ACC East Midlands dialect words and expressions (Updated 02 July 2007)
Besides those words and expressions listed below, I have found a website that also covers the East Midlands language. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Midlands_English.
There's a great deal of
duplication, but as Wikipedia is more renowned than me, it shows that my trawl
is pretty accurate. Being an ex-Londoner of 0.8C vintage (C = century),
the local language is very noticeable to me. (Addition dated 7 July 2008)
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Living in Clowne near Chesterfield (and later in Nottingham City) in the East Midlands of England provides me (a western suburban Londoner) with an interesting set of differences in language to which I am used. Some of the spellings are suspect due to the verbal-only use of most words. As well as the words listed below, Collins English dictionary gives many dialect words that I have not listed below.
Today is Thursday the 13th March 2008. I have just been loaned a book by a local lady . It is called "Ey Up Mi Duck" and is a study of the dialect of the East Midlands. A number of expressions are known to me, but many are not. It's worth a read; it is referenced ISBN 1 85306 658 3 and is published by Countryside Books, 3 Catherine Road, Newbury, Berkshire. I also found a BBC site on East Midlands dialect: http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/eastmidlands/series7/dialect_voices.shtml
bag on
"He's got a bag on" means that he is in a bit of a temper.
Similar to having
'a monk on'
beer-off What southerners call 'an off license'
bench table. “Put snap on bench, woman’. (See ‘snap’ below)
Bill's mother
"It ain't 'arf black over Bill's Mother's." This may be said as an
observation that the sky is very dark as a result of heavy rain
clouds
bludge to scrounge,
easy or undemanding employment
(my
dictionary states ‘Australian or New Zealand informal).
bobbos Horses. (I have no idea as to the origin, but have found at least two local folk know the word
calls the word seems to mean ‘criticise’ when used as an unfinished sentence: “she calls Linda .......”. A, perhaps, more complete sentence would be “she calls Linda blind”
chase-me-round-the-table drops
"I could do with a few 'chase-me-round-the-table' drops.".
An expression
indicates that "I'm feeling awfully lethargic"
causey a footpath.
chin to chin, or chinning is 'gossiping'
clatfart
a name given to a person who has embarrassed another person by divulging
a piece of information that was supposed to have been kept confidential
clatting continuous talking in a manner that bores the listener
clawking vigorous scratching
ay-up
mi dook a friendly greeting. The
expression ranges from Leicester to
Sheffield
flit moving house (in London, a ‘moonlight flit’ is to move house furtively, usually at night). In the Midlands, ‘flit’ doesn’t seem to imply a furtive act.
fussy making a fuss of someone (in response to a generous
act)
“When I gave her
those chocolates, she was ever so fussy”.
ganzie is a pullover
glass of beer in this locality, a glass of beer is specifically, ‘half a pint’. You’d order either a ‘pint’ or a ‘glass’. ‘Half a pint’ is fully understood, however.
higgler A Nottingham pub is called ‘The Jolly Higgler’ My dictionary gives ‘higgle’ as a variant of ‘haggle’. A local elderly woman tells of a higgler who used to travel around Nottingham and sell ceramic wares. As an itinerant salesman, he probably haggled about money as well.
jennel a passage or tunnel built into a terrace of houses to allow access to the rear of the terrace.
jitty an alleyway or footpath.
manny being bossy. Usually (but not always) said by a woman. “Don’t be so manny” could be a reply to a statement from a woman’s husband. when the man seems to be a bit bossy
mardy being miserable or grizzly (as with a bad-tempered child).
monk on 'a monk on' is being being annoyed or upset and displaying that emotion. See 'bag on'
nesh feeling cold (when those around you do not).
nobbying noseying or being nosey
pod a young child’s shoes
podged a little overfull and have eaten a little too much for comfort
pot a plaster cast
rammie of food, not very wholesome. Of other items, not very satisfactory
rammle physical rubbish or garbage.
scrate to weep or cry.
serry a pet name that is used when addressing a friend. “How are you Serry?”
siling down said of very heavy rain.
skerrick the word is listed in Collins English Dictionary, but it is said to be from Northern England and is now of Australian and NZ use. I had never met the word before but heard it from an educated East Midlander. It is a colloquial word meaning "a very small amount"
snap food. Probably comes from "snap tin" that a miner carried his lunch in. The snap tin had a snap-shut type of lid
snicket a path between walls or fences.
splodging kissing
starved or "starving" feeling cold
stand need to "You stand need to" as an example of this expression, I put a box of chocolates in front of my wife and she immediately replied: “You stand need to buy me them, I’ll put weight on”. Sometimes the “you” word is omitted.
tabbing eavesdropping, or intentional listening to other’s conversation
tatered (not ‘tattered’) whacked, spent, worn out, exhausted.
twitchell a footpath between
gardens with hedges or fences, from a road
leading to an area at the rear of the roadside houses where more
houses exist. This word seems to be almost exclusively used in
Nottingham City. I have seen the word used in a letter from a City
Council officer. I have never seen this type of house-building
anywhere else in the country, but there are several estates in
Nottingham where twitchells exist. (I have found the word
"twitten"
(a Low-German word that has an almost identical
meaning).
Since posting this essay, I have discovered a road or
alley in Beeston or Chilwell that is named "The Twitchell". So the
word will be official in this part of the world.