“Git oot wid thi Johnny, thoo’s nowt bet a fash,Thoo cums till thoo raises a desperate clash;Thoo cums ivvery neet just to put yan aboot,Thoo moithes yan terrably, Johnny git oot.”
“Git oot wid thi Johnny, thoo’s nowt bet a fash,Thoo cums till thoo raises a desperate clash;Thoo cums ivvery neet just to put yan aboot,Thoo moithes yan terrably, Johnny git oot.”
“Git oot wid thi Johnny, thoo’s nowt bet a fash,Thoo cums till thoo raises a desperate clash;Thoo cums ivvery neet just to put yan aboot,Thoo moithes yan terrably, Johnny git oot.”
“Git oot wid thi Johnny, thoo’s nowt bet a fash,
Thoo cums till thoo raises a desperate clash;
Thoo cums ivvery neet just to put yan aboot,
Thoo moithes yan terrably, Johnny git oot.”
Clash,i.e.gossip. “Desperate” and “terribly” illustrate a well-known feature of the dialect speakers of the Lake Country.
MONT—Must not. Ah wad liked te hev gone t’et hunt but ah mont es t’ yowes is starten te lam.
MOTTLED—Spotted. A gay nice Herdwick tip, but rayder mottled et t’ feeace en’ t’ legs.
MOPEMENT, MAAPMENT—Silly talk. What hed ye tae yer dinner? Cauf-mutton pie boiled. Seck mopement thoo does talk, ther’s neea seck thing as cauf-mutton pie. Whia than it was collop-fat.
MULLY-GRUBS—A complaint ’at bodders idle fooak a lot.
MUN-AH—Must or may I. Mun-Ah ride t’ gallawa oot ta-neet? Thoo munnat.
MUCK—Manishment. Matter ’at’s oot o’ t’ spot.
MULL, MURL—Smo peat at t’ boddum at t’ stack. In t’ auld days peat mull was famishly thowt on ta put het on t’ pie pan lid. This wad biak t’ crust an’ t’ body o’ t’ pie wad be boilin’ at t’ siam time.
MULLOCK—A serious blunder. Thoo miad a mullock on ’t ta gang an’ liver t’ wrang bullocks, min.
MUN—The mouth.
MUMPS—Quinsey.
MUM—Varra whiat. What’s wrang wi’ thi, thoo sits as mum as a moose.
MUD, MED—Might. It mud hev bin war as t’ chap said when t’ nag ran away and brakt t’ neck. He was thinken aboot his awn, neea doot.
MUGGY—Soft, foggy day. Neea druft. It’s a muggy day en drys laal.
MUMMEL—Bad at chowin’. What’s ta mummelin’ aboot? Is thi teeth gitten bad?
MUCK-HACK—A drag ta poo t’ muck oot.
MUFATEES—Knitted cuffs. Grand is a pair o’ mufatees fer keepen yer shackles warm.
MUN—Must. Ah mun gah hiam.
MUNNET—Must not. Thoo munnet stop i’ thi wet clias.
MURK-DRIFE—When t’ air’s as full o’ snow as an egg’s full o’ meat, an’ t’ winds driven an’ whirlen ’t aboot e’ o’ directions at yance, that’s it.
MULL’D-YAL—Varra near oot o’ date. Yal an’ eggs, an’ a lot mair kelderment mixed up, and tian het.
MUNT, MUHT, MURT—“Must not” i’ nacken. Thoo murt deea seea an’ seea. Ther’s white a lot o’ shorthand i’ oor auld talk, these is amang t’ lot.
MUNGY—A warm damp atmosphere ’at maks yan sweet if yan stirs is said ta be mungy.
MURNEN, MIUNEN—When fooak’s sair hodden wi’ pain they murn oot wi’ ’t.
MUSH—Sticks ’at hes o’ mirled away, er taties an’ turnips ’at boils ta slodder—they’ve o’ gian ta mush.
MUTE—Nowder a cuddy ner a mule—atween t’ tweea—that’s a mute, an’ it gahs neea farder.
MUZZY—A dull low spirited manner. He wad muzzy aboot fer days wi’ hardly ivver a word fer t’ cat.
MUZZYEN—Howken ower t’ fire when yan sud be up an’ aboot yan’s wark. Sista thoo’ll sit muzzeyen ower t’ fire tell thoo’ll be as grey as a loose.
NAB, NABBLE, NOBBLE—They o’ mean yah thing—i.e., a dishonest mack o’ sharp dealin’. Yan mud co’ ’t stealin i’ plain English.
NABB’D, NABBEN—To seize hold. Ah just nabb’d hauld on ’t i’ time. He war nabben peers.
NANNY—Aggy; Agnes.
NACKERS—Bits o’ coo ribs ’at lads play wi’.
NACK, NACKEN—Fooak at’s swallowed a dictionary, forbye a spellen biuk, an’ a grammar, an’ talk bi them, an’ whar they’re nut fine eniuf put a bit tul o’ ther awn, that’s nacken. Nack’s like rotten sticks, is a varra common observation.
NAF—T’ middle part ov a car trunnle.
NAG, NAGGEN, NAGLEN, NANGLY—Cross-grained, quarrelsome, camplin’, grumlen, ways o’ some fooak when they ca’t hev o’ ther awn way.
NAIG—A dull aching pain. Mi’ teeth naig and wark.
NAILS—Owt ’at’s hard. It’s freezen like nails.
NAILT—Cheated. He bowt a stag at Brough Hill an’ gat sowenly nailt wi’ ’t.
NAILED—Non-plussed. Aye, Ah sez, sez Ah, Ah can pay twenty shillin’ ta t’ pund, an’ that nailed him, he couldn’t come again.
NAM’LE—Bad at walken. Mi corns stang whel Ah can hardly nam’le an’ gah ato’.
NANCY-PRETTY—London pride; Love lies bleeding.
NANG-NAILS—Step-mudder jags. They grow aboot t’ band o’ t’ nail, an’ er varra sair.
NANTLE, NANTLIN’—Ta pettle aboot diun bits o’ jobs at it hardly matters whedder they’re diun er nut. Nantle aboot t’ garden fer days.
NAR, NAR-HAND—It was nar-hand tierm-time. Near. Close-fisted. Varra nar an’ clooase.
NAR-SIDE—Opposite ta far side i’ nag driven.
NARK, NARKY, NARKT—It narks yan a bit ta see sec wark. He war a bit narky ower t’ trottin’ do. Some fooak er seea siun narkt. It means put out.
NATTER—Grumbling. Natter, natter, natter, thoo’s nivver diun, natteren’ wi’ a nivver ceasen’.
NATTLIN—A chap ’at’s nowt ta deea ’ll varr oft mak up for ’t wi’ putten his hands in his pocket an’ than start nappen wi’ his clog heel on t’ rooad. That’s yah mak o’ nattlin nobbut amang a lot.
NATTY—Neat. A natty lal bonnet abiun a natty lal fiase. What’s nattier?
NAY-SEWER, NAY, NEEA, NIN, NOWT, NEEABODY—These is o’ i’ full go amang us an’ come in handy i’ ther turn. Nay sewer, he’s neea thowt fer nin o’ huz, an’ cares lal fer nowt ner neeabody but hissel, a gurt brossen hacken.
NAY-SAY—Power of saying no to yansel. When he gits a glass it’s ower; he’s neea nay-say wi’ him when he starts.
NAZZY-AN-SNAR—Yan o’ them soor, snipe nooased mack o’ fooak at liuks as if they could bite stub heeds off if yan spack owt sa oppenly tull them. What’s ta sa nazzy an’ snar aboot thoo gurnen auld hemp?
NARY, GNARY—Stoot an’ strang. He’s a nary fellah.
NAKED-LADIES—Autumn Crocus.
NEB—Bill; toe; nose; a cap peak. Sis’ta thoo’s thi’ neb i’ iv’rybody’s business.
NEBBUR, NEBBUREN, NEBBURLY—To be on good terms; visiting; of a friendly disposition. They’re varra prood an’ hee, an’ nivver nebbur wi’ nin o’ huz. A chap was builden a hoose, an’ he gat ower nar t’ rooad, an’ hed ta poo ’t back, seea what he built it fower stooary hee, acos, as he said, he’d good nebburs abiun-heed.
NEBBURS—Neighbours. Nebburs is nebburs when frens is far away.
NECK—Presumption. Thoo hes a neck ta ass seck a question, ’at hes ta.
NECK-AN’-HEELS—Bodily. Ower Ah went, neck an’ heels, intul t’ sump.
NEDDY-BEECHAM—Neddy was t’ furst silly man, an’ we’re o’ co’ed efter him ’at’s a bit daft.
NEED-FIRE—Thoo mun work fer need-fire. It gahs like need-fire. The original need-fire was the preventive of murrain, and obtained by friction, hence no doubt entailing industry in getting or conveying it.
NE’ER-ACK—Nivver heed er nivver mind. Good advice at times is this.
NEEST—Next. We’ll gah hiam neest Sunday.
NEIGHBOUR-ROW—A circle around a fire. Come up inta t’ neighbour-row an’ sit ye doon, tell t’ mistress laits ye a glass.
NESH—Delicate. Sitten’ i’ t’ hoose maks yan nesh.
NETTLED—Aggravated. Ah war that nettled when he said oor barns was mucky, ’at Ah dudn’t know which end Ah stiud on.
NEWDLED—A condition of insanity or approaching it. He’s drucken tell he’s newdled.
NEWDLIN’—A body wi’ not varra clear nooations. He’s a lal snafflin newdlin. He’s allus newdlen aboot t’ public hoose efter some cheap yal.
NEWSY—Inquisitive. What’s thoo shutten thi neb in for? Thoo’s as newsy as an auld woman, ’at ista.
NIFFY-NIFFY-NACK—Lads ’at’s laken at choosin’; they shut ther neeves an’ say, niffy-niffy-nack, which will ta tack?
NIPPY—Sharp, active. Lewk nippy wi’ tha.
NICKT-ET-HEED—A silly body. What’s ta gaan at seck a pelder for? Fooak ’ll say thoo’s a nick-et-heed, an’ they’ll nut be far wrang.
NICKEREN—Fooak at gurn an’ snuffle an’ fleer when ther’s nowt ato to deea’t for, that’s nickeren.
NICKLETY-NOWT—Yan o’ t’ marks on a teetolly ta laik at pins wi’.
NICKT-FER-T’-SIMPLES—This is t’ siam as takken sturdy oot ov a sheep heed.
NIEF—The clenched fist. Ah up’s wi’ mi’ nief an’ Ah fetcht him sec a yark under t’ lug wi’ ’t an’ he shot up.
NING-NANG—An unreliable person. Tak nea nooatis o’ t’ lal ning-nang.
NINNY—Rayder slack set up i’ t’ upper garrat. Thoo gurt ninny, wheea wad deea like that?
NINNY-HAMMER—Thoo’s warse ner a ninny-hammer, an’ that’s nine times warse ner a fiul.
NIPT—Pinched; starved looking.
NIPPY-AN-NAR—Close fisted. They war varra nippy an’ nar i’ some things, but O! man, a better boddy niver was ner them fer a mial.
NIUK—Ah’ll stand mi’ niuk. A card laiker’s word.
NIUK-STOWER—Iron work of a cart to which loads are secured.
NIUKLED—A coo new cauved en i’ full milk is top niukled.
NIGGLY—Varra bad ta git owt oot on in a bargin. He was as niggly ower a penny as many a yan is ower a pund.
NIGGLED—Chowed. T’ rattans hes niggled his britches boddums. T’ gully was blunt, but Ah’ve niggled a collop off t’ shooder as weel’s Ah cud.
NOBBUT—Wheeas that? It’s nobbut me, let’s in.
NOOASE-WHOLS—Some o’ ye’ll gurn an’ sneer, aboot this’n. Ye’ve neea casion, it’s as good as nose-thrills er eny seck-mack.
NOOASE-ENDER—A feiten trick.
NOOASEN—Prying. Ah mak nowt o’ fooak ’at’s allus nooasen efter udder fooak’s bits o’ fam’ly affairs.
NIVVER-CEASIN’—At it wi’ a nivver ceasin’. It means t’ perpetual mooation i’ grumblin’ an’ grunten.
NOBBY—T’ barn nooase. Does it’s laal nobby kittle, bless it?
NOCKLE—Lads ’ll see ’at yan anudder nockles when they’re laiken at marvels.
NOCKLETY-WHOL—Let’s laik at nocklety-whol. It’s diun wi’ marvels.
NOD, NODDEN—A sleep on t’ squab. Ah’ll hev a nod whel t’ nag baits. He’s siun nodden is oor maister if he sits doon bi’ t’ warm fire.
NODDY—A simpleton. Thoo mun be a noddy ta lowse t’ bit oot o’ t’ nag mooth.
NODDLE—Head; shake. Hod thi noddle whiat, will ta, whel Ah reed thi toppin. Thoo may noddle thi heed, but it’s true.
NOGGIN—A lal pewter measure o’ gin, er owt ’at t’ short mack.
NOGGY-WIFE-THREED—
He’s shirts wi’oot buttons, an’ as fer his britches,They’d drop off his back, but fer two or three stitches,O’ noggy-wife-threed, just to keep hissel tidy,As Robbyson did fer hissel an’ Man Friday.—Bowness.
He’s shirts wi’oot buttons, an’ as fer his britches,They’d drop off his back, but fer two or three stitches,O’ noggy-wife-threed, just to keep hissel tidy,As Robbyson did fer hissel an’ Man Friday.—Bowness.
He’s shirts wi’oot buttons, an’ as fer his britches,They’d drop off his back, but fer two or three stitches,O’ noggy-wife-threed, just to keep hissel tidy,As Robbyson did fer hissel an’ Man Friday.—Bowness.
He’s shirts wi’oot buttons, an’ as fer his britches,
They’d drop off his back, but fer two or three stitches,
O’ noggy-wife-threed, just to keep hissel tidy,
As Robbyson did fer hissel an’ Man Friday.—Bowness.
NOINT, NOINTED, NOINTER—Ah’ll noint thi thi jacket; he gat nointed fer his pains; thoo’s a nointer. They o’ mean a dressin doon, an’ Ah’ve seen t’ stoor flee when a chap’s bin nointed wi’ t’ mayster.
NOP, NOPPIN—Snuff. Nop t’ can’le. To remove the stems and husks off gooseberries, currants, &c. We’re thrang noppin berries.
NOPE—An ugly blow. T’ han’le flew off an’ catcht him a nope on t’ nooase.
NOPPY—Barn talk fer t’ heed.
NORAL—To hit on the head with a stick. Ah’ll noral thee thoo nasty paddock.
NOWL, NOWLEN—Ring. Wheea’s t’ bell nowlen fer.
NOWT-FIUT-OIL, NEAT-FIUT-OIL—Ah put these tweea acos o’ t’ auld word nowt an’ neat fer cattle.
NOWT-AT-T-MACK—Dud thoo tell me that ye wanted a whelp oot o’ oor bitch. Nowt-at-t’-mack, we’ve mair dogs ner we know what ta deea wi’.
NOWT—Nothing. Ah’ll hev nowt ta deea wi’ ’t, seea noo than.
NOWT-SA—Not so. Ah’s nowt-sa much ta crack on.
NOWDER—Neither. They’re nowder o’ them neea gurt catch.
NOGS—A lad gam like skittles.
NOWT-AT-DOW—A poor sample; i’ bad fettle. He’s nowt-at-dow. Ah’ve niver bin nowt-at-dow sen Ah gat wet through.
NUM, NUMSKULL—Clumsy. Ah’s that num mi’ fingers is o’ thums. Thoo gurt numskull, liuk whar thoo’s gaan.
OBBUT—Ebbut slightly varied in sound.
OD-DAL, Od-die-bon, Od-drat, Od-wuns, Ods-wunters, Ods-scurse, Ods-sang, Ods-whinge—They’ve neea mair meanen ta them, hezn’t this lot, ner nowt. They’re ta let bad temper oot withoot sweeren reet oot.
ODDMENT—One slightly defective in mental power.
O THEER—Fully equipped intellectually.
OOTNERS—Them ’at co’s off anudder heaf.
ODDENLY, HODDENLY—Without intermission. Ah dar be bun’ ’at them tweea’s gian tagidder oddenly fer twenty year, an’ afoor that, ivver sen they war barns, on an’ off, they’ve bin thick.
ODDS-AN’-EBMS—This izzant a guide ta gamlin’, seea ye git neea particulars; nobbut it is theer, an’ ye know ’t, main end on ye.
OD-WHITE-LET-ON-THEE—An expression of contempt. It co’s in when ye’re i’ neea hurry wi’ yer tongue, but varra thrang udderwas.
OFF-COM’D, OFF-COMER—A stranger in the sense of not having been born in the locality. Ther’s nin seea mich good i’ some o’ ther off-comers.
OFT, OFTER, OFTEST—This is oor way o’ sayen often.
OILIN—Thrashing. Sis’ta thoo’s laiten an oilin an’ thoo’ll git yan if thoo gahs on.
OLD-MARE—A large rake used to gather up the stray ears of corn after harvest. Thoo mun gang an’ trail t’ auld mear ta-day.
ON—Employed. We’re on at t’ hay.
ON—Thick. Yon tweea’s on, thoo can see that wi’ hauf a ee.
ON-LIG—A burden; a weight cast upon others.
ON-STEAD—Same as on-set.
ON-SET—Hoose, an’ o’ t’ beeldens aboot a farm.
ON AND OFF—With slight intermission. He leev’d at yah spot, on an’ off, o’ his life varra nar.
ON-AN’-EN’WAS—Continually. He’s yan o’ this mack; owt he tacks up he’s at it on-an’-en’was.
OOT-HOUSE—A shade, penthouse, or porch. The idea is something added, or outside of a recognised building or house.
OOT’ARD—Outward; evil-disposed. As oot’ard a fellow as ivver ye met.
OPPEN-BUTTERY—Free run of a public hoose or a larder. We’d oppen buttery; iv’ry thing ta gah at as we liked.
ORTS, ORTENS—Leavings of food. Ah’ll nut eat thy orts. Also in form of Wots and Wottens.
OUT-BOWED, OUT-FACED, OUT-STOMACHED—Ye’ve oot-bowed me wi’ meat. Ah’s oot-fiased wi’ wark. He was oot-stomach’d wi’ t’ thowts on ’t.
OWER—Over; too; too much. In these ways “ower” has a wide range of usage.
OWERGAT—Overtook. They owergat huz afooar we gat hiam.
OWER-BLOWN—T’ sheep, peur things, knows aboot this when t’ elements is let lowse an’ t’ snow’s drivven like pooder, an’ they cronk thersels doon in a lowned spot an’ happen some o’ them nivver see dayleet again.
OWER-KESSEN—Dark; gloomy; cloudy. Gaan ta thunner an’ rain.
OWER-TUNE—Chorus. But chiefly used for some disagreeable memory that is constantly referred to. T’ ower-tune wi’ him allus was ’at he yance selt him a coo ’at hed pickt t’ cauf. T’ ower-tune wi’ some fooak is ’at they’re gaan ta t’ poor hoose.
OWER-PLUSH—What’s left. Ther’ll nin be seea mich owerplush o’ fodder t’ year, Ah’s thinken.
OWDER—Eyether, eether, ayder, or owder. Ye can sooart yan oot ’at suits.
OWT-SA—Any quantity. Hes ta owt sa mich bacca mair ner thoo’ll want.
OWN’D—Recognised. What ye’ve altered seea sair at Ah wadn’t own’d ye if ye hedn’t spokkun.
OXEYE—The marguerite daisy in its wild state.
OXTERS—Arm-pits. It catches mi at t’ oxters.
PADDOCK—Field name for a low-lying level field. A term of reproach.
PADDOCK-RUD—A term of disgust.
PAFFALDIN—A chap wi’ tweea cooats, as many waistcooats an’ sarks on, his legs lapt up wi’ symes, an’ a muffler ower his lugs, wad say he’d a gay lot o’ paffaldin’ aboot him ta keep t’ cauld oot.
PAG-MAG—A heap o’ kelderment. What’s o’ that pag-mag thoo hes i’ thi pocket.
PALAVER, PALAVEREN—Greasy, whakly talk. Let’s hev nin o’ thi palaver.
PAN-CHAFTED—Having the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper jaw.
PAPS—T’ hannles ta lift a pooak wi’.
PARKIN—Oatmeal cake with treacle baked in it;i.e., distinct from treacle and bread.
PASH—A sudden and very heavy shower. It com doon in a reg’lar pell; it fair pash’d doon.
PATTLE—A scraper for a plough.
PAW, PAWT—Move.—“Peer Jemmy I yance thowt that wad nivver paw mair.”—Anderson.
PAD, PADDED—A trod. Keep on t’ pad wilta. Trodden down by frequent usage. T’ gerse was padded doon fair shamful.
PAD—A saddle ’at’s stuffed an’ than twilted.
PARES—When t’ weather changes aboot we say it mends and pares. I gits better an’ war.
PAUGHTY, PAWKY—Interfering in an insolent manner, pawkin’ thi neb inta ivvrything, thoo pawky slenk.
PARLOUS, PARLISH—It’s varra parlous gaan whar ther’s seea mich smittle. Ah’ll tell thi what, it’s parlish fer yan to oppen yan’s gob tell yan knows wheea yan’s talken tull. Ther’s danger at t’ boddum o’ these tweea.
PARLEY—To quarrel. They parleyed on a canny while aboot yah thing an’ anudder.
PATE-HEED—Thoo’s a gurt daft pate-heed ta punch a peur hen ta deeth fer skratten a bit o’ muck up.
PALLY—To tread about in a shuffling way. Thoo’ll pally aboot i’ thi barfit feet tell thoo gits thi deeth o’ cauld, an’ than thoo’ll know. Palleyen aboot in a pair o’ auld carpet shun; what good er they i’ t’ wet.
PAT—Familiar. It’s as pat on thi tongue as owt, is that silly tial.
PAT—A lal lock o’ butter.
PADDACK—A fungus; a toadstool. That’s neea mushroom, it’s a paddack.
PANSH—Fluster. Ther’s a chap gian doon t’ rooad in a terrable pansh, whativer’s up?
PARROCK—A small enclosure; it’s an auld ’un.
PAWFRIE—A horse ta ride.
PADDY-WHACK—Ah gev yon beggar paddy-whack fer his sauce, an’ he’ll nut fergit it in a hurry, Ah’s warn’d.
PACE-EGGS—The Easter dues of the parish clerk paid in eggs. This custom existed in the writer’s time, and the parish clerk with his egg basket is one of his earliest impressions, associated somehow with mulled ale; perhaps because of the trick some pace-eggs had of going in that direction and furnishing youthful diversion in the freaks of a few drunken men.
PACE-EGGEN—Within the writer’s memory it was a common custom for the children to go and beg eggs for the purpose of playing with them on Easter Monday. Laiten piase-eggs, or laiken at piase-eggs. Further back a few years, a custom existed of men going around to the houses acting a kind of mummery, in which “Lord Nelson,” “Auld Tosspot,” and “The Jolly Jack Tar,” were the principal characters. The introductory doggerel ran after this fashion:
“The first that comes in is Lord Nelson, you see,He’s a bunch of blue ribbons tied round on his knee,A star on his breast, like silver it shines,Ah hope you’ll remember it’s piase eggin times.”
“The first that comes in is Lord Nelson, you see,He’s a bunch of blue ribbons tied round on his knee,A star on his breast, like silver it shines,Ah hope you’ll remember it’s piase eggin times.”
“The first that comes in is Lord Nelson, you see,He’s a bunch of blue ribbons tied round on his knee,A star on his breast, like silver it shines,Ah hope you’ll remember it’s piase eggin times.”
“The first that comes in is Lord Nelson, you see,
He’s a bunch of blue ribbons tied round on his knee,
A star on his breast, like silver it shines,
Ah hope you’ll remember it’s piase eggin times.”
Eggs were a secondary object in this piase-eggin which generally resulted in a good spree for those concerned.
PACKY—Cloody. It nobbut liuks packy i’ t’ sooth.
PAN—Fit in; few; settle down. Thoo pans to thi wark like a fiul. Tak thi cooat off an’ pan tull.
PANG’D—Good measure, heaped up, and pressed down.
PEAT-BROTS—Whols i’ t’ grund whar t’ sheep rub when ther backs kittle. T’ sheep clipped weel, but t’ woo’s full o’ gravel wi’ rubbin i’ t’ brots.
PEAT-MULL—Peats an’ turves were formerly used fer elden, an’ at boddum o’ t’ stack wad be a lot o’ smo ’at hed shirled doon. This was co’ed peet-mull.
PEDASTER—Walk. Yan o’ Ant’ny Whiteheeds.
PEEDLIN—Looking near, as short sighted persons must.
“Any hofe-wit can tell by thy peedlin’Thoo cannot crack mitch of thy seet.”—Bowness.
“Any hofe-wit can tell by thy peedlin’Thoo cannot crack mitch of thy seet.”—Bowness.
“Any hofe-wit can tell by thy peedlin’Thoo cannot crack mitch of thy seet.”—Bowness.
“Any hofe-wit can tell by thy peedlin’
Thoo cannot crack mitch of thy seet.”—Bowness.
PEENJ’D, PEENJY—An ill-natured disposition. Thoo’s as peenj’d as thoo can be. Ah wadn’t be seea peenjy fer nowt.
PEET-HEE—Neea hee’r ner t’ thickness ov a peat.
PELTER—Hurry. Thoo needn’t gang at seck a pelter.
PENNY-PIE, CAULD-PIE—A fo’ on a shirl. Cauld-pie an’ snow apples beleng ta t’ day’s o’ yan’s youth.
PETTLE—Dodging about at light little jobs. Thoo mun pettle aboot t’ fauld an’ deea tell we see hoo t’ wedder turns.
PEYL’ PEYLEN—Hard at wark. He wad peyl away frae moornen ta neet an’ nivver let wit. Peylen intult, siam as t’ chap wi’ t’ dumplin end.
PEE-WIT, TEA-FIT—“Pee-wit! Pee-wit! Ah lost mi nest an’ Ah’ve rued it.”
PEZEL’T—It means to jaggle, an’ argy, an’ heffle aboot. “We pezl’t on a canny while.” That’s hoo young fooak git started ta cooart yan annudder. They du’t gang thunneren up an’ doon shooten at ivv’rybody they meet, “Is thoo willing?” till they meet wi’ yan at is. Neea, barn, that wadn’t deea; seea they pezel aboot a bit, an’ git ta knaw bi slow degrees.
PEZZY, PEZZ-WILLY, PEZZ-WAP—T’ least lal marvels ye can git. O’ colours varra nar, but ower lal ta shut wi’.
PEANNOT—Peony.
PEATUS—Whar we stack t’ peat.
PECKER—Pluck. Keep yer pecker up.
PEED—One eye blind.
PEEL, PEELENS—Pare; parings.
PEFF—A nasty tickling cough. Peffen an’ coughen o’ neet till yan gits neea sleep.
PEGGY-WHITE-THROAT—A canny lal bird ’at lays a lock o’ eggs i’ t’ nicest nest ye ivver saw.
PEEK, PEEKEN—Peepen aboot on t’ sly through t’ key whol an’ sec.
PEH—An onomatopoetic. (Cush barn, but noo Ah’ll tell ye what it’s summat awful.) It maks yan peh trailen up a brant hill wi’ a liad.
PELL—Siam as pash. It com a reg’lar pell.
PENNYSTONES—Stones in the form of quoits.
PENS—The roots of feathers in a fowl.
PENSY—Varra kysty an’ tickle aboot t’ mack o’ tommy yan likes.
PERISHEN—Starving. They’re aboot perishen wi’ cauld.
PENTECOTE—A court or faced card. Ah hevn’t a single pentecote, just my luck!
PEAKLING—Pinken aboot on t’ sly. Ther was somebody peaklin’ aboot oor hoose tudder neet efter dark.
PERT, PEEART—Lively; fierce. Ah thowt that sheep was gaan ta dee streyt off, but it’s beginnen ta look pert again. It’ll come oot, Ah’s war’nt.
PEGGY RAW—A woman body ’at hackles hersel up in a queer way. Peggy used ta put fedders in her stockings an’ among her hair.
PIKE—A prominent peak on the fells,e.g., Kidsty Pike, Dollywaggon Pike, Red Pike, Beacon Pike, Pike o’ Stickle, Pike o’ Whassa, an’ seea on.
PICKEN-AN’-PYKEN—A body ’at’s varra pensy aboot ther meat.
PICKEN—Pulling, gathering. We’re thang picken berries.
PICKLE—Condition. He was i’ seck a pickle a ye nivver saw i’ yer born days.
PIE—Siam as Pickle.
PIGGIN—A tub wi’ yah lag left langer fer a lug.
PIG-CHAFTED—T’ opposite o’ pan-chafted. Swine griun’d’s anudder way o’ putten ’t.
PIKE-OFF—Be off. Thee pike-off aboot thi business.
PIKE—A gurt cock o’ hay as big as a lal stack.
PIKE, PUKE—A pimple.
PIKE—Fell-pike is a stick wi’ a pike on ’t ta gah on t’ fells wi’.
PILGARLAK——“An’ t’ silly pilgarlick, was Ah.” That’s sattl’d wi’.
PITHUL—Field-name. (Query, Pool).
PINED—Burnt. T’ breed’s pined i’ t’ yubben. Dried ta a cinder.
PINNER—Pinched. Thoo’s pinner’d thisel fer stuff.
PISSIMIRE, PISSIMIRE-BED—The ant and ant-hill. Lig doon amang them, an’ ye’ll know what he mean’d ’at said, “Go to the ant, thoo sluggard.”
PISSIMIRES—The flower of the dandelion afoor it turns intull a bessy-clock.
PITH, PIFF—Energy. He’s neea pith in him fer nowt at’s owt at dow.
PICK—Push. Pick me doon if thoo dar.
PICK, PICK’T-AT, PICKEN—Famish these is through being connected wi’ that gurt host ov unfortunate men wheea are miserable o’ ther days an’ neets through fear o’ t’ hen.
PICK-STRAW—A very little smite. He didn’t care a pick-streea fer any man Jack amang t’ lot.
PICK’T-UP—To vomit. Pick’t t’ cauf. To calve prematurely. At one time it was regarded as wise to keep a goat to prevent it.
PILE—A blade. Ther izzant a pile o’ gurse left.
PILE—A lot. He’d whyte a pile o’ nooates.
PILLIVER—A pillow.
“An’ a pilliver tuck’t inta t’ sma’ ov his back.”
“An’ a pilliver tuck’t inta t’ sma’ ov his back.”
“An’ a pilliver tuck’t inta t’ sma’ ov his back.”
“An’ a pilliver tuck’t inta t’ sma’ ov his back.”
PINED—Starved; thin.
PINKS—The young smelt of salmon.
PIN-POTE—A teetolly, used about Kirsmas time ta gammle for pins. The four sides are marked respectively T, N, P, S, and these as they fall upwards after being spun mean: T, tak yan away; N fer nicklety nowt; P, put yan doon; S, sweepen o’ away. A common Christmas gift of the old days was a paper of pins.
PIPE-STOPPER, PIPE-STOPPLE—What lasses frizz ther toppins wi’. T’ stem ov a clay pipe.
PIG-IN—Gah amang like a lot o’ lal pigs. Ye mun pig-in as well as ye can.
PIRN—Dry o’ t’ natur oot.
PLAKE—Dirty aboot t’ hands an’ feet.
PLONCH—An’ this signifies the action of wading or walking, or both at once. Plonchin’ aboot up ta yan’s knees i’ snow broth, it’s eniuf ta gie yan yan’s deeth o’ cauld.
