I expect it's a little old and shrivelled these days. Unless Doctor Cohen went and pickled it for his own sordid ends (no 'sordid ends' pun originally intended, honest).
I wonder if it will get included in the OED at some point, it's usage has become very widespread by now, or it still just a mainly Manc area expression
Yeah true, it wouldnt quite sound right coming from Phil Mitchell or someone like that in Eastenders, "leave it aaaaat 'Chew, you're such a ballache", doesnt quite sound right does it.
Presumably pronounced the same way as Psylons, an excellent John Peel era very heavy metal/punk band that he had a lot of time for. I've had their superb single "The Mockery of Decline" gathering dust for about 25 years now, (not literally as i keep my singles either in a case, and the overflow in a plastic bag) as my record player broke around that time, its not available online anyhwhere. If ever i needed to blow any cobwebs away and get some adrenalin going that track would always do the trick.
Someone needs to get it uploaded, it may fall to me, i may buy one of those usb turnables at some point, if any of them are actually any good, quality wise. I could create my own tribute to john peel 1985-1989 era channel, i wonder how it would get on. I've noticed that some of the tracks he plugged from that era only that have been uploaded have only got about 750 listens, doesnt bode too well. Still the comments might be interesting for us oldies to reminisce about listening to Peely religiously from 10pm - midnight every Monday - Wednesday.
Do you take a dictionary to bed with you at night Sam
Your vocabularly is very impressive, 75% of the words you post on this thread here i havent a clue what they mean I guess that i have enough words in my own vocabulary to express what i want to say, and so that will do.