Please explain the lingo

Guido · Sep 7, 2011

I have had Nortons since my twenties, 55 now so I'm not new to them but I am new to the English lingo which gets bandied about here on the forum.

Please explain this "Ton Up" thing. What is Ton referring to?

And what does "fettling" mean?

How about "nip up".

Please forgive a ignorant yank but I gots to know.

jeffdavison · Sep 7, 2011

ton up means the 100 MPH mark, once very hard and dangerous to reach and or exceed with classic British Iron.

Fettling means to F*CK around with or more politically corect "messing around" with.

Nip up means to tighen up.

Now you just have to be Knocked up in the morning to read this post.

JD

Guido said:
I have had Nortons since my twenties, 55 now so I'm not new to them but I am new to the English lingo which gets bandied about here on the forum.

Please explain this "Ton Up" thing. What is Ton referring to?

And what does "fettling" mean?

How about "nip up".

Please forgive a ignorant yank but I gots to know.

Hobot · Sep 7, 2011

Other terms I have picked up seeing it often on older lists,
S.O. = Sweet One.
SWMBO = She Who MUST Be Obeyed.
DP0 = Dear or Damned or Departed Past Owner
The names of various fluids can confuses too at first.

rbt11548 · Sep 7, 2011

jeffdavison said:
Now you just have to be Knocked up in the morning to read this post.

JD

I take it you mean he has to be "Wakened Up" in the morning, rather than being "Knocked Up", as meaning 'been made pregnant' ?

jeffdavison · Sep 7, 2011

Stayed at a bed and breakfast once in Lester(tershire), the woman proprietor asked me "what time do you want me to knock you up in the morning sir?" That was the first time I heard the coloquelism and gave her a strange look and explained what I took it to mean, being an American and all. She blushed.

JD

rbt11548 said:
jeffdavison said:

Now you just have to be Knocked up in the morning to read this post.

JD

I take it you mean he has to be "Wakened Up" in the morning, rather than being "Knocked Up", as meaning 'been made pregnant' ?

Click to expand...

speedtwin · Sep 7, 2011

If we are being pedantic, at one time in the uk at least, foundries would have a fettling shop where rough castings just out of the mould would be cleaned up and made suitable for use or for the next process. Honest!

john robert bould · Sep 7, 2011

Please remember "We" brits bought the english word to your shores on a Norton called the Mayflower, followed by the italians on scooters,irish on potato wagons,french on push bikes,Russians on Vodka stills and Germans on Zundapps! So dont blaim us for the "Slant" old chap!

davamb · Sep 7, 2011

speedtwin said:
If we are being pedantic, at one time in the uk at least, foundries would have a fettling shop where rough castings just out of the mould would be cleaned up and made suitable for use or for the next process. Honest!

Agree with SpeedTwin, fettling means to make it suitable for use, as per his example. You might fettle a carb by setting the float height and checking the slides both fully open and shut at the same time. Doesn't mean they're tuned yet, but ready to be so. Then when the bike's in good working condition and running well, you might describe it as being "in fine fettle".

Matt Spencer · Sep 7, 2011

Ton Up > Ton Up Boys > Ton Downt By-pass . A good bike'll do the Ton UP the Bypass . :lol:

Fettling is meddling with something thats not right . Like Twin Carbs . IF YOU GET IT RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE
this is unnessessary , but Lads at Factory were often off at pub , so standards VARIED . :?

Nipping Up , this is if the plugs dont whisker up , the ring dings ' nipped up ' the pistons in the bore,
hence the lore , of ' one finger on the clutch ' allways , amongst dareing two stroke racers of the 60's
( ancient Franciss Barrnetts went more ' ging , ging, ging, ging , ) :wink:

Knocking up someone without a Cup of Tea , is poor classs . Standards have slipped recently . PLASTIC CUPS . :shock:

Guido · Sep 7, 2011

I love it. Thanks for the English lesson.

Even though I am of Italian decent I am still an American first and have always admired and respected the English or British as it were. Still not sure what I should call people from over the pond and hope I am not being disrespecful either.
Learning your expressions, your humor and customs is part of the fun of owning a Norton and being on theses forums and talking to you guy's.

BTW, my pops had 2 Vespa's when I was a kid and he used give me rides by having me sit on the floor boards.
I guess that was my introduction to motorcycles.

I knew what "ton up" meant, I was just looking for the origin of the word "ton". No biggie

DogT · Sep 7, 2011

Guido,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocker_%28subculture%29

Dave
69S

L.A.B. · Sep 7, 2011

Guido said:
Still not sure what I should call people from over the pond and hope I am not being disrespecful either.

British is the safest option-as we "Brits" are not all English.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk ... njack.html

http://www.bg-map.com/us-uk.html

http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/

rvich · Sep 7, 2011

Maybe you should call them UKes if from the UK and 'peans if from the contininent. I never much agreed with being called a "yank". I always thought a yankee was on the receiving end of the yanking, performed by the yanker, which is probably bastardized from "wanker". And to think there are parts of the country where they are proud of their yankee heritage. :wink:

Guido · Sep 7, 2011

DogT said:
Guido,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocker_%28subculture%29

Dave
69S

That was a good read.
Now if I can only find some Brothel Creepers and a good pair of Winklepickers I'll be all set.

FastFred · Sep 7, 2011

'Nip up' also refers to when you seize up a two stroke by not running it in properly, like I did once on an RD400 on the way to the Isle of Man :cry:

Flo · Sep 7, 2011

I wouldn't class myself as a "Brit", I am English.
And I own an ancient Francis Barnett! I would say more of a Ring ding ding ding.
Tis a bit dumpsy s'evening.

Rich_j · Sep 7, 2011

Ton comes from money slang

Grand=£1000
Monkey=£500
Ton=£100
Pony=£25
Score=£20

Nip up does have meanings associated with pistons seizing but generally just means to tighten up, normally applied to nuts and bolts (just doing up not seizing).

Fettling seems in USA to have some negative meanings, UK just means to tidy up, can be tuning or equally any small maintenance activity, doesn't have to be screwed or f*cked up to benefit from a bit of fettling.

diy570 · Sep 7, 2011

Rich_j said:
Fettling seems in USA to have some negative meanings, UK just means to tidy up, can be tuning or equally any small maintenance activity, doesn't have to be screwed or f*cked up to benefit from a bit of fettling.

i think over here, at least in my area, it's pronounced more like "fiddle" or "fiddling", ie. "he fiddled around with his carbs all day and the bike still runs like crap". never seen this meaning of the word used in written form, and mainly you only hear old timers say words like this anymore.

L.A.B. · Sep 7, 2011

diy570 said:
i think over here, at least in my area, it's pronounced more like "fiddle" or "fiddling", ie. "he fiddled around with his carbs all day and the bike still runs like crap".

I think "fiddle" or "fiddling" means the same thing on both sides of the pond.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fiddle

b. To occupy oneself in an aimless or desultory way: liked to fiddle with all the knobs and dials.

3. time-wasting or trifling behaviour; nonsense; triviality

However, "fettle" is to improve or repair: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fettle

3. Brit dialect
a. to prepare or arrange (a thing, oneself, etc.), esp to put a finishing touch to
b. to repair or mend (something)

DogT · Sep 7, 2011

I knew what fettle meant, but it's hardly used here in the Colonies, most won't know.

Dave
69S

Please explain the lingo

Guido

jeffdavison

Hobot

rbt11548

jeffdavison

speedtwin

john robert bould

davamb

Matt Spencer

Guido

DogT

L.A.B.

Moderator

rvich

Guido

FastFred

Flo

Rich_j

diy570

L.A.B.

Moderator

DogT

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