“A three quart piggen full o’ keale,He’ll sup, the greedy sinner,Then eat a cow’d loord like lead,Ay, onie day at dinner.”
“A three quart piggen full o’ keale,He’ll sup, the greedy sinner,Then eat a cow’d loord like lead,Ay, onie day at dinner.”
“A three quart piggen full o’ keale,He’ll sup, the greedy sinner,Then eat a cow’d loord like lead,Ay, onie day at dinner.”
“A three quart piggen full o’ keale,
He’ll sup, the greedy sinner,
Then eat a cow’d loord like lead,
Ay, onie day at dinner.”
COWEY—“Cowey, my cow,” said a poet, an’ t’ critics could mak nowt ato on’t. A cowey coo is aboot as useful an’ aboot as harmless as ow’t ’at’s gaan. Tweea coos hed been feitin’ an’ yan gat a horn off wi’ ’t. “Knock tudder off, Goordie, an’ mak her a cowey,” said a lass when she saw’t. “Cush, barn,” said he,“Ah nivver hard seck a tial as that afoor.”
COWL—To rake wi’ a cow-rak. Bunyan in his immortal vision saw a man ’at was always cowlin’.
COWLEN—A gurt cowlen chap is yan ’at’s built in a strang useful way, an’ net ower fine.
COWS and CALVES—Bulls and whys; lords and ladies, cuckoo pint—the “Arum calamus.”
COTTONIN’—A sound thrashing. He gat a good cottonin’ fer his pains.
COCK-THROPPLED—A big lump at front ov a body’s thropple.
CODDY—A fooal, er owt at’s lal ov its mack—a coddy stack, a coddy hoose, er a coddy ciak.
COG—Yan’s oft tian doon a cog without exactly knowin’ hoo much, er hoo far that is.
COGLY, COGLETY—Owt ’at’s varra coglety is summat ’at’s gaan ta fo’ if owt clatters up again ’t, an’ Ah’ve seen a chap’s legs as coglety as could be.
COLLIER-LAW—First here t’ first sarra’d.
COBBY—Frisky; chirpy; fresh.
COB—To pull the hair, to strike.
COCKLING—Cheerful, boasting.
COFFIN—A cinder bounding from the fire shaped like a coffin, and looked upon as an omen of death.
COG—A wooden dish, a milk pail.
COG—To load the boot or clog sole with snow or clay—it cogs.
COLD-FIRE—A fire, or rather fuel made ready for lighting.
COLE—To put into shape, to hollow out.
COLLEY—Butcher’s meat.
COLLOP-MONDAY—The day before Shrove Tuesday.
COOP-CART—A cart enclosed with boards.
COTTERIL—A small iron wedge for securing a bolt. Sov’rens ano.
COUPER-FAIR—A market held at Kirkby Stephen the day before Brough Hill Fair.
COVE—A cavern, a cave.
COCKING—Domineering. Noo Ah’st nut hev thi cocking ower me, seea than thoo knows.
COCKLOFT—A hay mew up in a garret, ower t’ balks. A grand spot ta field in; likely at yah time t’ cocks wad feit up theer.
COCK-STRIDE, COCK-STRUT—An insignificant item in distance. Whia, what noo, it’s nobbut a cock-stride.
COCKER—T’ man at maks rules fer iv’rything is co’ed Cocker, an’ owt at izzant diun as it owt ta be, a bit o’ slape tailed wark, er owt ’at’s underhand an’ mean, is said ta be “net up to Cocker.” Lang may Cocker cock ower us if he’s gaan to hev us streyt.
COCK-OWER—To act as a disagreeable task master. Thoo’ll nivver cock-ower me, seea noo than thoo knows hoo far ta gang.
COCK-PENNY—T’ fee ’at used ta be paid ta t’ skiul maister was co’ed a cock-penny.
CODLINS—Ye know—t’ Keswick’s at mak yan’s mooth watter to think aboot.
COLOOAG—On t’ smiddy hearth, an’ shoemaker’s shop, an’ i’ o’ maks an’ manners o’ whols, fooak colooag betimes when they meet for a crack.
COMFORTER—A knitted muffler.
COO-GATE—A run, or right to pasture a cow on the common; also a path on the side of a hill which the cows have made and use.
COO-TROD—Siam as coo-gate.
COONTY-CROP—They powl their heeds bare i’ gaol, an’ deea ’t fer nowt, seea a coonty-crop’s yan o’ that mack.
COO-GREUP—T’ passage behind cows in a byre. T’ greup’s whar o’ t’ muck ligs. Ah dud’nt tell t’ tial aboot t’ chap ’at cured t’ coo frae makken him seea mich muck, bi stoppen her fodder; ner that yan aboot t’ purse ’at gat eaten up wi’ ’t breeches, an’ hoo t’ chap gat it back. Some day Ah’ll tell ye mappen.
COWPRAS—Purchase; prize; fulcrum. If Ah could nobbut git a bit o’ cowpras it wad siun come.
COVERED—Ass a groom fer perticlars.
COOARSE-HOOSE—[Corpse-house] A house where one lies dead and over whom the neighbours met for a service of prayer and singing the night previous to the funeral. A custom almost if not entirely out of use.
COARSE-GRAINED—Aye for sewer. What it’s a foul tongue, er a soor temper, an’ biath tagidder. He’s a coorse grained auld tagalt.
COBBLES—Ye’ll find some at t’ beck side.
COCK O’ T’ WALK—A chap ’at’s gitten ta be t’ maister ov iv’ry body aboot him is co’ed t’ cock o’ t’ walk. Seea wi’ owt else.
COCK-DRUNKS—T’ berry o’ t’ moontan esh.
COD—Tease; banter; ther’s a lot on us ’at’s far mair reddy ta cod ner be codded.
CODGER—A term of familiarity; t’ auld codger’s fresh again.
COLD-SHOULDERED—A complaint some nags hez, an’ it spreeds ower aw’t carcase o’ them when they’re yoked tull. Ah izzant ato sewer but men fooak hev ’t ano at times. Best plan when yan’s a bit cauld-shooder’d is ta buckle teea an’ intult.
COLLISON—T’ idle dog ’at bites fooak when t’ wedder’s het and smittles them.
COPY—A field. T’ bull copy’s varra oft a field tian oot ov anudder wi’ a wo’. But when yan thinks on’t a lot o’ fields is o’ that sooart.
COPY-HOD—Copyhold tenure, but ass a lawyer aboot this yan.
CORPSE-ROOAD—Ugh! But ther’s yan again Morlan’ an’ them stians mak t’ flesh creep up yan’s back ta think on.
COTTERED—Mucky woo, er hair o in a lump.
COWP—Swap; exchange; barter. Lads cowp knives an’ marvels.
COWP-CART—A cart wi’ gimmers i’ t’ stangs; it’ll towp up withoot lowsin oot.
COWP-BARROW—Yan wi’ sides on.
COWRAK—T’ lass fergat what they co’ed t’ cow-rak, when she gat oot o’ t’ seet o’ t’ coo’s, but she thowt on when it catcht her fair on t’ mooth varra sharp.
COW-WIDDOWS—To lead cows with.
COO—Flay. Nivver let yan at’s less ner thisel coo thi.
COOAT—A cover of straw or fern to put over a beehive. We co that a bee cooat: a stack cooat’s t’ thack.
COOTER-SNOOT—A nose of elephantine proportions.
COOTER AND SOCK—T’ plew irons.
COCK-NANTLE—Domineer. Ah’ll nut be cock-nantled ower wi’ bits o’ upstarts.
COCK O’ T’ MIDDEN—Master of the situation. See cock o’ t’ walk.
COBBLEMENT—Badly put together. It’s nowt but cobblement.
CONSATE—Faith, trust, fancy. Ah’ve neea consate i’ him. It was o’ consate. [It was consate ’at miad t’ chap ’at he couldn’t eat billy-goat pie, he said when he stack’t he saw ’t whingen, an’ he couldn’t consate thought o’ eaten him.]
COCKLES—Tak a drop o’ rum it’ll warm t’ cockles-o’-yer-heart.
CRACKLINS—Same as crautins.
COME-FORRAD—A homely welcome to the fire-side. Whya what come forrad wi’ ye. Hoo a young chaps’s fain ta hear ’t at times yan’s neea casion ta say.
CRAB—A wild apple.
CRABBED—A sour body. Crabbed as an auld cuckoo.
CRACK—Whia, what ye’ll come in an’ we’ll hod a bit o’ crack aboot things ’ats gaan on.
CRACKAN—Hevven a good cheerful talk ta yan annudder. We sat crackan on ower a drop o’ gin tell it was far liater ner we thowt.
CRAIN—What t’ kettle er t’ kail pot hings on ower t’ fire. Crains is like a lot o’ mair things—they’re gaan oot o’ date.
CRANCH—Green berries, sour apples, pes, owt o’ that sooart. Ah yance was catch’t up a’ apple tree deun mi best ta git t’ belly-wark, an’ t’ lady at catch’t mi sed Ah was a lal brossen cranch kite.
CRATCH—A stiul ’at farmers sauve sheep on, an’ shoemakkers sit on. Ah fancy “Com up ta t’ scratch” means t’ siam thing.
CREEPER—Andiron. What it’s co’ed t’ creeper fer Ah dut know, unless it’s becos it keeps t’ fire frae runnin’ under t’ yubben.
CRIAMED—Afoor iron an’ pot things gat seea common, plates, an’ platters, an’ dishes were miad o’ wood, an’ when they gial’d wi’ t’ heat they hed to be criamed, er stitch’t up wi’ wire.
CRIPPLE—Ass t’ coo doctor what ails a coo when it’ll eat a body’s kytle, er owt else but gerse—that’s cripple. Peur sairy things, wi’ ther hides bund as hard as a millstun, an’ ther rigs set up like a bacon collop i’ t’ fryin’ pan.
CROOANIES—Comrades. We war allus famish gurt crooanies was him an’ me. [There is not much “gush” in the sober denizens of our northern counties, but for the steady life-long attachment, kept up under the circumstances the most unfavourable, and finding perhaps the most scanty expression, who has a better word than crooanies?]
CRONK—Cronkin’ aboot a public hoose, er a smiddy harth an’ seck like spots is a bad sign.
CROP-LUG’D—Yan ov oor poets co’s t’ auld Roondheeds a “crop-lug’d canten crew,” an’ happens it’s oot o’ that ’at we get oor “cut lugs” ’at cap’t Ould Cleeaty.
CROTLY—Lumpy, siam we’ll say as a field ’at’s been plewed an’ harrowed an’ ’s full o’ lal hard clots.
CROWDY—Git some haver meal an’ sco’d it wi’ het broth, er watter, an’ it ’ll be a crowdy. It’s a good sign when a chap knows when it’s crowdy-time withoot a watch er owt but his stomach ta tell him.
CROPPER—A nasty fo’. Ah com a cropper when t’ auld yod stopt o’ at yance, an’ Ah flew ower t’ heed.
CRAKE, CORN-CRAKE—Ye’ll pick these oot bi’ t’ soond o’ them; they’re o’ that soort.
CRAMMEL—Say ye’ve ta git ower a wo’, er a dike, er up a hoose side, er gang ower a lot o’ cobbles, ye wad crammel ower’t. When ye’ve corns, an’ nang nails, an’ segs o’ yer feet, seea ’s ye can hardly nammel an’ gah at o, they’ll mak ye crammel. A pair o shun et’s ower lal owder.
CRAUTINS—When t’ leaf’s bin rendered inta same, t’ crozl’d lumps o’ fat’s co’ed crautins.
CREE—Rice, barley, er owt o’ that mack, set ta soffen.
CREEP—Huddle. It maks yan creep up ta t’ fire. Summat flaysome maks yan creep o’ ower.
CRIAM—Sow up a crack in a wood bowl wi’ wire.
CROPE—Git t’ broon titus, an’ yer breest set on ta yer back tel ye can hardly blow, an’ ye’ll know what it means ta crope.
CROPPUN—To evade being seen. Aye si’ tha’ ah’ t’ auld beggar wad ha’ croppun intul a moose whol ta keep oot o’ seet o’ yan.
CROSS—As cross as tweea sticks means oot o’ temper.
CROZ’LD—Owt ’at’s fried er rooasted tel it’s neea mair nature left in ’t.
CRUDLE—Ta hotch up varra clooas ta yan anudder, like tweea young fooak under yah umberel when t’ neets is dark an’ wet. It’s a gay auld un is crudle.
CRIB-SOOKER—A horse that chews its crib, or a cart end board, or a yat bar.
CRIPPLE AT A CROSS—Ah nivver saw yan, but they’re laddies ta beg, an seea Ah reckon this is a gay auld ’un. “He begged like a cripple at a cross.”
CROCK—An auld nag ’at’s used up, er a sheep, er a body.
CROFT—A field near the homestead.
CROP—A joint of meat; ass a butcher whar he gits ’t.
CROPT—Powled. Hair cut. Ah hed mi hair cropt.
CROW-FOOT—A wild flooer.
CRAB-VARJUS—A whent auld chap ’at liked yal er owt else oot ov a glass, went tul a brewery an’ fer a breck they gev him a glass o’ vinegar. “What sooart o’ yal’s that, noo, Tommy?” “Oh,” sez Tommy, “it’s varra good yal, but it’s as soor as crab varjus.”
CRADLE—Fastened on to a corn scythe to place the corn ready for “shaffin.”
CRADDA-BIANS—When a chap’s seea lean ’at yan could fiddle on his ribs, then he’s a cradda-bians.
CRAFT—Cunning; deceit. Let’s hev nin o’ thi craft.
CREEL—To go about in a stealthy, sneaking way. Thoo needn’t creel aboot like that.
CREEL’D—Shrunken, starved. He liuks a peur creel’d setten on liuk.
CRUTCH—T’ pommel ov a side saddle.
CRUTLET—Crippled, decrepid, crooked.
CRACKAN—Boasting; praising.
CREEL—Cratch.
CROW-PEZ—T’ seed o’ t’ fitch.
CRUD—Curd.
CRUTLEN—Recovering. Ah’s crutlen oot nicely.
CRUEL—Extreme; excessive. A cruel good crop, a cruel lang time, a cruel gurt eater.
CROBBACKEN—A severe handling. Oh man! but Ah’ll tell thi what that new yal it dud gie me a crobbacken. The reference is chiefly to internal disarrangement.
CUSTOMER—An original character. He’s a gay customer wi a sup o’ yal in him.
CUCKOO-FLOOR—Bachelor Buttons.
CUCKOO—Hide and seek. Shoot “cuckoo” er Ah’ll give ower.
CUCKOO-SPIT—Ye find it on t’ gerse an’ floor stalks; it hes t’ egg of a grasshopper inside it. N.B.—It’s happen summat else ner a grasshopper, but it’s summat o that mack, and this izzant a nat’ral history.
CUCKOO-AN-T’-LAL BIRD—T’ cuckoo hes a lal mate ’at flees aboot a hundred yerds behint it, an’ when ye see a gurt whidderin’ lass wi’ a lal bit midge ov a chap, er a chap tweea yerds lang wi’ yan hauf his size, ye’ve seen t’ cuckoo an’ t’ lal bird.
CUDDY-BUSTARD—Siam as bustard.
CUFF—A cuff under t’ lug is nut siam thing as a collar to weear aroond yan’s shacle.
CUNN’D—Count rapidly. “And Wully cunn’d ower six score pund.”—Anderson.
CUSTARD—Coo pie, they co them i’ some spots, but coo tart is mair proper.
CUT-LUGS—Ther’s lots o’ things ’at caps cut-lugs, but what er wheea cut-lugs is caps me ta tell ye, but Ah’ve hard it said many a time ’at he capt Auld Harry.
CUNDERTH—Is whar t’ watter runs under a yat steed, er a rooad; it’s a culvert.
CUSH-MAN, CUSH-BARN—Fullins up. Cush man! but thoo is a gurt ninny-hammer. Cush barn! I is wet. An’ seea on.
CUSH—What fooak shout when they want ta tell t’ kye ta come an’ be milked.
CUTTERAN—Talkin’ in loodish whisper an’ nivver givin’ ower. They’re allus cutteran yan tull anudder; Ah mak nowt ont ato, barn.
CUTTY—A lal cutty bit o’ owt means nut ower mich.
CURR—To crouch. He was curren doon when Ah saw him.
CUT—To exceed in jumping. He went thirteen feet t’ first lowp, but I cut him bi’ three inch.
