By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 11:01 - Mar 14 by sjg
Rum ol boy to me just means abnormal for whatever reason. I’ve heard it used more as a term of endearment than an insult - see also rare, rogue
That's what I take it to mean. Indeed, even though I lived in Ipswich from the age of 6 to 18 in the 60s and 70s, that is the only phrase I can recall from then.
The others weren't used in my schools, or amongst my friends, and I didn't have parents who could pass them down to me.
Maybe some of them were more rural Suffolk in origin.
[Post edited 14 Mar 2025 14:40]
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 13:19 - Mar 14 with 1560 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 13:19 - Mar 14 by football
No one understood me when I used to say this when I lived up Norf...other classic ones to confuse people: on the huh I'll shew you
Same. I had housemates from Essex and when I came off the phone to Snr or someone back home they reckon it’d take a few minutes to understand me again properly.
Road pronounced as sort “rud” and stone as “stuun” etc always got funny looks too
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 13:54 - Mar 14 by Mullet
Same. I had housemates from Essex and when I came off the phone to Snr or someone back home they reckon it’d take a few minutes to understand me again properly.
Road pronounced as sort “rud” and stone as “stuun” etc always got funny looks too
Same - it's the elongation of the vowels - nuuuuuuws. fuuuuuture etc
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 11:17 - Mar 14 by Mullet
“Rum old boy” is a bit tone orientated. Usually it means a bit of a character, a bit different. Sometimes I’ve heard it said with a bit of an emphasis that’s more impolite though.
I thought it was 'bor, not boy. Originally short for neighbour, - people would greet each other e.g. 'mornin', neighbour'.
As I side note, I'd get 'enraged' every time I hear people praising The Detectorists to the hilt, when they didn't seem to have done the slightest bit of work into regional speech patterns and not one character had an East Anglian accent.
[Post edited 14 Mar 2025 14:26]
1
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:29 - Mar 14 with 1408 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:22 - Mar 14 by Sharkey
I thought it was 'bor, not boy. Originally short for neighbour, - people would greet each other e.g. 'mornin', neighbour'.
As I side note, I'd get 'enraged' every time I hear people praising The Detectorists to the hilt, when they didn't seem to have done the slightest bit of work into regional speech patterns and not one character had an East Anglian accent.
[Post edited 14 Mar 2025 14:26]
I've never heard a Suffolk accent done well on TV ever, always sounds west country.
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:33 - Mar 14 with 1399 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:11 - Mar 14 by football
Same - it's the elongation of the vowels - nuuuuuuws. fuuuuuture etc
I have the giveaway, and think it's more of an Ipswich thing than Suffolk but I can't pronounce a 'th' at the start of a word and just do it as an 'f' so 'three' and 'free' sound exactly the same.
My current bank card has lots of 3's in my long number and I really notice it on myself when reading it out now.
Another proper Suffolk phrase, linked to the above is "a coupla'free"
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:33 - Mar 14 by itfcjoe
I have the giveaway, and think it's more of an Ipswich thing than Suffolk but I can't pronounce a 'th' at the start of a word and just do it as an 'f' so 'three' and 'free' sound exactly the same.
My current bank card has lots of 3's in my long number and I really notice it on myself when reading it out now.
Another proper Suffolk phrase, linked to the above is "a coupla'free"
When I was in Australia years ago and it was a real mix of nationalities, they all picked up on this too. I’d never noticed I couldn’t do it until then.
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:38 - Mar 14 by Mullet
When I was in Australia years ago and it was a real mix of nationalities, they all picked up on this too. I’d never noticed I couldn’t do it until then.
Youth hostelling in Europe many years ago with friends who had more of a Suffolk accent than me, we were sometimes assumed to be Australian because of our accents.
1
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:55 - Mar 14 with 1278 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:38 - Mar 14 by Mullet
When I was in Australia years ago and it was a real mix of nationalities, they all picked up on this too. I’d never noticed I couldn’t do it until then.
I'm exactly the same - get some very strange looks
1
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:05 - Mar 14 with 1256 views
I remember one evening, in the house we lived on the edge of Ipswich, a swarm of them flying from the chimney to the front window in the living room just as the sun was going down and the room was getting darker. It was absolutely terrifying particularly as my parents were out at the time. It never happened again, so I don't know if it was a rather unique event, or my parents put something up the chimney.
[Post edited 14 Mar 2025 15:42]
1
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:16 - Mar 14 with 1217 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:29 - Mar 14 by Blueschev
I've never heard a Suffolk accent done well on TV ever, always sounds west country.
The bloke in charge of 'Infrastructure' in Twenty Twelve had a great Suffolk accent, (though he didn't need one.) The actor (Karl Theobold) is from Lowestoft, which helps.
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:27 - Mar 14 with 1162 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:22 - Mar 14 by Sharkey
I thought it was 'bor, not boy. Originally short for neighbour, - people would greet each other e.g. 'mornin', neighbour'.
As I side note, I'd get 'enraged' every time I hear people praising The Detectorists to the hilt, when they didn't seem to have done the slightest bit of work into regional speech patterns and not one character had an East Anglian accent.
[Post edited 14 Mar 2025 14:26]
Certainly not. Bor is Norfolk.
And in 'rum ol' boy' it wouldn't be a buh or a bor either.
* grammer police Suffolk version
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:29 - Mar 14 with 1154 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:49 - Mar 14 by DJR
Youth hostelling in Europe many years ago with friends who had more of a Suffolk accent than me, we were sometimes assumed to be Australian because of our accents.
Same ! Didn't have to go to Europe to be told that either, both myself and me mates have had that more than once in this country.
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:29 - Mar 14 with 1154 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:33 - Mar 14 by itfcjoe
I have the giveaway, and think it's more of an Ipswich thing than Suffolk but I can't pronounce a 'th' at the start of a word and just do it as an 'f' so 'three' and 'free' sound exactly the same.
My current bank card has lots of 3's in my long number and I really notice it on myself when reading it out now.
Another proper Suffolk phrase, linked to the above is "a coupla'free"
Yep, same here, number free. Many of the locals here in the North West of Ireland have been known to pronounce 3 as tree. At this point when any of us have to mention the number 3 we all just look awkwardly at the floor and say nothing. I also can't pronounce an H just to make things even weirder
0
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:37 - Mar 14 with 1109 views
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 14:33 - Mar 14 by itfcjoe
I have the giveaway, and think it's more of an Ipswich thing than Suffolk but I can't pronounce a 'th' at the start of a word and just do it as an 'f' so 'three' and 'free' sound exactly the same.
My current bank card has lots of 3's in my long number and I really notice it on myself when reading it out now.
Another proper Suffolk phrase, linked to the above is "a coupla'free"
'Fr' instead of 'th' is defo an Ipswich thing. I reckon it's partly because over the last 50 years the towns accent has been increasingly influenced the the increasing number of cockneys and Essex people.
I'm now up in norf Suffolk and there's almost as many Essex accents and thereare proppa Suffolk ones, buh!
Didn’t realise ‘on the drag’ was a Suffolk saying… on 15:37 - Mar 14 by Vic
'Fr' instead of 'th' is defo an Ipswich thing. I reckon it's partly because over the last 50 years the towns accent has been increasingly influenced the the increasing number of cockneys and Essex people.
I'm now up in norf Suffolk and there's almost as many Essex accents and thereare proppa Suffolk ones, buh!
Know loads of people who cant of 'th' and they are not from Ipswich but rural Suffolk.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
