old sayings

[Redroger]

Suspect the underlying reference was to TB

[conahy calling]

What is a harrow pin please Conahy?

• Alls well that ends well
• Every good thing must come to an end
  • A pigeons clutch  (family with two children)
  • Could eat harrow pins (starving)

A harrow is a spiked frame for breaking up or levelling soil and the "pins" are the spikes.

[BevL]

'The 'bone in my leg' radstockjeff, must be a father's thing.   Mine used to say that to me as well.
The trouble with this topic is that I think of something to add to it and when the time comes I have forgotten it.   Never mind, my brain will catch up with me soon!
Bev

[Redroger]

My father used the "bone in his leg" as an excuse not to do something my brother and I wanted him to do when he had just come home from work tied and covered in coal dust.

[a-l]

Conahy, thankyou for the explanation it's very kind of you.

[stormtroop]

London the largest city in England, and the dirtiest, and the bubonic plague lasted within that city alone from late fall of 1348 until early summer of 1349. About thirty thousand of London's seventy thousand inhabitants suffered and died from plague.
My cockney grandad used to see us every Sunday and he would pull my shirt up and say 'How's yer belly orf for spots' which was a saying used by Londoners that goes back to the plague.

Someone at work used to ask me that all the time  , it perplexed me for ages!?. that is fascinating, I am glad I have finally found out, after about 20 years . It  shows mind how badly the plague affected Londoners and they never forgot it even after several centuries.  , .

[radstockjeff]

Another of similar ilk

' Wotcher cock - Ow's yer mother off for dripping?"

radstockjeff

[Lazarus]

Reminds me of a whole heap of butcher "come backs".
I am sure they must teach them at trade school.

"Have you got any brains?"

Rex

[Meezer]

Watch out where the huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow!