Tweedpipe

.....and Fifi does for others on Friday night. Ooh la la!

Novocastrian

Lewd frivolity aside, that's correct. But I think its a very old fashioned phrase associated with a certain not very educated, lower middle class sort in the 1950s.

Edit: I think "une bonne" is the nearest in French but I stand to be corrected.

dmu

That's what I mean, it's a generational thing - I must have picked it up in the 50s and it's stuck.
I would have said a "bonne" is a maid. The French equivalent of a charlady (is that expression still used nowadays?) is simply "femme de ménage" or the politically correct "employée de maison"/"auxiliaire de vie".

Peabrain

dmu, I don't really see anything generational about a "woman that does", possibly "charlady". You're right that "une bonne" is a maid, and anyone working in an office who complained about "la bonne qui fait mal son travail" would sound somewhat grotesque.
In French there's also the terribly politically correct "technicienne de surface" for a cleaner.
PB

Blackladder

The phrase was used regularly in BBC comedy radio shows in the 50s and 60s. Among the many priceless 'Sandy and Jules' skits on 'Around the Horne' was when they knocked on his door and said: 'Allo mister 'orne, my name's Sandy and this is Jules, we've come to do for you...

Novo and your inexhaustible memory, or maybe Tweedie, will surely come up with the odd Youtube scene with that memorable pair!
Blackie

dmu

Aaaaah, a blast from the past! You've got me all nostalgic now. "The Navy Lark", "Hancock's Half-Hour", "The Goon Show", among others....

Tweedpipe

I was brought up in a middle-class environment, and distinctly recall hearing the expression 'woman that does' relating to visiting charladies during neighbourly discussions etc.

With apologies to Novo, veering off-topic again, (with more lightheartedness than lewd frivolity), and especially as I was prompted with the mention of 'Sandy and Jules' and 'Around the Horne' - a program that I loved and always listened to, here's a brief clip that should bring back memories for other young 'uns like myself.

Blackladder

Ooooooo! Bold, very bold!

cyrian

and the Clitheroe kid.

The only way Kenneth Horne got away with it was the public were generally too naïve to understand the innuendos.
I recorded lots of these programs and listened to them over and over.

Novocastrian

I've forgotten. What's this thread about again?

babyposer

It's about me getting ripped off

Still no answer from this guy, I guess it's good news?!

EuroTrash

Oops. Blame my advice.
But seriously, if they have the nerve to ask for freebies before you're even on the payroll (and no guarantee of that), is this the kind of company culture you're looking for?
In my experience, either it's company ethos to treat people well and they make it a point of honour to make sure that everybody gets a fair reward for the effort they put in so that the company is well thought of, or, they're more interested in company profit and they expect their people to take work home as a matter of course.

babyposer

That's fine, I agree to work for free when it is something which can be quickly done (20 minutes would be fine), however when it's a long job there's no way I'm going to do this for free I have other things to do and I don't wanna steal people's job! Ha I hate these companies who hire trainees all the time to have free staff.

I may have an interview in Leeds anyways so let's hope I have better luck this time.

Sick sick sick I'm so desperate. I'm young and motivated but nobody wants to hire me

EuroTrash

Leeds, ah those were the days - the graveyard shift at AutoTrader, 7pm to 7am, it took me years after I left to stop feeling tired all the time. I don't think AutoTrader's even there any more and Leeds has changed enormously but for a young thing like yourself, you should really enjoy living there. Housing isn't too expensive either, or didn't used to be.
Best of British

InVinoVeritas

I'm afraid the work culture in the UK is very different to France and a long way removed from how it was when most of us last worked there.

Have you seen the TV programme The Apprentice?