Italian Molise, Campania, Italy

A chi appartieni?

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(Who do you belong to?) • A question asked to understand who your parents or grandparents are. It's usually asked to young people, especially if they moved away or if they have not spent time in the local community. Often the easiest way to answer is using your family's last name, so that older people can easily recall who your relatives are.

"A chi appartieni?" "Ai Tramontana." "Ah, ma sei il figlio di Antonio!"

"Who do you belong to?" "To the Tramontanas." "Oh so you're Antonio's son!"

Polish Poland

czołem!

Interjection USED Frequently BY Older Generations

(n.) • (forehead! ) • Goodbye or greeting word.

"Muszę już iść. Czołem wszystkim!"

"I gotta go. Forehead everyone!"

English United Kingdom

It's looking a bit black over Bill's mother's

Idiom USED Frequently BY Older Generations

When dark clouds appear on the horizon, signalling that it's about to rain. The "Bill" in question is usually said to be William Shakespeare, but sometimes Kaiser Wilhelm.

"It's looking a bit black over Bill's mother's... I bet it'll rain."

Catalan Catalonia, Spain

bufar i fer ampolles

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(to blow and make bottles) • It is used to reffer to something as being particularly easy to do. Similar to how the expresion "a piece of cake" is used.

"Aquest examen ha sigut com bufar i fer ampolles, aprovo segur!"

"This exam was like blowing and making bottles, I will pass for sure!"

Spanish Palencia, Spain

el chiguito corito se escolingaba por el arambol

Idiom USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

(the naked kid was falling in the stairs) • This idiom is used by a group of people to identify the people from the province of Palencia because the vocabulary is specifically from that region.

"El chiguito corito se escolingaba por el arambol."

Spanish Palencia, Spain

chiguito

Slang USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(n.) • It's usually used by older generations refering to children, but can be used by anyone refering to people younger than them.

"El chiguito lleva fuera mucho tiempo."

"The kid has been outside for too long."

Konkani India

बाबा-पूता करचें

Slang USED Frequently BY Anyone, generally older generations

(v.) • (to say oh-father, oh-son) • This is used to say that one had to persuade someone a lot in order to get something done.

"ताणें ना तिगली माफी मागली ना। शेवटी बाबा-पूता केलें की ताणें तीगली क्षमा मागली।"

"He was very hesitant at apologizing to her. In the end, we had to call him by oh-father, oh son, for him to say sorry to her."

Romanian Moldova

sineală

Word USED In the past BY Older Generations

(noun) • (n.) Blue paint used for dyeing white clothes.

"Am nevoie de sineală. Vreau să vopsesc o pereche de pantaloni."

"I need blue paint. I want to dye a pair of trousers."

French France

Quand les poules auront des dents

Expression USED In the past BY Older Generations

(When chickens have teeth) • Hyperbolic figure of speech describing something so unlikely it would never happen. French equivalent of "when pigs fly".

"J'espère qu'un jour il réalisera qu'il faut nettoyer sa chambre..." "Ouais, quand les poules auront des dents..."

"I hope he will someday understand he needs to clean his room." "Yeah, when chickens have teeth..."

English United Kingdom

chockablock

Word USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(adj.) • Used to describe something that is extremely full or crowded.

"There's so much traffic, the motorways are chockablock."

Spanish Santa Barbara, Honduras

oy

Sound USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

Used when you see someone, answer a phone call or visit someone's home.

"Oy, cómo estás?"

"Hi, how are you?"

Macedonian North Macedonia

Го обравме бостанот

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(we picked the watermelons) • When you screwed something up, and you know you made someone mad in doing so, and maybe you're awaiting some kind of punishment.

"Го скршив прозорецот. Сега го обрав бостанот."

"I broke the window. Now I have picked the watermelons."

English | Devon and Cornwall Devon and Cornwall , England

dreckly

Word USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(adv.) • In the near future.

"I’ll see you dreckly."

English Devon and Cornwall, England

cakey tea

Standard Phrase USED In the past BY Older Generations

(n.) • Having a cup of tea with baked goods, usually after lunch. Similar to afternoon tea.

"Come around and we’ll have cakey tea."

Italian In the South, Italy

A chi appartieni?

Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(Who do you belong to? ) • Question any elder Southern Italian asks when meeting someone younger than them for the first time in order to know which family they belong to and/or who their parents and grandparents are.

“Giovanotto, a chi appartieni?” “Sono figlio del dottor Rossi.”

“Who do you belong to, young boy?” “I’m dr. Rossi’s son.”

English The South, United States

butter my butt and call me a biscuit!

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Older Generations

"I can't believe it!" or "oh my goodness!"

"They're getting a new manager to lead bingo at the senior center!" "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!"

Spanish Argentina

pesado como collar de melones

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(heavy like a necklace of melons) • "Pesado" can mean both "heavy" and "annoying", so this phrase is used figuratively when someone is getting on our nerves.

"¡Ese chico es pesado como collar de melones!"

"That guy is heavy like a necklace of melons!"

Spanish Argentina

está fresco pa' chomba

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(it's too cold for a polo shirt) • Phrase said when it's cold outside.

"¡Hoy está fresco pa' chomba!"

"Today is too cold for a polo shirt!"

English English speaking countries

to carry a torch for someone

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

To admire or love somebody in secret. Comes from the metaphor of a burning flame, i.e. to keep a fire burning.

"She's always carried a torch for him, maybe they'll get back together one day."

English United Kingdom

spend a penny

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

Euphemism meaning "to go to the bathroom", originating from a time when public toilets charged one penny. It is used mostly by women, as men's urinals were free to use.

"I'll be back in a minute, just going to spend a penny."