hilldweller Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 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 More sharing options...
Lyn 1 Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 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 More sharing options...
lysander Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 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 More sharing options...
boginspro Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 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 More sharing options...
ukelele lady Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Yes definitely Sheffield, I use to get a clip rount earoil for mimimawking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorntons girl Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 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 More sharing options...
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