Lewes Forum thread

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Slang definitions

On 27 Nov 2013 at 1:09pm Cheeky Monkey wrote:

OK you well read and travelled people of Lewes, help me out with this one could you?
Define this word and its origin if you can:
Sounds like it's spelt something like "Garroty".
Is used in the following context.
"After he found his missus in bed with some geezer from the football club, he went f**kin garroty"

On 27 Nov 2013 at 3:46pm Kettle wrote:

I thought it was garratty and that it meant bonkers, and for some reason I think it's got Irish origins.
Why?

On 27 Nov 2013 at 4:03pm AVOR wrote:

I thought it was spelt Garatty and that it means uppity or argumentative.
Thats what I get called in our house anyway.

On 27 Nov 2013 at 5:02pm Cheeky Monkey wrote:

Kettle: No particular reason, just curious, I heard it more when I lived around South London and heard it again recently from a Sussex lad, born and bred in Lewes.
Irish certainly sounds plausible.

On 27 Nov 2013 at 5:15pm Hyena wrote:

I think it's Garrity (Irish) the expression emerged in the Sixties and is possibly related to the on stage behaviour of Freddie Garrity of Freddy and the Dreamers.

On 28 Nov 2013 at 5:54am Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:

That's what I've always understood, too, Hyena.
It's an expression I first came across in south London in the 80's. I've a few Irish friends, and it's not something I've noticed them saying. Mind you, they're mostly from the rural west, so a bit behind the times!

On 28 Nov 2013 at 10:01am Mme B wrote:

ACT: 5.54 am! Blimey, don't you ever sleep?!

On 28 Nov 2013 at 1:30pm Belladonna wrote:

Cassells dictionary of slang says its idiotic or stupid, origins 1980's, SE.

On 28 Nov 2013 at 3:10pm The Tooth Fairy wrote:

A certain oik once called me a 'Berkely Hunt'. Well, the cheek of it.

On 28 Nov 2013 at 4:57pm Cheeky Monkey wrote:

One of my favorites from the marvellous Viz.
"He's a proper bacta".
As in, back to front.

On 28 Nov 2013 at 5:52pm Fred wrote:

I've always liked this one :
Eccles cake
n. A casually discarded Eartha. Named after local newspaper hack (name removed following legal advice) of the Sussex Express who, after a night on the strong cider, shat himself in the pub and shook it out of his trousers before ordering another pint of Biddenden's 9-percenter.