PLATED—Rivetted. They used ta lee around t’ May powl for a whet-stun formerly, an’ yah chap sed ’at stars war nails wi’ gold heeds, an’ he hed helped ta put them in t’ fleer o’ hebben. T’ next said he could swear that was true, for he plated them, an’ they war theer yet, an’ gat t’ hone.
PLONK—A wallop. Ah gat a plonk wi’ his neef.
PLONKER—A very large specimen. Noo that’s a plonker. It mud as weel be put in ano—it’s varra oft a gurt lee.
PLACK—Ah hevn’t a plack. Hard-up.
PLODDY, PLADDY—A pattern in cloth of a checked design.
PLAGUE—Torment. Ye sud nivver plague a mad bull.
PLANTIN—Whar trees is set.
PLASH, PLASHEN—T’ rain fair plashes again when it comes a gurt heavy shoor, an’ a chap’s plashen aboot in ’t.
PLAT—Hay riaked up when it’s a bit leet inta plats.
PLEEN, PLEENY, PLEENEN—Ailing. She’s nobbut a bit pleeny. She pleens a gay deal aboot her heed. Fooak ’at’s allus pleenen aboot udders izzant varra nice company fer neeabody.
PLETS—A chap’s legs plets when t’ maut gits intul them, an’ they lap aboot anunder him.
PLEUF—Plough. T’ auld soond’s hard, but varra seldom, an’ Ah put it in acos it’s gaan oot o’ date.
PLEW-SLED, PLEW-STILTS—A block of wood on which a plough is conveyed on the road. He’d a fiut on him like a plew-sled. T’ stilts, ye o’ know what these is, Ah’s sewer.
PLOOAT—Pluck.
“Tweea Martindale geese biath full o’ fedder,Thee plooat tian an’ Ah’ll plooat tudder.”
“Tweea Martindale geese biath full o’ fedder,Thee plooat tian an’ Ah’ll plooat tudder.”
“Tweea Martindale geese biath full o’ fedder,Thee plooat tian an’ Ah’ll plooat tudder.”
“Tweea Martindale geese biath full o’ fedder,
Thee plooat tian an’ Ah’ll plooat tudder.”
This was t’ poetical advice of yah Peerith turney tull anudder aboot a client er tweea.
PLUG-AN’-FEATHER—A quarryman’s tools for cutting up stones.
PLEANIE-PIET—Pleanie-piannet; a tell-tale. Scholars know o’ aboot it, it’s yan o’ ther awn.
PLUGGER—A plonker.
PLUM—Straight; direct. Ah went ebbm reet plum tull it.
PLUM-DUFF—Plum puddin’.
POTE—Ye’ve seen nags an’ dogs ’at cud fair mak yan know they wanted seein tull wi’ nowt else but ther front fiut. What’s te poten en dewen? What wants ta?
POTTY—A common clay marvel. A lad’s poorly hodden ’at’s nowt on hand but potties.
POW-CAT—What ye’ll ha’ snifted yan likely at t’ dyke boddum when ye’ve bin nutten.
POD, PODDEN—The “Cumberland genius does not lend itself to word descriptions.” By goy! Ah wish it dud. Ah wad tell ye what ther tweea means i’ quick sticks, but happen ye know what podden aboot i’ t’ dark means as well as me, seea Ah widn’t fash ye.
POKY—Impudent. Thoo’s a poky lal beggar, ’at is ta, saucen thi elders like that.
POOAK—Sack; an’ i’ fun a purse.
POODER—A ter’ble hurry. He was gaan at a tremendous pooder.
POODER’D—Ah pooder’d off fer t’ doctor as hard as Ah could liddur.
POOR—Ah tak a lal drop o’ good whisky, a bit ov lemon, a few drops o’ het water an’ a bit o’ sugar when Ah gang ta bed, an’ Ah find oot ’at it does me a poor o’ good; an’ it’s seea nice ta tak ano’.
POPS AN’ PAIRS—Card gam.
POSSETT—Boilt milk wi’ yal in ’t; good fer mowers. A trick ’at bits o’ babbies hoe—peur lal things—when the’ve bin filled ower full.
PORRINGER—A lal basin er a gurt cup fer t’ barn poddish.
PODDISH—Ta say owt aboot yan’s poddish wad be like painten t’ lily, seea we’ll e’en let them gang unwept, unhonoured, and unsung, as t’ fellow sed.
POWDIKITE—Yan o’ t’ tribe whar six o’ them walk sebben abreast. They’re that big i’ ther awn een, an’ brossen wi’ wit.
POCK-MARKED—The effect of smallpox.
PITTED—T’ siam again; varra mucky, an’ pitted in wi’ it.
POT—T’ kial pot. A gurt pan. Boilen t’ pot—that’s makken broth.
POT-YERBS—Time, marjoram, an’ owt else ’at maks good broth.
POW, POWL—Head. Mind thi pow. Hair cutting. Can ye powl mi?
POWFAGG’D—Tired out. Ah’s aboot powfagg’d wi’ t’ heat an yah thing an’ anudder.
POD-NET, COW-NET—Ta howk fish oot wi’, when t’ beck’s fresh an’ full, er ta drive them intul when o’s whiat.
PODKITE—Yan ’at’s full o’ owt frae concait ta wind. A lal brossen podkite, ’at is ta.
POLTER—Patch and mend.
POPE, POPEN—Popen aboot i’ t’ dark. It’s when yan lifts yan’s feet varra carefully, an’ sets them doon varra cautiously, fer fear o’ mishief.
POT-WHOL—Pliases whar t’ grund’s gien way an’ left a roond hollow spot.
