasperated. Saying ‘Jesus’ alone would get you glares of disapproval, particularly in a Catholic family. ‘Jesus wept’ is the shortest sentence in the New Tesatment and dad could say ‘I’m quoting the bible’ if questioned.

I think it's known for being the shortest verse in the New Testament. It might also be the shortest sentence.

I'm part of an international chat room and so far I'm the only Australian there. About half the chat room are from the USA but we have people from Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. I have to be really careful what expressions I use as I don't want to be misunderstood. The chat room is mostly in English but some members have English as a second, third or forth language.

The term lucked out means something different to me than it does in the USA. There could be different meanings in Australia for all I know.

My kids don't understand some of the expressions my husband and I use or my father in law uses as the context has been lost over time.

I wonder what the term stiff upper lip means in other cultures.

 

[JohnM]

Courtesy of one Barrington Humphries/McKenzie:

Point Percival at the porcelain.

Stab the stainless.

Spash the boots.

Shake hands with the wife’s best friend.

Water the horses.

Strain the potatoes.

Dry as a nun’s nasty.

Dry as a funnelweb’s freckle.

Dry as a dead dingo’s donger.

Dry as a pommy’s towel.

Technicolour yawn.

Excuse I.

Sink the sausage.

 

[ALH]

An ex colleague was working in Vancouver and he said to someone we'll just put that in the too hard basket and he said no one had any idea what he was talking about

We used to ‘File that in Bin 7’

How about "I hope your chooks turn into Emus and kick your dunny door down"?

My favourite serious saying will always be “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”!

 

[Deleted member]

Courtesy of one Barrington Humphries/McKenzie:

Point Percival at the porcelain.

Stab the stainless.

Spash the boots.

Shake hands with the wife’s best friend.

Water the horses.

Strain the potatoes.

Dry as a nun’s nasty.

Dry as a funnelweb’s freckle.

Dry as a dead dingo’s donger.

Dry as a pommy’s towel.

Technicolour yawn.

Excuse I.

Sink the sausage.

That would be Barry (Crocker) McKenzie surely?