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.
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
quote: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
This is true!
I'll claim some northern roots though, born in Manchester, Stafforrdshire heritage
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.