Pip pip! Wave goodbye to traditional sayings

THEY could hardly be called a flash in the pan, but traditional sayings are in danger of being sent to the knacker’s yard as fewer of us claim to use or even understand them, a survey shows.

Just over one in five still used the term ‘casting pearls before swine’ – meaning wasting something valuable on someone who does not appreciate it.

It came top of the poll, with 78 per cent of respondents saying they never use the biblical expression.

The research found the majority (71 per cent) of modern Britons have never used the saying ‘nailing your colours to the mast’, meaning declaring beliefs openly.

Almost as many (70 per cent), were unfamiliar with the use of ‘pip pip’ to bid a cheery goodbye. And while you Daily Mail readers certainly ‘know your onions’, 68 per cent claim that they have never heard the phrase.

Other sayings in danger of dying out include ‘raining cats and dogs’, ‘eat humble pie’, ‘mad as a hatter’, ‘steal my thunder’ and ‘a nod is as good as a wink’, meaning it is unnecessary to explain something because one already understands. All of the above were now redundant phrases, as far as at least half of the respondents were concerned. Even the classic proverb ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ – decisive action now will prevent extra work later – is gobbledygook to six out of ten Britons, the study suggests.

The survey was based on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, aged between 18 and 50. But there is hope for some of these fascinating expressions, as 73 per cent of those questioned believed it was a shame when phrases died out.