CUTS—Lots. [To draw cuts is mainly done in the transactions of lads by cutting straws into different lengths].
CUDDLE, CODDLE—This izzant a “Young Man’s Companion,” ner a “Correct Guide to t’ Art o’ Cooartin’,” an’ as maist o’ fooak know what cuddlin’ and coddlin’ means withoot printed directions we’ll gang on tul t’ next.
CUDDY—An ass fer yah thing; a gurt numcuddy’s anudder.
CUDDY-HULL—It’s whar cuddy leeves.
CURMUDGEN—A churlish person is a gurt greedy curmudgen.
CUT—A joint of meat.
CUT—Any particular bearing. An’ it’s fair cappen hoo far off a man can be telt bi’ his cut.
CUSHAT—Wood pigeon. The dolorous tones of the cushat and pee-wit are by legend ascribed to the fact that once they changed nesting places and ever since have rued it.
CUT-THI-STICK—Sling thi hook—be off.
CUT-AN’-COME-AGAIN—Owt ’at’s diun in a gurt hurry afore yan taks off.
CUT—Ye know—what cauves, an’ swine, an’ bits o’ lams gah through, ’at t’ male kind.
CUT—T’ loop at end ov a swingletree.
CUT-OV-HIS-JIB—The face. Sitha Ah cud tell bi t’ cut o’ thi jib ’at thoo was yan o’ auld Willy lads.
DAB—A dab i’ t’ ee’s yah thing, a dab o’ butter’s anudder. Yan dabs a het plate doon in a hurry an’ sometimes yan fergits whar yans dabbed yans jacket er shun. Its a queer word ta describe is dab, but its useful for o that.
DABSTER—A canny skilful body wi’ owt they tak in hand ta deea is a dabster. Some are dabsters at shuttin, some at mowin, others at wrusslin, some amang t’ kye, er t’ yowes, er t’ meears.
DAFT—Without ordinary judgement or sense. Ah’s deef an’ daft as a yat.
DAME-SCHOOL—They’re gone, and their places know them no more. T’ rising generation ’ll nivver know, an’ they’ll be hard to mak believe in a bit, hoo we used ta be educated wi’ an auld woman, an’ amang her hoose wark she wad larn us oor A B, abs, an’ twice times yan is tweea, an’ a bit o’ t’ biuk wi’ t’ ledder back an’ t’ brass clasps. Hoo we used ta field her specks if she was catted, an’ full t’ chimley wi’ streea if we wanted ta shirl! What lickens she wad giv us wi’ t’ birk rods ’at we’d miad her—literally enough fer oor awn backs—an’ what glee we used ta hev when she was liam an’ cud’nt stir oot ov her chair! T’ diam skeul ’s gian, but it’s green in oor mem’ries whar a lot o’ things ov auld lang syne er sided.
DANDER—A blow; the head; the temper. I catch’t him a dander wi’ t’ flail. It dropped fair on ta mi dander. Keep thi dander doon.
DANDY-GREY-RUSSET—A dark rusty colour not unlike a mouse’s belly.
DARK—To hide. Dark doon aback o’ t’ yat stoop.
DARK—Secret; gloomy; morose. He’s t’ dark side oot.
DARK—To rush suddenly from a hiding place. He wad dark atop o’ yan afooar yan hed time ta think.
DARK’T—Sheltered. We dark’t aback o’ a stack.
DARKEN—Prowling; skulking. What’s thoo darken efter?
DARRAK, DARGUE—Good classical scholars ’ll use this yan an’ net be shamm’d on ’t—John Ruskin amang them. It means a day’s wark, er hoo mich yan can deea in a day. A darrak o’ mowin, threshin, plewin, an’ seea on. In a good day’s darrak many a yan hes as much pleasure yet as some hev ’at’s allus laiken.
DASH—A young oath. Dash it, ah left mi pipe.
DASH-BON, DASH-IT—T’ least said t’ siunest mended; but they’re theer fer o’ that.
DAUP—The carrion crow. Aye fer sewer, but its a nasty word fer nasty fooak as weel. seck as a gurt mucky daup.
DAWDLE, DAWDLIN, DAWDLY—These er o o’ yah sooart, though they’re different macks—they o mean idleness, muck, an’ misery.
DAYTAL-WARK—Labour that is paid for by the day, as distinct from piece work, or half-yearly or yearly engagements.
DADDLE—Barn tak. Let’s wag thi daddle honey.
DANDLE—To hush a child by swinging it in the arms:
Dandle, dandle, o’ the day,’Twad ommost drive yan wild,Ta sit six months e Carel Jail,An’ nurse an iron child.
Dandle, dandle, o’ the day,’Twad ommost drive yan wild,Ta sit six months e Carel Jail,An’ nurse an iron child.
Dandle, dandle, o’ the day,’Twad ommost drive yan wild,Ta sit six months e Carel Jail,An’ nurse an iron child.
Dandle, dandle, o’ the day,
’Twad ommost drive yan wild,
Ta sit six months e Carel Jail,
An’ nurse an iron child.
This was the punishment of a class of fathers whose financial obligation had been neglected.
DAMPER—Taken down a peg. Than ther’s yubben damper, fer t’ draft.
DAM—Female parent; generally used of quadrupeds, but sometimes of the human mother.
DAFFY-DUM-DILLY—The daffodil.
Daffy-dum-dil that grows by the well,Neeabody can git thi but me misel.
Daffy-dum-dil that grows by the well,Neeabody can git thi but me misel.
Daffy-dum-dil that grows by the well,Neeabody can git thi but me misel.
Daffy-dum-dil that grows by the well,
Neeabody can git thi but me misel.
