"He thinks he's Archie"

[Kiltie]

I haven't heard it used for some years but I remember this expression being used to describe someone who appeared; self important or perhaps had ideas above their station.

It popped into my head the other day and I've been trying to establish the origin.

I'm sure it's a Scottish expression; or perhaps just North East.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Cheers,

Eric

[ViperScot]

I've wondered that too and thought it might refer to Archibald Simpson...

[paul555sti]

When growing up that phrase was said to a mate of mine and he has from pretty much that day on been called Archie. His real name is Mark but if you ask 90% of our village they would not know his real name every one now actually thinks his name is Archie.

[Rickeh]

Probably wildly wrong, but whenever it was said in my family it was said like 'Erchie' usually followed by 'Pluff'... 'He thinks he's Erchie Pluff'. Where did this Erchie Pluff character come from I wonder?

I have done a swift googling and it resulted in someone else using the same phrase but nothing conclusive.

[istoo]

ViperScot said:

I've wondered that too and thought it might refer to Archibald Simpson...

might be some logic in that, he was prolifically an Aberdeen architect... his first building was Aberdeen lunatic asylum going by the RIAS records (which i believe to be incorrect) however if you think about the context of that fairly it is easy to assume some origins for the phrase. My granny, black isler all her life, uses the expression as well.

[Col 666]

I used to hear this all the time a few years back, in the perthshire area.

[Kiltie]

istoo said:

... his first building was Aberdeen lunatic asylum ...

Fit, Bankheid Academy?

There seems to be a number of variations in the spelling of the name; Archie, Airchie, and Erchie.

I'm going to write to the Evening Express to see what that yields.

Thanks for the ideas so far.

Cheers,

Eric

[ViperScot]

Kiltie said:

istoo said:

... his first building was Aberdeen lunatic asylum ...

Fit, Bankheid Academy?

There seems to be a number of variations in the spelling of the name; Archie, Airchie, and Erchie.

I'm going to write to the Evening Express to see what that yields.

Thanks for the ideas so far.

Cheers,

Eric

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

[D-Speed]

Kiltie said:

Fit, Bankheid Academy?

I used to be an inmate there!

[istoo]

ViperScot said:

Kiltie said:

istoo said:

... his first building was Aberdeen lunatic asylum ...

Fit, Bankheid Academy?

There seems to be a number of variations in the spelling of the name; Archie, Airchie, and Erchie.

I'm going to write to the Evening Express to see what that yields.

Thanks for the ideas so far.

Cheers,

Eric

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

some daft old bugg... no havent a clue either

[istoo]

Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum was too hard to pronounce so they just called it Pittodrie... it appears to have been demolished in 1939.

[Ian974]

I have no idea where the phrase comes from, but someone at my work is often known as Erchie because of it!

[Curry Burns]

I'm sure a phrase 'Fair Erchie', which I think means very happy.

[Stewart-83]

I haven't heard that in a long time either. That's it. It's back! I WILL find someone to say it to.

Oh and I have no idea where it comes from.

[Kiltie]

istoo said:

ViperScot said:

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

some daft old bugg... no havent a clue either

I take issue with that!

In November 1983, I was knitting a cardigan and ran short of one ball of wool.

As I recall, all I needed was one 50g ball of 4ply Cashmere Merino in lilac to finish the job.

I wrote to the EE and two nights later, a Mr Marshall of Ellon had written back and pointed me in the direction of a previously unnoticed wee shop in George Street.

I popped in the following day and it was a bit of an unnerving experience - a bit like an episode of 'Mr Benn' (in terms of "as if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared").

Anyway, I managed to get exactly what I needed and was able to complete the project.

The following year, I entered said cardigan in the craft tent at the Echt show ... and would you believe it, I got a second place rosette! (first place went to a some turquoise leg warmers in angora, knitted by a Mrs McPhartridge fae Skene ... or perhaps it was Dunecht).

As fate would have it, years later, Mr Marshall (of Ellon) and I became very good friends and remain so to this day. I also sometimes wonder if this whole episode is the root of my fascination for the colour lilac.

