Sky blue pink

[Flummery]

After our etymological meanderings in search of Piffy (he seems to be distinctly North Western, whoever he was) I wondered if we could trace variants of the Random Colour. SBP seems to have originated in American children's literature early last century.

When I was a lass the terminology in Manchester was Sky blue pink with a finny haddock border. Here in East Yorks it's (the slightly weaker, I always think) Sky blue pink with yellow dots.

Does it exist where you are and what is your local variant?

Isn't language fascinating?

[Lottieknees]

Hi

Interesting thread Flummery. I thought it originated from my mother back in the sixties? We had moved house and they were decorating the kitchen. I can't remember the details exactly but dad decorated sky blue over the existing pink walls but it didn't cover in the one coat. I just remember her saying it was sky blue pink with the colour washed out - look!

[jacob marley]

my mother always used to say sky blue pink with black and white spots on are memories ....jacob

[HeyWayne]

a) I didn't realise Manda was that old
b) I presumed she was non-fiction
3) I never put her down as a Mercan

Every day's a school day.

[zazen999]

Ours was Sky Blue Pink with Purple Dots.

[Hilary B]

Sky blue pink with yellow dots on. Certainly goes back before 1960 (and I suspect a lot further). I wonder whether the 'original' version (whatever that might have been) was something used by a music-hall comedian? It has something of that flavour (and my Dad was a keen amateur of that ilk......)

[Alison]

My grandad always used to talk about sky blue pink with a finney addey border (or that's what I thought he said) however Flum has now enlightened me as to what he was probably actually saying. He lived all over but quite a bit in the Manchester and North Wales regions.

[PAULW]

Twenty miles north of Manchester ours was sky blue pink with yellow dots,

[julesapple]

Sky Blue Pink...

....with yellow dots.

But where we picked that one up, I have no idea.

My mum was born in Stockton-on-Tees, but moved to Somerset as a tiny child. My Dad is from Invershin in Sutherland, but left at 15 to join the RAF.

As a family we never stayed still for very long. I've lived variously in Holland, USA, Germany, Scotland (east & west coast), Cheshire, Bedfordshire, Italy and various RAF bases in between. Imagine my accent if you will!

So we could have picked it up anywhere, but definitely skyblue pink with yellow dots.

Jules

[Noodles]

My parents always say "Sky blue pink with purple spots"

[Noodles]

This is as close as I've ever gotten to seeing sky blue pink!

[janeyo]

Mu mum used to say 'sky blue GINGER pink'... we are a bit strange here in the fens lol

[ginger ninger]

In Barnsley, Yorkshire, we say "Sky Blue Pink With Yellow Dots On"....by the way Noodle, that photo's amazing.

[Flummery]

Gorgeous and genuine sky blue pink sky!

Finny addy is a corruption of finnan haddock so our version at home was bewteen the two.

[basketcase]

Twenty miles north of Manchester ours was sky blue pink with yellow dots,

Just to the North of Manchester it was ...with a yellow border