Jump to content

Mimimoking


hilldweller

Recommended Posts

My wife came out with an expression this morning I've not heard in a long time.

She told me someone was "mimimoking" behind someone's back.

I knew that she meant  using silent facial expressions to express disbelief at what a person was saying.

Is this a Sheffield expression or is it something my wife brought with her from her native Derbyshire Dales earlier life ?

Any ideas ?

hilldweller

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Ahhhh I've heard that many times but never known the origin


Such a curious thing to say!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mimimawking - my mum and her sisters did it all the time. I think it was because they worked in Batchelors canning factory so it was form of lip reading and facial expressions. It was usually done behind other family member's back - especially my dad's

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Mini Moke was a derivative of the Mini car wasn't it?

Minimoking ,I always thought ,was a "mimicking" with a Sheffield twist!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, hilldweller said:

My wife came out with an expression this morning I've not heard in a long time.

She told me someone was "mimimoking" behind someone's back.

I knew that she meant  using silent facial expressions to express disbelief at what a person was saying.

Is this a Sheffield expression or is it something my wife brought with her from her native Derbyshire Dales earlier life ?

Any ideas ?

hilldweller

Hello  hilldweller , it looks like it’s Sheffield, Addy has similar in his Glossary of Words Used in The Neighbourhood of Sheffield 1888.

---------------
MIMMY-MAWKS, sb. wry faces, grimaces.
'Gi' o'er makin your mimmy-mawks,' i.e., stop making faces.

MAWKIN - a mountebank, show actor.

MOGE,v. to mock, to make fun of.
The g is hard, and the o is sounded like oa in soap.' Compare the Greek pookos, mockery, MUG below, and MIMMY-MAWKS in the Sheffield Glossary.
“Tha mun tak no notice o' him he's nobbut moging thee”

MOKE, sb. a donkey, ass.
This word is constantly used in Ecclesfield and about Sheffield, but I think it is mere slang.

MUG, to make fun of, to expose to ridicule.
Probaly slang “We did mug him.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/06/2018 at 20:25, hilldweller said:

My wife came out with an expression this morning I've not heard in a long time.

She told me someone was "mimimoking" behind someone's back.

I knew that she meant  using silent facial expressions to express disbelief at what a person was saying.

Is this a Sheffield expression or is it something my wife brought with her from her native Derbyshire Dales earlier life ?

Any ideas ?

hilldweller

mimimoking to me meant that someone was imitating you behind your back and it was an insult to do it. It is a strange expression but everyone in Sheffield knows what it means!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...