POTTER, POTTER’D, POTTEREN—A dealer in pots. Potter aboot diun owt. Potter’d ower a lot o’ things ’at’s neea moment. Potteren aboot i’ iv’rybody’s rooad.
POSY—An auld’un fer flower, still i’ go amang us.
POWSOWDY—Het yal, an’ sops, an’ barley, an’ ket o’ that mack. Ah durt wonder at them co’en ’t pow-sow, an’ fig-sew, fer some on ’t wad sham a decent auld sew ta sup ’t.
POSH—Howken amang watter an’ muck.
POSH—Soft; puddly. Oor land’s in a fair posh sen t’ rain com, ’at is ’t.
PODE—Be surety for; give assurance of; express confidence in. Thoo’ll mannish Ah’ll pode ta. Ah’ll pode it ye can trust him wi’ owt. He’ll pay thi Ah’ll pode him ’at will he.
POBS, POBBIES—T’ barn poddish.
PROGUE, PROUGEN—Wi’ a bit o’ ratchen these wad be prowlen an’ stealen.
PROVE—Whia noo an’ hoo priuve ye, an’ hoo er they o’ at hiam? T’ auld farrand way o’ sayen, How d’ye do?
PRICK-MEET—Summat nice an’ natty, an’ varra ’ticen ta t’ e’e. They’ve gone doon t’ toon as smart as prick-meet.
PROD—Te poke; to attack with the end of a stick or other weapon.
“Screeam away, an’ punch, an’ pummle,I can stand thi savidge prods.”—Bowness.
“Screeam away, an’ punch, an’ pummle,I can stand thi savidge prods.”—Bowness.
“Screeam away, an’ punch, an’ pummle,I can stand thi savidge prods.”—Bowness.
“Screeam away, an’ punch, an’ pummle,
I can stand thi savidge prods.”—Bowness.
PRODDLE—To prick, to poke. Thee proddle him i’ t’ flank wi’ t’ spur. Prod and proddle are like howk—varra handy until you want to define them.
PROPT-UP—One who is in weak health. He’s nobbut a propt-up mak ov a body.
PREEZE—Wi’ a bit o’ preezen we gat him ta stop tull his tea.
PREEAN—Trimming the feathers as a bird or a fowl. Applied to persons who are given to an extreme regard for personal appearance—preeanen hersel afoor t’ glass.
PRIZE—To lift with a lever. Prize it off wi’ a bar.
PROOD—Projecting. Thoo’s set that stian ower prood.
PROSS, PROSS’D, PROSSEN—A large measure of self-esteem, resulting in an officious, consequential, dictatorial, or affected manner. Theer noo, is that nowt? Ah thowt somehoo it wad come, an’ it hez. Ye o’ know what a banty’s like on ’t own midden; well, that’s prossen ta nowt.
PROOD-FLESH—When a woond heals fauce, an’ a lot o’ angry flesh flusters up aroond it.
PURBLE, PURBLEN—To hoard up some insignificant article for its associations. She wad purble up o’ macks e’ things ’at was their lad’s. Saving. What’s t’ good o’ purblen things up?
PURLOCK—Mucky woo.
PUM-HEED—Knurr an’ spell laikers ’ll show ye yan.
PUMMER—Owt ’at’s big.
PUNFAULD, PUNDER—T’ lock-up fer vagrant kye, swine, an’ seea on.
PURCHASE—Fulcrum. Ah cud git neea purchase fer t’ giaveluk.
PURN—A twitch fer a nag snoot ’at won’t stand ta be shod.
PURSEY—Broken-winded. Thoo hiuzes war ner a pursey nag.
PUT—Oot Ah put; off Ah put as hard as mi legs wad gang.
PUT-ON—Clothed. He’s nobbut varra badly put-on aboot t’ feet.
PUT-ON—Imposed upon. Thoo’s bin put-on.
PUT, PUTTEN—A card gam. An’ putten t’ stian’s a gam wi’ a gurt stian ’at’s putten as far as possible.
PUT-UP—Whar ye quarter at market days—it’s “mine inn,” ye know that, Ah’s sewer.
PUTTAN—A puttan bull. Thoo’s as sulky as a puttan bull.
PUFF—Breath. Ah’s oot o’ puff, an’ it’s a varra parlous thing ta git oot o’ stock on.
PUNCH—To kick when fighting. It izzant fair to punch when ye sud be feiten.
PUTTIN-ON—A famish Lakeland lad used ta say he nivver was browt up ato, he was trailed up bi t’ hair o’ t’ heed. That’s a puttin-on.
PUTTEN-DOON—Butter put into firkins. Fowls or meat salted or cured. Put to death, destroyed, as old horses, dogs, or cats are. What’s come o’ auld Bawty? He’s bin putten-doon a canny while; he gat seea mucky.
PUKE—Ta pick up or vomit.
PYANNOT—See Peannot.
PYATT—A magpie, an’ a saucy barn.
PYFLE—To steal. To eat in a heartless way. Pyklin an’ pyflin, thoo gits nowt doon.
QUAVEREN—Sparring. Ah’ll fell thi as stiff as a stian if thoo co’s quaveren aboot me.
QUARTER—A portion of a boot upper.
QUARTER—The cow’s udder is so spoken of in cases of ailment.
QUARTER—Portion of an animal—front and hind.
QUIT—Dismiss; discharge; remove. Whar’s seea an’ seea leeav noo? Nay they’ve quitted t’ shop on him, an’ neeabody knows ner cares.