en English es español fr française it italiano de deutsche ja 日本語 pl polski cs česky sv svenska tr Türkçe nl Nederlands

Explaining “There's nowt so queer as folk”

Lloyd Cooper 05/10/2024, 06:05
English.me team member

What does it mean?

There's nowt so queer as folk

The phrase "There's nowt so queer as folk" is a saying from Northern England that means there's nothing as strange or unpredictable as people. It highlights the idea that human behavior can be odd, perplexing, and difficult to understand.

Tone

Colloquial and slightly humorous

Origin

This expression originates from Northern England dialects, where "nowt" means "nothing" and "queer" means "strange". It reflects the quirky nature of regional language and humor in characterizing the unpredictability of human behavior.

Examples of usage

  • After hearing about her neighbor's peculiar hobby, she shrugged and said, "There's nowt so queer as folk."
  • He couldn't understand why people were so obsessed with the latest celebrity gossip, but then he remembered, "There's nowt so queer as folk."