My long-deceased nan had a vocabulary of her own, words that have been consigned to the past.
She talked about the kittle when she meant kettle, I thought it was just a quirk of hers but found out it was used in some places in the 18 century even east London where she was from, so it must have been carried on in her family from those days.
Then of course there was the mangle she kept in the scullery, where there was also a meat safe in the wall for keeping food cool.
Any more, anyone?
Digger said
Jul 16 3:53 PM, 2025
Anonymous wrote:
My long-deceased nan had a vocabulary of her own, words that have been consigned to the past.
She talked about the kittle when she meant kettle, I thought it was just a quirk of hers but found out it was used in some places in the 18 century even east London where she was from, so it must have been carried on in her family from those days.
Then of course there was the mangle she kept in the scullery, where there was also a meat safe in the wall for keeping food cool.
Any more, anyone?
My old gran like to celebrate street parties way back when. So she tried to make some bunting by hand but it all went Pete Tong and she was overheard muttering "....bloody cunting bunting!" It became a fond family refrain passed down the years. Even now, decades later when we spy the festive triangles all a-flutter we say, "Ah, cunting bunting at two o'clock"
Magica said
Jul 16 5:16 PM, 2025
Anonymous wrote:
My long-deceased nan had a vocabulary of her own, words that have been consigned to the past.
She talked about the kittle when she meant kettle, I thought it was just a quirk of hers but found out it was used in some places in the 18 century even east London where she was from, so it must have been carried on in her family from those days.
Then of course there was the mangle she kept in the scullery, where there was also a meat safe in the wall for keeping food cool.
Any more, anyone?
We had a mangle and scullery in our old house when kids. lol.i
In London kettle is pronounced ketall.
Old sayings, Oil cloth for lino
Copper to boil hankies.in
Ringer replaced mangle
Anonymous said
Jul 16 6:26 PM, 2025
My mum and her pals of similar age always used to call food shopping as getting in the “rations”, a spill-over from the war I suppose.
Yeah, I remember as a kid “scullery” and “mangle”.
Magica said
Jul 16 6:41 PM, 2025
Oh and my nan called a boyfriend a beau lol.
Syl said
Jul 16 7:26 PM, 2025
Magica wrote:
Oh and my nan called a boyfriend a beau lol.
And did you go 'courting' with your beau?
We had a scullery when I was a kid, and a parlour, and a kitchen. It sounds posh....it was a tatty little terraced house, but that's what people called the downstairs rooms in the 50's and 60's.
Magica said
Jul 16 7:29 PM, 2025
Syl wrote:
Magica wrote:
Oh and my nan called a boyfriend a beau lol.
And did you go 'courting' with your beau?
We had a scullery when I was a kid, and a parlour, and a kitchen. It sounds posh....it was a tatty little terraced house, but that's what people called the downstairs rooms in the 50's and 60's.
Yep. Sounds grand but wasn't at all. Mum n dad couldn't wait to move.
Anonymous said
Jul 16 7:44 PM, 2025
A couple more - if anyone got upset and angry at something she'd tell them to 'stop getting airy-ated'. And if you asked too many questions you wanted to know all the ins-and-outs of a cat's arse.
By the way they had a black cat, guess what it's name was? (clue, started with N). Ah, the good ol' days in Tottenham. Imagine calling him in from the street now.
Syl said
Jul 16 7:48 PM, 2025
We also had a cat named the same as yours... and another called Sooty. Cant imagine standing in the garden and calling them in nowadays.
My long-deceased nan had a vocabulary of her own, words that have been consigned to the past.
She talked about the kittle when she meant kettle, I thought it was just a quirk of hers but found out it was used in some places in the 18 century even east London where she was from, so it must have been carried on in her family from those days.
Then of course there was the mangle she kept in the scullery, where there was also a meat safe in the wall for keeping food cool.
Any more, anyone?
My old gran like to celebrate street parties way back when. So she tried to make some bunting by hand but it all went Pete Tong and she was overheard muttering "....bloody cunting bunting!" It became a fond family refrain passed down the years. Even now, decades later when we spy the festive triangles all a-flutter we say, "Ah, cunting bunting at two o'clock"
We had a mangle and scullery in our old house when kids. lol.i
In London kettle is pronounced ketall.
Old sayings, Oil cloth for lino
Copper to boil hankies.in
Ringer replaced mangle
My mum and her pals of similar age always used to call food shopping as getting in the “rations”, a spill-over from the war I suppose.
Yeah, I remember as a kid “scullery” and “mangle”.
And did you go 'courting' with your beau?
We had a scullery when I was a kid, and a parlour, and a kitchen. It sounds posh....it was a tatty little terraced house, but that's what people called the downstairs rooms in the 50's and 60's.
Yep. Sounds grand but wasn't at all. Mum n dad couldn't wait to move.
A couple more - if anyone got upset and angry at something she'd tell them to 'stop getting airy-ated'. And if you asked too many questions you wanted to know all the ins-and-outs of a cat's arse.
By the way they had a black cat, guess what it's name was? (clue, started with N). Ah, the good ol' days in Tottenham. Imagine calling him in from the street now.
We also had a cat named the same as yours... and another called Sooty. Cant imagine standing in the garden and calling them in nowadays.