DALT, DOTE—A stone fence, or dyke, or railings, made and repaired by various parties with common rights.
DAL—A mild form of swearing. O’ dal’ it yer wrang this time.
DEZEMENT—A very severe chill. He’s gitten a dezement o’ cauld.
DEED—Doings. We hed rare deed.
DEZED—Addled. Noo Ah izzant at o satisfied ’at addle hes owt to deea wi’ rotten eggs, as dezed hez. Owt ’at’s addled ’s reet, an’ owt ’at’s dezed ’s rang, siam as rotten eggs, starved finger ends, er nooases blue wi’ cauld.
DEETH-WATCH, DEETH-CLOOK—The tapping of the wood bug regarded as an ill omen.
DEETH-STROKE—A well-informed person assures me that it is not unusual to hear the “switch” on the roof or window of a dying person’s room: it is regarded as the final summons.
DEAL—A great amount. He left a deal o’ debt.
DEAL, DOLE—To portion out amongst various persons, seck as ta deal cards. A charity—Christmas dole, an’ St. Thomas’ dole.
DEET—This is a varra auld ’un. It means ta git t’ caff oot frae t’ grain.
DEETIN-MACHINE—Ye know what a deetin-machine is, sewerley. It seems afooar t’ man invented them they used ta hev ther liathes upstairs, an’ a lal deur fair anent t’ gurt ’un, an’ t’ waf o’ wind used to deet for them when they threw t’ corn up wi’ a shool.
DECK—To dress in a precise way. She’s deckt oot i’ t’ best bib an’ tucker.
DEED-HORSE—Wark ’at’s bin paid for afooar it was diun, er when a chaps subbed. Workin’ at deed horse is poor policy.
DEED-LICE—When t’ deed lice is droppin’ off it’s a bad do; it spells idleness mainly.
DEEA-UP—To tidy up. I’ll deea up aboot t’ hearth. Deea t’ nags up.
DEEAL, DEEAL-HEED, DEEAL-FIUT—A dwelling place in a valley amongst the fells.
DEEAL-SIDER—A resident in a dale, as distinct from the village or town.
DEEF-NUT—Nuts ’at hes neea kernel in. A chap ’at’s gay weel cooarn’d an’ plenty under his waistcoat is said ta crack neea deef nuts.
DEEVE—Deafen. Mak a less noise; ye wad deeve a door nail.
DEFT—Whiat. Ta gang on yer tippy teeas ta catch a slenk o’ some mack in a mischief.
DEG—Damp.
DEGGIN-CAN—A watering can.
DELVER—Drainer.
DEM—To stop a drain with sods. T’ auld chap at liked yal used ta say ’at owt less than a pint was neea good, becos it nivver demmed.
DESS—To arrange neatly. Dess them things up a bit. She was dessen hersel afooar t’ glass.
DEVIL-I’-T’-BUSH—Grows i’ t’ garden, used fer pultices when inflamation’s aboot.
DEVIL—Nay nut him barn—but t’ clod-river.
DICK-HATBAND—As queer as Dick-hatband ’at went sebben times aroond an’ wadn’t knot.
DIBBLE—How they sow beans yan at a time i’ yah whol.
DICK—Short fer Richard, an’ also a biter in a barn’s head.
DICKY, DICKY-BIRD—These explain thersels. A false shirt front is co’ed a dicky, an’ t’ seat whar t’ coachman sits is ano.
DIDDER—Shake. He miad o t’ pots on t’ shelf didder when he bang’d deur tull wi’ seck a clatter.
DIBS—Sov’rins.
“When he’d gitten his dibsHe stood for twa squibs.”—Bowness.
“When he’d gitten his dibsHe stood for twa squibs.”—Bowness.
“When he’d gitten his dibsHe stood for twa squibs.”—Bowness.
“When he’d gitten his dibs
He stood for twa squibs.”—Bowness.
DIDDLE, DILL—To soothe a child by swaying it to and fro in the arms.
DIDDLE—Deceive. Ah was diddled that time.
DIKE—A hedge of every description is so called.
DIKER—One who repairs and trims hedges.
DIKEY-SPARROW—A sparrow whose nest is built in a hedge, as distinct from that which builds in walls.
DIKIN-MITTINS—Strong leather mittins with which the diker protects his hands.
DIKE-BACK, DIKE-BREEST—Whar t’ dike grows. Grand spots fer chitty-nests, blue vilets, strawberries, an’ seea on.
DILDRUM—A muck sweet. Thoo’s put me in a dildrum.
DILLY-HOOSE—A whol i’ t’ dike breest er wo’ boddum whar t’lal ’uns mak a babby-hoose an’ full ’t wi’ laikens.
DING—Reap up old offences or failings. He wad ding it in his teeth that his mudder powled him.
DINNLE—Hit yer elbow ower a throo, an’ it’ll dinnle reet oot at iv’ry finger end. Noo that’s o.
DIRL—Nip aboot in an active manner. Yan can dirl aboot when ther’s a bit o’ frost on t’ rooad.
DISH—A hollow. He supt oot o’ t’ dish ov his hand.
DISH—Deceive. He’ll dish thi oot on ’t.
DISH—Cup. Sit doon an’ hev a dish o’ tee an’ seck as is gaan.
DIDDER—A rough blow. Ah gat seck a didder on t’ heed.
DINGE—A dent. Thoo’s dinged t’ can. A chap’s heed ’at’s dinged in hes a hollo spot in ’t.
DOOMENT—A jollification.