Anyway, that's enough about knitting wool ... but, as you all know, I do like a yarn.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Sunday 10th January 11:26

[Famous Graham]

[OlberJ]

Kiltie said:

istoo said:

ViperScot said:

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

some daft old bugg... no havent a clue either

I take issue with that!

In November 1983, I was knitting a cardigan and ran short of one ball of wool.

As I recall, all I needed was one 50g ball of 4ply Cashmere Merino in lilac to finish the job.

I wrote to the EE and two nights later, a Mr Marshall of Ellon had written back and pointed me in the direction of a previously unnoticed wee shop in George Street.

I popped in the following day and it was a bit of an unnerving experience - a bit like an episode of 'Mr Benn' (in terms of "as if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared").

Anyway, I managed to get exactly what I needed and was able to complete the project.

The following year, I entered said cardigan in the craft tent at the Echt show ... and would you believe it, I got a second place rosette! (first place went to a some turquoise leg warmers in angora, knitted by a Mrs McPhartridge fae Skene ... or perhaps it was Dunecht).

As fate would have it, years later, Mr Marshall (of Ellon) and I became very good friends and remain so to this day. I also sometimes wonder if this whole episode is the root of my fascination for the colour lilac.

Anyway, that's enough about knitting wool ... but, as you all know, I do like a yarn.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Sunday 10th January 11:26

That better make next years "Best of Pistonheads".

[JohnS]

Kiltie said:

istoo said:

ViperScot said:

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

some daft old bugg... no havent a clue either

I take issue with that!

In November 1983, I was knitting a cardigan and ran short of one ball of wool.

As I recall, all I needed was one 50g ball of 4ply Cashmere Merino in lilac to finish the job.

I wrote to the EE and two nights later, a Mr Marshall of Ellon had written back and pointed me in the direction of a previously unnoticed wee shop in George Street.

I popped in the following day and it was a bit of an unnerving experience - a bit like an episode of 'Mr Benn' (in terms of "as if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared").

Anyway, I managed to get exactly what I needed and was able to complete the project.

The following year, I entered said cardigan in the craft tent at the Echt show ... and would you believe it, I got a second place rosette! (first place went to a some turquoise leg warmers in angora, knitted by a Mrs McPhartridge fae Skene ... or perhaps it was Dunecht).

As fate would have it, years later, Mr Marshall (of Ellon) and I became very good friends and remain so to this day. I also sometimes wonder if this whole episode is the root of my fascination for the colour lilac.

Anyway, that's enough about knitting wool ... but, as you all know, I do like a yarn.

Cheers,

Eric

Brilliant, are you sure you weren't smoking the lilac yarn

[istoo]

Kiltie said:

istoo said:

ViperScot said:

I always wondered who wrote to the EE!

some daft old bugg... no havent a clue either

I take issue with that!

In November 1983, I was knitting a cardigan and ran short of one ball of wool.

As I recall, all I needed was one 50g ball of 4ply Cashmere Merino in lilac to finish the job.

I wrote to the EE and two nights later, a Mr Marshall of Ellon had written back and pointed me in the direction of a previously unnoticed wee shop in George Street.

I popped in the following day and it was a bit of an unnerving experience - a bit like an episode of 'Mr Benn' (in terms of "as if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared").

Anyway, I managed to get exactly what I needed and was able to complete the project.

The following year, I entered said cardigan in the craft tent at the Echt show ... and would you believe it, I got a second place rosette! (first place went to a some turquoise leg warmers in angora, knitted by a Mrs McPhartridge fae Skene ... or perhaps it was Dunecht).

As fate would have it, years later, Mr Marshall (of Ellon) and I became very good friends and remain so to this day. I also sometimes wonder if this whole episode is the root of my fascination for the colour lilac.

Anyway, that's enough about knitting wool ... but, as you all know, I do like a yarn.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited by Kiltie on Sunday 10th January 11:26

Touche
Although your only adding ammo to the EE fire, must have taken ages to compile such a well constructed, if not quite complete yarn!

---

edited as i am illiterate

Edited by istoo on Monday 11th January 09:48

[Corpulent Tosser]

As the Mr Marshall, formerly of Ellon, I can confirm that the yarn such as it is or was, definitely was of a lilac hue, if indeed it ever existed.


As an aside, my brother thinks he is Archie.