"Mutton dressed up as lamb", overheard in a recent conversation. This being a small country town, we often hear, and use, such relatively archaic expressions.
Our family went to see Wicked: For Good last night, and one of the songs in act II of Wicked is “No Good Deed.” I was surprised this morning when my 25-year-old daughter said she wasn’t familiar with the expression “no good deed goes unpunished,” which is central to the song.
When did anyone last hear "Wotcher?" It was understood to be short for "What cheer?" and was a common greeting among young schoolboys where I lived in Hertfordshire in the mid 50s. I am sure I never heard a girl use it.
When did anyone last hear "Wotcher?" It was understood to be short for "What cheer?" and was a common greeting among young schoolboys where I lived in Hertfordshire in the mid 50s. I am sure I never heard a girl use it.
I only know “Wotcher” from Harry Potter, but its use in those books (primarily by Tonks, I think?) might indicate more recent usage.
When did anyone last hear "Wotcher?" It was understood to be short for "What cheer?" and was a common greeting among young schoolboys where I lived in Hertfordshire in the mid 50s. I am sure I never heard a girl use it.
When did anyone last hear "Wotcher?" It was understood to be short for "What cheer?" and was a common greeting among young schoolboys where I lived in Hertfordshire in the mid 50s. I am sure I never heard a girl use it.
There's a bloke (more mature end of the age spectrum) on our street who uses it. I think he's originally cockney ish.
I used to hear it growing up in Essex.
I didn't know much about the history of the word until I asked Auntie Google just now. There are at least two places in the USA named "What Cheer" e.g. https://whatcheerprovidence.com/what-cheer/. I had a vague memory that it is to be found somewhere in Dickens, which sounds right, but am not sure where.
I feel wotcha is one of those phrases used to pretend to be cockney/East End. As we used to live in the East end, I am sure we did hear it, but not a lot.
Dick van Dyke probably used it in Mary Poppins. Which would be the death knell to any actual cockney using it.
Comments
Oh dear!
Eye wateringly bad!
talk about innuendoes!
You will, dear Enoch, you will!
Guilty as charged, m'lud!
I was wondering why a reggae band was named after a rather duff medieval king!
Oddly, I used it yesterday in a text to Mrs Spike
There's a bloke (more mature end of the age spectrum) on our street who uses it. I think he's originally cockney ish.
I used to hear it growing up in Essex.
I had always thought - don’t quite remember why - that ‘what cheer’ was a mediaeval greeting, which obviously was/became pronounced as ‘wotcher’
MMM
Dick van Dyke probably used it in Mary Poppins. Which would be the death knell to any actual cockney using it.