DISABILS—This is varra common like this—T’ preest co’ed ta-day an’ catcht us o’ e our disabils, Ah durt know what he wad think, Ah’s sewer. Noo ye gurt wise men will ye put yer nebs across ’t an’ tell us aboot its co’ frae.
DOLED-OOT—Tired out. Stoad.
DOBBIE—A ghost.
DOITED—A bit maffly wi auld age.
DOG-SNOOT—Gurt hard apples. Cauld as a dog-snoot.
DODD’T—Without horns, lacking some usual part, as a dodd’t coo. It liuks varra dodd’t;i.e.unfinished.
DOBBIN—A melder o’ drink.
DODDER, DODDERY, DODDERY-GERSE—Tremble; vibrate; shake. A man’s hand ’ll dodder when he’s hed a lal drop—just a lal drop mair ner he thowt o’ hevin, but fer t’ company an’ t’ hoose; iv’rything i’ t’ hoose ’ll dodder when a gurt rough lad gahs clointeren up an’ doon in his clogs; an’ when a body’s time’s gitten short t’ first sign on’t is t’ dodderen limbs. Doddery-gerse, er doddery, iv’rybody knows what it is—it’s trembling grass.
DOFF—To undress. Doff thi wet clias off.
DOGBERRY—Mountain ash, cherry, an’ some mair macks o’ things o’ that sooart.
DOG-NOPER—Ah nivver saw yan. Dud ye? A fellow wi’ a lang stick nopin fooak asleep i’ t’ kirk, er t’ cooaly cur ’at hed croppen in efter t’ gaffer, peur thing.
DOLDRUM—T’ siam as dildrum.
DOLLOCK—An unsightly mess.
DOLLOP—Aboot as nasty an’ unpleasant as dollock, but this is aboot a body, an’ aboot a peur sooart ov a body if she’s a dollop. Mucky, idle, shiftless.
DOLLY, DOLLY-TUB, DOLLY-LEGS—An idle dolly is one who delights in ’t. Ta wesh clias is ta dolly them in a dolly-tub, wi’ dolly-legs. An’ a dolly is yan ’at duzzant gie them ower mich dolly afoor they’re on t’ dike.
DONK—Thick mist ’at sticks tull. T’ chap said it war mungy donky sooart o’ wedder ’at dud neea dow fer nowt ner neea body.
DON—Dress. Ah’ll don mi Sunday clias an’ gah wi’ ye.
DONNED-UP—Dressed in other than working clothing. They’re gian doon t’ toon i’ ther bettermer duddins. Donned-up fer a weddin’ er summat.
DONNET—A naughty child. Thoo lal nasty donnet. An auld donnet has reference to qualities that are not commendable.
DOOAFI—Soft; clammy. A body’s dooafi when they’re easily fatigued, tired, or beaten. Bread’s dooafi ’at’s not enough.
DOOK—Bathe. We went ta dook i’ t’ lum. Also to throw water over anyone. He gat a dookin’ wi’ t’ watter can.
DOON-FO—Not the down-fall of empires, or of kings, but the soft and silent snow. We’re gaan ta hev some doon-fo.
DOOP—Bend down. Doop doon wi’ thi’ heed er thoo’ll git thi hat knock’d off gaan under theer.
DOTTEL—Noo ye smiukers, ye know what t’ dottel is, an’ ye’re aboot o’ ’at does; it’s grand, izzant it, when it’s fairly hauld? T’ dottel’s t’ pipe boddum ’at smiukers tak oot an’ put on t’ top o’ t’ next reek.
DOTE—Helping; serving; what yan’s to hev. Thoo sees that? That’s they dote, and thoo’ll hev ta mak ’t sarra.
DOWIN—Lunch, ten o’clock. Aye! aye! thoo allus manishes ta land up aboot dowin time.
DOWLY—Lots o’ gurt fooak er allus bodderen aboot nacken talk, whar it co’ frae, wheea used it, hoo it com, an’ seea on. Noo here’s yan at’s come streck frae nature’s heart, ’at’s bin allus used amang “grey farms, crags, and the stony ways of the mountains,” but neeabody bodders aboot it ner its history. If words could talk it wad tak us a gay bit ta hear o ’at this word hed ta say aboot lianly looanens, an’ deserted ho’s an’ hiams whar boggles hes’ ’t o their awn way. An’ yan was tellin’ me net lang sen hoo “dowly” it was at times in a gurt town whar she kent neeabody at o an’ nivver saw ner hard a coo, er a cauf, ner a sheep. Seea what it izzant allus dowly becos ther’s neeabody aboot but yan’s sell, an’ it’s possible ta be dowly in a crood, wi’ gas leets as thick as hail, an’ plenty o’ stirrins gaan on. But boddumly, that’s t’ meaning on’t, whiat, dark, an’ iv’ry thing as whisht as a griav. Whar ye can hear yer awn thowts an’ git freeten’d o’ them. That’s dowly.
DOUBLE-JOINTED—Extra strong. Siam as Yankee Doodle pig.
DOW—Condition; character. Hoo er ye? Ah’s nowt at dow ato barn. He’ll nivver deea neea dow skitteren aboot as he does.
DOG-FO—In wrestling when both come down and neither can be declared as victor. A dog-fo’s ta deea ower.
DOG-DAISIES—Wild Marguerite.
DOCTOR—Patch, mend. Doctor mi auld shoon will ye.
DOXY—A term conveying contempt. She’s a smart doxy.
DOG-TROT—A hauf-breed between a walk an’ a run. He was gaan at a dog-trot.
DOON-MOOTHED—A body wi’ their spirits doon an’ showen ’t.
DOON-LIGGEN—This yan hes reference to t’ increase o’ t’ popylashun.
