'Stood like Clem'

[DUFFEMS 56]

According to my Oxford dictionary the word "clem" is a Northern word, it's a verb meaning to starve.

[scoobz 10]

According to my Oxford dictionary the word "clem" is a Northern word, it's a verb meaning to starve.

 

But in the way people I know use it, it wouldn't make sense. 'Stood like Clem' infers that Clem is a person. Clemmed up makes perfect sense, as does clammed, and I thank people for their explanations of these words. The St Clement answer is still my favourite, although I haven't read anywhere where his name was ever shortened to Clem. Doesn't appear like this in the bible.

[natjack 10]

I just put this into a search engine to see what came up and all that came up was this thread and an earlier one. A member called ArthurFearn who's in his 80s says his mother used to say it. So it must be an old saying.

[scoobz 10]

I just put this into a search engine to see what came up and all that came up was this thread and an earlier one. A member called ArthurFearn who's in his 80s says his mother used to say it. So it must be an old saying.

 

Well, it's got to be an old saying cos I'm old . And my Dad who I got the term from has been dead over 20 years!

[hillsbro 32]

I'm quite sure that, as scoobz wrote, "stood like Clem" has nothing to do with being hungry, but as several Forummers have indicated, "to clem" or "to clam" does, in regional dialects, mean "to starve". If anyone would like to see the dictionary references to this, here are scans from the (complete, 13-volume) Oxford English Dictionary, 1st Edition.

 

Personally I have never heard the "clem" variant, only "clam". I well my mother, for example, once saying "the only way to lose weight is to clam", and on another occasion "when I was in hospital they clammed me".

[DUFFEMS 56]

I just put this into a search engine to see what came up and all that came up was this thread and an earlier one. A member called ArthurFearn who's in his 80s says his mother used to say it. So it must be an old saying.

 

My grandfather who was born in 1900 always said, "stood like Clem/clem".

I never knew whether it related to a person or state/condition but, we always knew what it meant, you were doing nowt/buggerall/fixed gaze on your face.

[retep 68]

My grandfather who was born in 1900 always said, "stood like Clem/clem".

I never knew whether it related to a person or state/condition but, we always knew what it meant, you were doing nowt/buggerall/fixed gaze on your face.

 

If you look up Old Clem you'll find they made effigys of him, a bit like Guy Fawkes, so stood about like Clem makes some sense.

 

As an aside Joseph Mather does sing about Duffems.

[top4718 838]

I remember people saying "stood like clem" to people who were standing around looking gormless.

 

As for the clem v clam debate a popular description for a person who looked thin and ill was that they looked "clammed to dee-ath".

 

I'm pretty sure the two are not connected.

[Lady Star 10]

My family were all Sheffielders back through the generations and "stood/standing like Clem" was always in our family vocabulary so I doubt if it's a Barnsley expression, I always assumed that it was linked to Clement Attlee.

Incidentally, in your original post you said another local phrase: "lots of people look at me gone out", I'm sure that is definitely a Sheffield one.

 

Nope - we say that in Nottingham too...

 

I think that many 'sayings' that seem to us to be ours alone are more widespread - I used to think that 'you go about things the wrong way' was a Notts phrase, until I heard it in the lyrics for How Soon is Now? by a Manchester band called The Smiths...

 

I have heard the clem saying too, but wonder if that might have been a relative from Derbyshire that used it??? I don't think I heard it at school or amongst Notts people... Clem would be Mr Attlee...

[Lady Star 10]

I remember people saying "stood like clem" to people who were standing around looking gormless.

 

As for the clem v clam debate a popular description for a person who looked thin and ill was that they looked "clammed to dee-ath".

 

I'm pretty sure the two are not connected.

 

That has to be related to the Nottingham 'clamming' meaning starving!!! I still say that, and people round here seem to have no idea what I am on about!

[scoobz 10]

I have heard the clem saying too, but wonder if that might have been a relative from Derbyshire that used it??? I don't think I heard it at school or amongst Notts people... Clem would be Mr Attlee...

 

I think that we've fairly well established that Clem refers to St Clement, patron saint of blacksmiths, who became a martyr when he was thrown from a ship with an anchor fastened to his feet. Hence the saying 'Stood like Clem'

[Plain Talker 11]

Nope - we say that in Nottingham too...

 

I think that many 'sayings' that seem to us to be ours alone are more widespread - I used to think that 'you go about things the wrong way' was a Notts phrase, until I heard it in the lyrics for How Soon is Now? by a Manchester band called The Smiths...

(snip)

 

In Sheffield we'd say that you did it "Arse-about-face" or "Arse-Upp'ards" (arse upwards).