Old sayings that you heard in your childhood.

[eoff]

Would that be specific to Forfar?

My reasoning is that (using football club nicknames again) Forfar Athletic FC are nicknamed "The Loons".

Typical of Aberdeen area; Doric: Loons and Quines.

 

[Butts]

What about - "cack handed" referring to left handed people ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

What about - "cack handed" referring to left handed people ?

Maybe at home, our family are different from the norm, as my wife and twin sons are all left-handed. My wife even has a "left-handed version" of a cheque book.

 

[Westcountryman]

According to the 'Dictionary of British Slang, cack-handed has two meanings, either left handed or clumsy. The second meaning is how I remember it

 

[Geezertronic]

In my neck of the woods, it has always been "caggy handed" referring to a left-handed person

 

[Gloster]

For our family ‘Cack handed’ was always clumsy with your hands (as opposed to feet, body, etc.).

 

[Calthrop]

According to the 'Dictionary of British Slang, cack-handed has two meanings, either left handed or clumsy. The second meaning is how I remember it

For our family ‘Cack handed’ was always clumsy with your hands (as opposed to feet, body, etc.).

I've almost always heard it as meant to indicate "clumsy hands-wise". I understand that there's a correlation between the two meanings -- connected with the archaic prejudice on the part of the right-handed majority, to the effect that being left-handed is not a valid way of doing things, for people who are "made that way"; but wrong / awkward / perverse / even, sometimes, associated with evil -- whence attempts, often, to force the naturally left-handed to do things right-handed, causing much misery. Continuing from this -- without wishing to get overly scatological -- the age-old convention, from times when paper was less readily available, of using one hand for eating, and the other for sanitary purposes (this convention, still part and parcel of some cultures today): for right-handers, the right hand is the eating one, and the left hand, the one for dealing with "cack". Adding here to the prejudice: people who employ their "mucky" hand, as the one they chiefly use -- there's got to be something wrong with them ...

 

[Gloster]

I've almost always heard it as meant to indicate "clumsy hands-wise". I understand that there's a correlation between the two meanings -- connected with the archaic prejudice on the part of the right-handed majority, to the effect that being left-handed is not a valid way of doing things, for people who are "made that way"; but wrong / awkward / perverse / even, sometimes, associated with evil -- whence attempts, often, to force the naturally left-handed to do things right-handed, causing much misery. Continuing from this -- without wishing to get overly scatological -- the age-old convention, from times when paper was less readily available, of using one hand for eating, and the other for sanitary purposes (this convention, still part and parcel of some cultures today): for right-handers, the right hand is the eating one, and the left hand, the one for dealing with "cack". Adding here to the prejudice: people who employ their "mucky" hand, as the one they chiefly use -- there's got to be something wrong with them ...

It should be remembered that sinister, the Latin word for left, has become a word denoting that somebody or something is not to be trusted. While dexter, the word for right, has given us the word dexterity, something to be admired. Almost within living memory is the way that some teachers would try to force left-handed schoolchildren to become right-handed by such methods as hitting then on the left-hand with a ruler if they used it, tying their left-hand to their side, etc.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It should be remembered that sinister, the Latin word for left, has become a word denoting that somebody or something is not to be trusted. While dexter, the word for right, has given us the word dexterity, something to be admired. Almost within living memory is the way that some teachers would try to force left-handed schoolchildren to become right-handed by such methods as hitting then on the left-hand with a ruler if they used it, tying their left-hand to their side, etc.

As a Classics scholar some 65 years ago, your posting certainly awoke memories of my time at St Bede's College, Manchester, from 1956-1962, prior to studying at Manchester University.

 

[Gloster]

As a Classics scholar some 65 years ago, your posting certainly awoke memories of my time at St Bede's College, Manchester, from 1956-1962, prior to studying at Manchester University.

Having given up Latin at the earliest opportunity, I must admit this is one of the few miscellaneous bits of the subject that I remember. I now regret not persevering as it would have helped in learning other languages, something I came to comparatively late. But it was taught on the basis that it was a subject that had to be learnt, without any explanation of its uses: it was a subject to be endured, rather than enjoyed. At least I never imitated Richard Ingrams, who was so ill-informed about the subject that he got to believe that Latin must have something to do with Latvia.

 

[Springs Branch]

As a Classics scholar some 65 years ago .......

Eheu fugaces labuntur anni!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Eheu fugaces labuntur anni!

Parvis imbutus tentabis grandia tutus.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Romanes eunt domus!

 

[Calthrop]

Almost within living memory is the way that some teachers would try to force left-handed schoolchildren to become right-handed by such methods as hitting then on the left-hand with a ruler if they used it, tying their left-hand to their side, etc.

This was done at school to a one-time girlfriend of mine (born 1945). Actual physical violence not used, or I don't think so; but the measures employed caused her much distress, then and in future life -- and the attempted right-handed-ising basically didn't work. People are unfortunately very prone to getting highly convinced of the truth and rightness of foolish ideas; and to acting on those convictions.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In the early years at my secondary school, I recall one teacher telling a student who tried to engage in a silly debate that he was "Too clever by half".

 

[Butts]

"Bent as a nine bob note " - anyone remember that one ?

Dodgy deal or person.

In Scotland boys frightened of doing certain tasks were referred to as a Big Jessie - ie displaying female characteristics ( remember talking 1960's)