I'm a big fred dibnah fan. He often uses the word 'proper' in a way that doesn't mean much to me. See 4:24 is of this vid.



Also he'll say things like "that was the death of the cotton industry proper"

I completely understand the usage of the word (studied in Bolton, lived a couple of villages away) and an struggling to explain it.

He's meaning the overhang is really 5 foot. It's not like the section goes in a foot then overhangs 5 (making 4 in reality). It's a really 5 foot or maybe a little over 5 foot.

If I've done something well / to a high standard I'd say I've done a proper job.

If I'd dug a deep hole, say 6 foot deep I might say it's a proper deep hole.

Feels like a terrible explanation. It makes sense to me.

Regarding the cotton industry, lots of things will have led to it's demise but this was the key thing. After this their was no coming back.

Yes big fan too Ben

Proper in this sense, means "actual or unadorned" so the ledge sticks out 5ft from the main chimney stack if it carried on start up
But agreed, proper also is used, (Guy Martin does it a lot) meaning "the real deal" or yes proper job=good job

I can't watch him without feeling he's about to fall off. Totally crazy sod.

Gotta laugh. Two people living 125 miles away from Bolton and less than a mile from each other explaining a local dialect

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
Gotta laugh. Two people living 125 miles away from Bolton and less than a mile from each other explaining a local dialect

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Where I grew up in South Yorkshire the 'wall proper' means the vertical surface of the wall. It's not implying 5 foot is a long way, rather using the main vertical surface as a reference point.

Thanks everyone

Is ‘proper job’ also in use in Somerset and elsewhere in SW England?

Anyone got any alternative phrases for unobtainable components beyond ‘like rocking horse/unicorn droppings’ (or similar) or ‘made from unobtainium’?

Cheers
Mike

[Edited on 5/1/22 by Mike Wood]

[Edited on 6/1/22 by Mike Wood]