British vernacular of recent vintage

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blissblogger

Well-known member
A couple of idioms I've noticed that people didn't use when I was last living in the UK fulltime ie. the early '90s. Etymological thoughts and argot-semiotics welcome. As are other contenders for UK vernacular that's emerged in the last decade or so.

1/ "rock up"

I notice this being used in anecdotal contexts, people say things like "so we rocked up to the Pied Bull and there's this....". Or "so I'm rocking up in my new Doc Martens and... ". It suggests a certain swagger - matey ebullience and insouciance - me and the gang, although it could just be you doing the rocking up. Often there's a sense that something is about to happen - possibly a pratfall or turnabout that deflates the rocking-up mood - a humor-at-your-expense scenario. Or at someone else's expense.

Quite fancy gradually easing this into my parlance but being surrounded by Americans, it's not going to work. Plus I'm not living a life involving a lot of rocking up. "I rocked up to Target for a kerbside pickup" - nah!

2/ "big boy"

This I noticed first on the baking shows, people talk about putting these big boys in the oven. Or "I'll need one of these big boys". Meaning like a large container. But it seems to refer to anything of substance and heft. "Take a look at this big boy!". Has a sort of vague, "prize marrow" type suggestiveness about it.
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Is it big boy or bad boy? I remember way back to university in the 90s and you're maybe eating crisps or similar and someone would say "Give us a go on those bad boys" etc
 
WashYourHands

WashYourHands

Cat Malogen
Rock up is old sound system lingo, blues nights in Brum and Manchester @william_kent , or at least that’s how it was filtered through these ears. ’Rock up at The Marcus Garvey’ (in Nottingham) another, West Indian Cavaliers cricket social night there fucked from eating hash heavy wobble anecdote
 
B

blissblogger

Well-known member
IdleRich said:
Is it big boy or bad boy? I remember way back to university in the 90s and you're maybe eating crisps or similar and someone would say "Give us a go on those bad boys" etc
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I feel like I've heard both those phrases.

Ah, apparently they are interchangeable terms for anything impressive or, well, large.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bad-big-boy

They claim it's a largely American expression - but I don't recall anyone here saying it. Mostly I've heard it off British TV, and a few times when I've been back in the motherland.
 
B

blissblogger

Well-known member
WashYourHands said:
Rock up is old sound system lingo, blues nights in Brum and Manchester @william_kent , or at least that’s how it was filtered through these ears. ’Rock up at The Marcus Garvey’ (in Nottingham) another, West Indian Cavaliers cricket social night there fucked from eating hash heavy wobble anecdote
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Ah, that is interesting.

However when I've heard it used, it's not really retained any Jamaican flavor to it, unlike other expressions like I dunno "big up". It seems very... well, sort of Britpop / Loaded / New Laddism in a way. Rocking up to events or places would be something that Noel and Liam would do. But it's really the last five, ten years I've noticed it. Perhaps because of only being in the country intermittently.

Mind you, the same kind of erasure of source has happened to other words. like pukka, which became a very kind of demotic English word.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
blissblogger said:
I feel like I've heard both those phrases.

Ah, apparently they are interchangeable terms for anything impressive or, well, large.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bad-big-boy

They claim it's a largely American expression - but I don't recall anyone here saying it. Mostly I've heard it off British TV, and a few times when I've been back in the motherland.
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I feel that bad boys is more versatile cos you can use it for items of any size. Though come to think of it I've also heard people say "little fellas" too - often for ecstasy but I think it can be adapted.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
blissblogger said:
Ah, that is interesting.

However when I've heard it used, it's not really retained any Jamaican flavor to it, unlike other expressions like I dunno "big up". It seems very... well, sort of Britpop / Loaded / New Laddism in a way. Rocking up to events or places would be something that Noel and Liam would do. But it's really the last five, ten years I've noticed it. Perhaps because of only being in the country intermittently.

Mind you, the same kind of erasure of source has happened to other words. like pukka, which became a very kind of demotic English word.
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I think that that soundsystem usage is probably a sort of parallel development... but maybe I'm wrong, just cos the Jamaican link has been severed and so I don't notice it, it doesn't mean it was never there and I have no evidence to refute it.
 
W

wild greens

Well-known member

Urban Dictionary: On Crud

When someone is verbally or physically inconsiderate (for instance hurling several close to home insults or breaking someone property with intent ), they are on crud. Used more in the Midlands and south of England.
www.urbandictionary.com www.urbandictionary.com
 
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