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Quick straw poll, do you know what a belm is? Have you ever thrown one in anger?
I've spent my whole life thinking this was a national craze, but I've just read a claim that it originated in Blackburn and I was wondering how widespread it actually was.
Yup, I'm fully conversant with the art of the belm. I'm from Carlisle and now Sheffield. I thought it began after Blue Peter's spectacularly backfiring adoption of Joey Deacon in the early 80s
yep, it all started with Joey.
Did you not know that?
BELM.
I thought it was an insult as in "beeeeeelllllllmmmmmm" whilst pulling your face. Meaning you stupid prannock.
I am also originally from nr blackburn!
Oh, yeah, I know where it started, you pair of Joeys. I was just curious as to how widespread the 'belm' specifically was. (As indicated in another thread, there was apparently a competing 'Velma')
By the time the craze reached Preston, it was used to express ones disbelief at a tall story:
"I just fisted Norman Lamont..."
"Durr, belmmmmmmmmmm! You sooooo didn't Julian, you wassock!"
it was used to express ones disbelief at a tall story:
it also mutated into this in Manchester.
Sometimes the 'you're telling fibs' belm was accompanied by the words 'Green Beard! Green Beard!'
or 'CHINNEEEE'
The etymology of "chinny" is well documented, but I'm somewhat perplexed by "green beard"...!
it was used to express ones disbelief at a tall story:
See, I'd disagree. The strokey-chin thing (which, god help me, I still do to this day) was essentially calling BS, the belm was to call someone stupid.
i know that back in the day, there was a website called belm, which was 'bringing employment to local m***s'
FAIL.
it's "blem"
Never heard of it. Grew up in Northamptonshire.
Chinny however I think was nation, if not world, wide.
FAIL.it's "blem"
Maybe in an alternate universe.
We used to belm, but never knew it as such. I'm 29 and by the time I went through school the word 'belm' had evolved in to a sound that I don't think I can spell
by the time I went through school the word 'belm' had evolved in to a sound that I don't think I can spell
Usually accompanied by a rhythmic squelchy, sucky, clicky noise made by sucking your lower lip over your bottom teeth whilst pushing ones chin out in a belm-like fashion?
Never heard of it.
This brings back memories I'm sure people used to say something like 'Ecky!' before it Ecky belm whilst pulling a face you said it when you thought someone was lying.
Usually accompanied by a rhythmic squelchy, sucky, clicky noise made by sucking your lower lip over your bottom teeth whilst pushing ones chin out in a belm-like fashion?
Precisely!
Master Belming
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That reminds me - is having a "cop" a national saying, or just down 'ere?
The reason I mention this at all, incidentally, is because apparently someone on Facebook created a 'national belm day'.
The day's passed for this year; I was sent a group invite a while back but given that I'd rather scrub my gonads with a rusty cheese-grater than spend quality time on Facebook, I ignored it until this morning.
Anyway. Point is, the creator claims that the belm originated in Blackburn, and I thought *belm*.
To the uninitiated, there's some quality belmage examples on the site, worth a look.
is having a "cop" a national saying, or just down 'ere?
I've never heard of it. We used to "cop off" with attractive young ladies(*), and perhaps "cop a feel", I don't believe I've ever had a cop. Though, I have had a trainee cop, if by "cop" you mean "policewoman" and by "having" you mean "like crazed weasels."
(* - well, more accurately, we never did any such thing, but we talked about it a lot).
I once had a cop, she was from Blackburn too... Didn't need a battering ram fer't backdoors. ;o)
Guess it's just down South then!
eg. I copped cos I got a puncture and didn't have a spare tube. (ie. temper tantrum, usually in a childish way)
That takes me right back to the 70's. Moved to Preston as a 10yr old and heard it then, never heard of it before that. Crazy word! Never heard it out of Preston either.