Rotherham Expressions
I was reading through some of the correspondence on the Rotherham Expats site (now defunct) when I got the idea for this page. They were discussing various phrases and expressions used in Rotherham, where they came from and what they meant and I thought that this was just the website to feature some of them. According to many Southerners we still speak Old Norse around here despite many years of exposure to Estuary English.
As children we were regularly threatened by our parents that if we did not behave ourselves the bogeyman would come and take us away. The particular bogeymen named in our house was 'Icky from Wath' - I don't know what the poor Wath folk had done to deserve this. Perhaps it was because my grandmother's family came from Wath.
"Got t'monk on" or in full "Got t'black monk on your shoulder"
Having a moody or a good sulk. Being depressed
"Up t'Clough on t'third nail"
This was a particular favourite of my father's who was a Masbrough man. The Clough being part of Masbrough which was at one time a green area but why the third nail beats me. It was said whenever you wanted to know where something was you could not find.
"Gone to see a man about a dog"
This was used to mean mind your own business.
"I'll go to our 'ouse" or "I'll go to t'foot of our stairs"
Expressing surprise.
"Lord Muck from Turd Hall"
And lets not be sexist there were "Lady Mucks" an' all. These were people who considered that they were a lot better than the rest of us peasants.
"Gobby Aggy"
Usually used of a woman who didn't know how to keep her mouth shut.
"Tell her to tittle (tickle) her fat aunt"
Another favourite of father's meaning mind your own business.
"Spice"
Means sweets generally.
"Snap"
Means food - something quick to eat like a sandwich at lunchtime.
"Over t'Wash"
Means crossing the River Don by Aldwarke Lane. Likely there are other washes as well. A wash is the part of a river valley subject to flood.
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