Soppy date

[kriskwery]

This was a term my Mum (born 1927) used to use if you'd done something silly... "You are a soppy date!". Was this unique to her or a buzz phrase at some time?

[elephant]

My Mum also used the phrase, she was born 1940 and came from brighton if that helps.

[Hellion]

Yep! my Mum called me a 'soppy date' and a 'soppy/silly apeth'1931 Birmingham

[Cetti]

Perhaps it was the expression of that era as my Mum (Bournemouth)used it often.

[Quizmonster]

I'm not familiar with the 'date' version, but what you refer to as 'apeth', Hellion, was more usually written 'a'p'orth, as it's an abbreviation of 'halfpennyworth'. In the days when the coin existed, it was usually pronounced as hape-nee. Clearly, it was of very little value, so when used to address people - usually children - it just meant something along the lines of "you silly little thing".

[Pickle]

Yeah my nan uses that and she was born in 1926. She also says daft haporth (silent h) She's from South London. I have a vague recollection of her telling me she got it from a music hall comedian before the war. I could be wrong though...

[woofgang]

my mum useed to say both of those too (born 1919 and a Londoner)

[Maude]

My mother used both soppy date and soppy 'apeth. Born Swindon 1893.

[kriskwery]

Ummm! We are all learning a lot about how old our mother's are/were and their whereabouts (yes, mine was a Londoner too). I was half hoping (without stating my requirement fully!) that someone would clarify the "date" bit!! Any takers?

[D3clan]

Hello, i stumbled across this and had to reply.
My gran used this expression. She was born in 1924 in Waterford, Ireland and later moved to Brighton. It was subsequently passed to my mum and now, I myself use the expression quite often. I'd never really thought about it too much before.

[D3clan]

Hello, I stumbled across this thread and felt the urge to reply.
My gran was born in Waterford, Ireland in 1919 and used this expression regularly. She moved to Brighton in 1945 after living in Reading for a while.

[rosie53]

My mother was born in 1941 and grew up in Brighton. She is the only person I have ever met who says it.

[Willie]

Usually used by women. Soppy means wet as in sopping wet. A date is going out with someone on a "date". So a soppy date is a chap who is a bit over loving in a silly way. That is why it is mostly heard from people's mums!

[rbrydges]

My Mum - born in Ealing in 1935 - used it a lot, mostly to me!