"Bill's mother", and other expressions.

Question

When I was just knee-high to a grasshopper, my father used some strange language. If he saw dark clouds near the horizon he would always say "It's a bit black over Bill's mothers." For years I thought we had a distant relative, called Bill, whos mother kept moving house. One month she was to the West, another to the East. Another time she lived near Manchester, but most of the time she lived near Doncaster. So does anyone have any idea just who Bill really is and why his mother is so well known? Is there any known origin to the "Bill's mother" expression?
I have seen a homepage dedicated to "cockney slang", but I wonder if anyone knows summat abaat Yorkshire slang, like? I just think the dialect is somewhat intriguing and friendly, or warming.
BR MOTU

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]When I was just knee-high to a grasshopper, my father used some strange language. If he saw dark clouds near ... really is and why his mother is so well known? Is there any known origin to the "Bill's mother" expression?[/nq]
This has been discussed a few times; variations been reported in quite a few English counties.
I found a couple of posts in our archives. The direct URLs are too enormous to copy, but what you can do is go to Google Advanced Groups Search:
group search?hl=en
And paste this into the Message ID field:
Message-ID:

Also this one:
Message-ID:
[nq:1]I have seen a homepage dedicated to "cockney slang", but I wonder if anyone knows summat abaat Yorkshire slang, like? I just think the dialect is somewhat intriguing and friendly, or warming.[/nq]
I don't remember any web pages particularly on that, but Google might turn them up. Also check the links in Intro B, which is at the AUE Website:
http://www.alt-usage-english.org/
There's a section on British English, and the Audio Archives section has sound files of British dialects, if you want to hear it spoken.

Best wishes Donna Richoux

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]This has been discussed a few times; variations been reported in quite a few English counties. I found a couple of posts in our archives. The direct URLs are too enormous to copy, but what you can do is go to Google Advanced Groups Search:[/nq]
[nq:2]I have seen a homepage dedicated to "cockney slang", but ... think the dialect is somewhat intriguing and friendly, or warming.[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't remember any web pages particularly on that, but Google might turn them up. Also check the links in Intro B, which is at the AUE Website: http://www.alt-usage-english.org/[/nq]
EE, by gum! Well I'll go t't foot of our stairs! I never even considered that it could refer to THE Bill Shakespear, but I suppose it was quite logical. Many thanks for the links.
As regards the Yourkshire dialect, I suppost I shall just have to study Michael Palin until something turns up. But I will keep trying.

Very best regards from MOTU

"Bill's mother", and other expressions.

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions