What fettle bonny lad?

[Keelefarmer]

I'm just watching 'Our Friends in the North' , a drama shown on the BBC in the 90's about a group of people living in Newcastle. Was wondering if anyone know's the the above phrase means, i get thats it's a Gordie bersion of 'Whats Up', but dont get the 'fettle' bit, where did this come from??

Check out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115305/
Its one of the best BBC productions ever!

Thanks

[THECORBYLOON]

Someone or something can be in fine fettle meaning in a good state or condition. We'd say "Fit like, min?" "What like (are you), man?. I suppose the English would say "How are you?"

[Ethel]

Newcastle is in England.

Fettle is an old word, from the 14th century and originally meant ' to shape, prepare'. So if something was fettled it was in a good state.

[Keelefarmer]

Thanks! :)

[andy-hughes]

Fettling is also a Stoke expression.

Back in the days when we had potteries, women were employed to scrub off the stray bits of clay from part-fired pottery - usually the parts where the two halves of a mold joined, leaving a little ridge of clay which was scrubbed off with a hard brush. This was known as fettling, and the ladies were employed as fettlers.

People over fifty stil refer to giving something a good 'fettling' meaning a good scrub to get it clean, but like all expressions from our industry, it will die out.

Next week - a saggar maker's bottom knocker ...

[Keelefarmer]

Strange...I'm a Stokie but haven't heard of it being used in Stoke before! Thanks.

[andy-hughes]

You are showing your age Keelefarmer - my mum used to say it, but she is eighty-five, and the potteries' mainly female workforce are long since redundant, and slowly passing on.

You do know what a saggar maker's bottom knocker is though I hope?

[Keelefarmer]

Nope! No idea sorry :( Something to do woth pottery i'm guessing??

[andy-hughes]

A saggar maker made a round or oval box - the saggar - out of fireclay, in which the pottery ware was placed before being put in the kiln for firing. The saggar protected the ware from the flames and smoke while the firing process took place.

The bottom of the saggar was made by hammering another piece of clay through an iron ring to form the shape, using a wooden mallet - he was the saggar maker's bottom knocker.

The young lad would usually be apprenticed to the saggar maker, and would move up through the ranks as the older men retired.

These crafts are now relegated to museums where the last few remaining people with these skills demonstrate them to tourists.

[ZEUSELLE]

fettle to my area up north is different depending on how it's used. if you called somebody "old fettler" this is the male version of a nice old lady. if you tell somene "you'll fettle it" this means you will mend something broken or suss out how something works. and if you are in fine fettle it means you're fit and healthy.

[luvbug69]

The most common "translation" for what fettle is how are you and bonny lad is a term of endearment meaning nice, handsome, etcetera. And am a geordie so a shud knaa!
Where it originates is anybody's guess.