3 phrases we've definitely all copied

Have you noticed how a phrase or saying suddenly gets taken-up by the green swathed masses? From ‘munga’, donk’, ‘sweets’, ‘enquiry’, ‘touch’, string’, ‘Chod’ through to the English language standards of ‘Stack ‘em up like breeze blocks’ and ‘shag ‘em as quickly as you can throw ‘em under ‘im’, the carp angler has always been keen on a word or phrase; three of which have trended more than most over the last twenty years…

1. Pukka

Or to give it it’s usual pronunciation: ‘PUKKKKKAAAAAAAAAA’. The elfin Tezza Hearn swept the board when he arrived in carping. We’ve already noted the appearance of the ‘Terry-Type’; squinting painfully from behind a three skinner, through long hair under a bird’s nest woolly hat at his white PTFEs hanging limply behind new (although he’d insist he’d have had them since his days on ‘The Pads’) Steve Nevilles while stirring tea unnervingly quickly, our man adopted everything available in print to be like our very own Surrey carp-catching machine. Even Tel’s vocabulary was adopted with his SS3000s, full duplons and three-hundredweight of sodden wool jumper.

Not content with the ‘shadow of the smoke’ accent, our Terry-Type stole Tel’s favourite adjective ‘pukka’ to add to his armoury. Suddenly, lakes and carp conventions were echoing with what sounded like the calls of mating frogs resounding through the smoke-filled air (you could indoors then). ‘Pukkaa’… ‘Pukkaaaaaa’… ‘Puukkkkkaaaaa’… “Pukkka me ol’ mukkkaaaaaaa’! Volleys of ‘pukka’ would fill the night air mingling with frog call. In fact, the spread of the European Lesser Spotted Bog Frog can be seen to have poured through Russia, Northern Europe, across France only to stop at Linear Fisheries. True.

2. 'Happy days'

Thankfully, I think this one’s graph is on the decline. I blame that Dave Lane. Has Dave realised that when you’re hanging off the side of a pond buffalo everyone hangs-off your every word? Multiply that by however many he’s caught (I’m from Norfolk and even I haven’t got enough fingers) you’re going to have some influence on the carp world via YouTube. While he doesn’t keep his rods low enough, or nearly overlapping enough (and they’re normally bent) to influence the tackle tart; his soliloquies from behind many of England’s finest scaly’s has seen ‘Happy Days’ said, almost in a sigh, by everyone recounting an angling tale the length and breadth of this island. Or, most notably, by an angler who will remain nameless who, having enjoyed the barmaid’s apron and a large portion of her slop trays (read into that what you will) found himself staggering, somewhat refreshed around the lake car park talking to himself. Alerted to a potential car thief, we crept through the bushes just in time to hear him wheeze ‘appp-ppppy Dayzzzzzz’ before face-planting into a steaming pile of his own sick, creating a map of Africa in his Farrah slacks on impact. Happy days indeed.

3. 'Lovely times'

It seems that ‘lovely times’ has become the new carper’s stock phrase, now approaching the fervour surrounding ‘Happy Days’ in early 2010. It’s a great one isn’t it; it suggests you’ve been around for bloody years and enjoyed yourself thoroughly (once) while also taking a subtle swipe at the great unwashed and unwiped hordes of the spod-wielding gorillas you struggle to fish beside nowadays.

And the source of this plaintive and almost after-thoughtful phrase? Non other than our good lord Roger Smith. Proprietor of such great soundbites as, “A little of what they fancy does them good, a lot of what they fancy does ‘em better” and, “If you think you’ve had enough, tip your head back and pour another one in, it’ll go.” Everything in modern carping was born on the banks of Savay, full stop, and Roger’s diction suited the laid-back angling perfectly. As Lockey said last week, “It was when you went fishing because you were fishing, if you had one you’d tell your mates and you’d all have a few”… Lovely times.