DOZZEL—An ugly lump o’ varra near owt. An auld chap was taken t’ butter ta t’ market, an’ e garn gat ower mich yal an’ he towtel’t ower an’ sat doon e t’ swill wi’ t’ butter in ’t; “cush barn,” says he, “but seck a dozzel ye nivver saw.”
DOAD, GOORDIE—These is hiamly words for George.
DOG-LEG—Owt ’at sud be streck but ’s gitten kessen a bit. As criukt as a dog leg.
DRIP—As white as drip.
DRABBLE, DRABBLED—Jarbled wi’ watter an’ muck.
DRAFF—Brewers’ grains, given ta t’ kye. Ah’s as wet as draff.
DRAFFY—Exhausted; neea list fer nowt. Ah’s as draffy as can be, an sweet wi’ nowt.
DRATE—A slow mack o’ talk er singin’.
DRAUGHT—A drawt o’ nags is different frae a drawt o’ yal; it’s a pair.
DRAW—To irritate, question, or get one to expound his views. He gat his rag drawn, wi’ t’ lawyer tryin’ ta draw him.
DRAW—When a chimley wants firin’, er a pipe stopple’s stopped, it’s said they won’t draw.
DRAW-KNOTT—Yan ’at ’ll lowse.
DRONE—A mouth reed made of sycamore bark.
DROONDED T’ MILLER—When ye’ve putten ower mich watter i’ yer crowdy; letten tea doon tell it’s that wake it won’t run oot o’ t’ pot, an’ seea on—that’s droonded t’ miller.
DRIFE—Snow that is driven as it falls or after.
DREE—A long lonely road; a piece of work not over pleasant. Owt ’at’s dree is summat at yan’s weary on, but hes ta stick tul.
DREEP—A melancholy tone, neea matter hoo sweet.
DROP-BOX—T’ barn’s bank.
DRUB—Chastise. Ah’ll drub thee thi jacket, thoo young taistrel.
DRUBBED—Taken to task. That lad mun be drubbed, er he’s gaan ta be spoilt.
DRUBBIN—Thrashing. He gat a good drubbing fer his pains.
DRY-WO’—A fence built wi’ cobbles an’ neea lime.
DRY-WO’ER—A chap ’at can wo’.
DRAT, DRAT IT, DRABBIT, DIVICUS O’ LAND—All mild swear words.
DRINKIN’—Ten o’clock. Snack of refreshment in the forenoon. T’ drinkin’s reddy.
DRAAP—Same as dreep.
DRIFT—Fettle. He’s e’ gay good drift. Means of making a living. He gat intul a good drift an’ dud weel.
DRUFTED-SNOW—Snow droven inta drifts wi t’ wind.
DUBBLER—A gurt yarkin plate fer meat.
DUFFLE—Rough, open cloth for week-day clothes.
DUBBLE—Fer t’ barn legs.
DURTMENT—It means varra near owt at muck line ’at’s oot o’ t’ spot. A lad ’ll tak a armful o’ cicely fer his rabbits inta t’ hoose. His mudder ’ll say: Tak o’ that durtment oot o’ mi seet an’ durt mak sec a scrow.
DRY-BELLIED-SCOT—A lad gam.
DUB—Whar they dook, an’ wesh sheep. Cutten dog lugs off, an’ cock cooams, an’ that mack o’ craft.
DUCK—A coddy liaf wi’ a neb on’t fer t’ barns at biaken day.
DUCKI—A lad’s game, laik’t wi gurt marvels er lal stians.
DUCK-TEAL—A wild duck, er summat o’ that kind.
DUCK-WINE—Cauld watter.
DUD’NT—Shorthand for did not.
DUDS, DUDDINS—Clothes. Pack up thi duds an’ tak.
DUMMLE-HEAD—A clumsy, thoughtless person. Thoo gurt dummle heed thoo.
DUMMY—One who is dumb.
DUNCH—When a goat attacks his enemies, of his own kind er any udder, he dunches them.
DURDUM—A nurration. Durt kick up seck a durdum aboot nowt.
DUMPS—Low spirits. He’s doon i’ t’ dumps.
DUMP—To throw down unceremoniously. He shot t’ cart up an’ dumped it doon o ov a heap.
DULBERT—Dunce. He was yan o’ t’ biggest dulberts ye ivver saw when he was a lad.
DUSTY-MILLER—The flower of the Auriculus or Reckless.
DUHT, DURT—Do not; durt gah far away, dinner’s varra near reddy.
DUNNOT, DIV’NT—T’ siam again.
DWALLOW—A chap said he’d a nasty dwallow tiast in his mooth, siam as if he’d bin eaten rotten eggs.
DWINE, DWINNLE—Wear away. It’s a sorrowful thing ta watch when owt we like begins ta dwinnle.
DYKE-STOUR—A hedge stake.
EAR-BITTED, EAR-CROPT, EAR-CLIPT—Marks on the ears of sheep by which they are distinguished.
EASTER-MAN-GIANTS, EASTER-LEDGES—Easter docks.
EASEN—Eaves of a house or a stack. When t’ easens begin ta drop efter a frost it’s a sign ov a thow. It’s grand when yan happens ta git under t’ easens an’ it runs inta yan’s neck whol.
EBBEN—Straight. It’s rainen ebben doon.
EBBEN—Even; quits. Ye an’ me’s ebben noo.
EBBEN—Imp. Thoo’s a nasty saucy young ebben.
EBBENS—Aims. Thoo ebbens ower hee.
EBBENED—Aimed, intended. We hed ebbened ta hev co’ed at your hoose, but it gat ower liat.
