"do one" meaning "go away"

Question

Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, D.C.I. Wise, says "Do one!" in contexts where it appears to mean "Go away". I don't recall ever hearing this in real life or in films/TV.
Is this a commonly-used expression? If so, where? Wise is from Newcastle, I believe. I've asked a few friends, including from from Northern England, and most say they've never heard of "do one".

Adam Atkinson

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[nq:1]Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, D.C.I. Wise, says "Do one!" in contexts where it appears ... believe. I've asked a few friends, including from from Northern England, and most say they've never heard of "do one".[/nq]
A phrase common in the late 70s and early 80s (around Liverpool, at least, where I was at the time) was `to do a B1' which meant, roughly, `to go somewhere else'. This resulted from applying for unemployment benefit to which you knew very well you weren't entitled, but had to do in order to acquire the necessary form, B1, to take to the social security office (or something like that). I suspect it's just a truncation of that.
SAm.

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[nq:2]Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, ... England, and most say they've never heard of "do one".[/nq]
[nq:1]A phrase common in the late 70s and early 80s (around Liverpool, at least, where I was at the time) ... B1, to take to the social security office (or something like that). I suspect it's just a truncation of that.[/nq]
It seems to be Liverpool, rather than North West in general. I didn't hear it around Manchester. It was common on the Liverpool soap Brookside. In which Ricky starred. Him being a scouser. I don't know if his character Wise is intended to be a Newcastletonian, but I've never heard Tomlinson speak other than in his own accent.
I always thought it was a truncation of 'do a runner' ie 'run away'. The B1 theory is interesting, but B1s were my stock in trade for many years and I never heard anything of that nature. Everyone knew you had to get a B1 from the dole to take to the social and no-one made a fuss about it.
John Dean
Oxford
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[nq:1]I always thought it was a truncation of 'do a runner' ie 'run away'. The B1 theory is interesting, but ... had to get a B1 from the dole to take to the social and no-one made a fuss about it.[/nq]
I've seen it recorded in at least one glossary of slang (desperately trying to remember where) as `to go somewhere when you know you're just going to end up going somewhere else' OSLT. I didn't say anything about making a fuss about it I just remember it as interesting that it was common enough to have `passed into the language'.

SAm.

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[nq:1]It seems to be Liverpool, rather than North West in general. I didn't hear it around Manchester. It was common ... character Wise is intended to be a Newcastletonian, but I've never heard Tomlinson speak other than in his own accent.[/nq]
I'm probably just not very good at recognising accents. I always assumed Wise was from Newcastle for some reason. I'm probably dead wrong.
I wonder why I've never noticed "do one" before?

Adam Atkinson (Email Removed)
We'll call him Shaun, eh? Come on, Shaun!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, D.C.I. Wise, says "Do one!" in contexts where it appears ... believe. I've asked a few friends, including from from Northern England, and most say they've never heard of "do one".[/nq]
It's fairly common hereabouts (Liverpool).

Paul
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[nq:2]Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, ... NorthernEngland, and most say they've never heard of "do one".[/nq]
[nq:1]It's fairly common hereabouts (Liverpool).[/nq]
Sorry to contradict, Paul, I thought 'e woz sayin "goowon", which is Yorkshire/Lancashire for "go on", meaning to go away.

Some other similar expressions are "soddoff" (= go away) and "*******" (= go away).
Another is "Gerroff withy", which most frequently means "stop joking, it is too far fetched to be believable".
In Yorkshire you can also add "gercha!" to that list, but gercha is more of an exclamation and doesn't actually have a meaning, much like other common expressions, such as "eckie-thump!" and "Oo 'eck!.

The above is just my opinion, as I have come to understand the northern language. I don't think I'm wrong: I live in Sweden!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Watching "Cracker" on DVD I notice that Ricky Tomlinson's character, ... England, and most say they've never heard of "do one".[/nq]
[nq:1]It's fairly common hereabouts (Liverpool).[/nq]
Thanks. It turns out Wise (and Tomlinson) are from Liverpool, so that makes sense.

"do one" meaning "go away"

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