EBBEN-UP-AN-DOON—A streyt forrad, blunt, honest fellow, ’at can be trusted. He’s ebben up an’ doon wi’ o’ ’at he hez to deea wi’.
EBBEN-ON—Just suitable. He’s a lad ’at’s ebben-on seck a job as that.
EBBM-MARRAS—Exactly alike. That cap’s t’ ebbm-marras o’ oor lad’s.
EBBUT—This yan taks summat off; it maks sarten conditions; it’s a qualifier. Ebbut thoo mun understand An’s gaan ta hev mi price. Ebbut if it rains we sall hev ta stop at hiam. Ebbut ther’s neeabody but him an’ me knows hoo much that job cost, an’ we durt know to tweeaor three pund. Ebbut thoo may say ’at Ah’s leein’, but Ah’st stick ta mi tial ta mi deein’ day.
EDGE—Self esteem. A chap ’at’s a bit bigger, er a bit handsomer, ner t’ miast on us, an’ walks on his heels, an’ spreeds oot his teeas, an’ cocks his hat o’ yah side ov his heed, an’ hods his chin up as if he was shammed o’ walken on t’ grund, is said ta hev a bit o’ edge ov hissel.
EDGE—Appetite. Ah’ve nobbut a varra poor edge on fer mi breakfast.
EDGE—Shuffle. He wad edge oot as grand as ivver ye saw owt i’ yer boorn days.
EDGE—Side. We sat at t’ beck edge an’ watcht t’ troot lowp.
EDGE-LEEUM—A knife, razor, or other implement with an edge. T’ barn izzant fit to laik wi edge-leeums.
EDGES—To set on edge. Give up skroken; thoo edges mi teeth wi’ ’t.
EDGIN’—Ass t’ lasses aboot this yan; they allus seem thrang wi’ ’t, swappin’ samples, an’ matchin’ on ’t, and seea on. Neea doot they’ll tell ye.
E’E, E’EA—The arch of a bridge; the outlet of a lime kiln; the channel of a stream; an opening in a wall; the part of a potato where it sprouts.
EDDERFUL—Angry; revengeful. Thoo needn’t liuk seea edderful as that. Ah’s an auld man, but Ah’s nin flait.
E’E-WHOL—Eye-hole.
E’E-BREEAS—The eye-brows. What for does thoo wrinkle thi e’e-breeas like that when thoo’s talken?
EERY—When t’ wind comes whisslen doon t’ chimla, an’ through t’ key whols, an’ t’ windas jadder, an’ deed leaves er rattlen aboot, an’ fooak draw up clooas ta t’ hood niuk ta keep warm an’ snug, it’s eery. It’s eery, teea, amang t’ dowly looanens when ye’ve a lang giat afooar ye an’ neeabody ta speak tul, an’ t’ yewlets is aboot, an’ happen t’ bats, if a cushat, er a rabbit, er a rattan stirs yan’s skin creeps up yan’s back, an’ a body’s hair stands streck up wi’ freet, it’s eery than, ’at is ’t.
EEK, EWK, EWKY—Ther o’ different sooarts o’ yah mack. They mean itch, itchy, er what’s commonly known as kittle. A sair spot ’at’s mendin’; when a flee er a midge hes hed their supper; er a kiad’s hevin’ a trip roond, er a lot mair things ’at yan’s neea casion to put i’ print, but mak yan want ta scrat—theer noo ye hev ’t, an’ o aboot it.
EEM’NIN—Evening. T’ eem’nins is creepen oot nicely—this about April er May, wheen dayleet’s lengthnen, an’ t’ throssles er whewtlen, an’ t’ leaves biginnen ta bud, an’ winter is past an’ gone, an’ t’ day’s o’ t’ singin birds is at hand yance again.
EEN—Eyes. Een as black as sleeas; t’ bonny bird een; eeny taties, eeny breed, an’ seea on.
EFTER—After, ov coorse. What’s thoo efter? Nowt at dow, Ah’ll apode. Sometimes t’ lads er efter t’ lasses; t’ jobbers ’ll be efter kye; an’ some er efter owt they can lig hauld on.
EFTER-NOON—About a finish. It’s a lang way inta t’ efterniun wi’ him Ah’s flayed.
EFTER-TEMSINGS—Coarse flour after sifting; it makes good breed.
EFTER-CROP—A crop that is grown after a first one has been secured.
EGG—To incite to quarrel. Thoo’s neea casion to egg them on at yan anudder.
EGG—To roughen. Sleeas fair egg yan’s tongue.
EH?—A handy word fer them ’at’s hard o’ hearin’. A lot better ner “Beg your pardon,” an’ seck like ropement. Eh?
EKE—A portion of a bee-hive, added for the purpose of more easily obtaining the honey.
EKE—To make out for. Ah mun eke it oot as weel as Ah can.
ELBOW-TURN—An angle. T’ blacksmith knows hoo it’s diun.
ELBOW-GREASE—Noo than what? We o’ know what elbow grease is when it’s runnin’ off yan’s broo, and happen droppin’ inta yan’s e’e afooar yan’s time ta wipe ’t off. Elbow grease an’ stickin’ playster er tweea varry useful mack o’ things ta carry aboot when yan’s a stiffish darrak at front o’ yan.
ELDIN—At one time applied to turf and peat, but now generally used to signify the firewood chopped to light the fire with, “Gitten t’ eldin in,” and “Gitten his eldin in,” have still meaning in the sense of making provision, or storing up for contingencies.
ELLIKER—Yal ’at’s grown inta vinegar; as soor as elliker.
ELLAR, ELLARBERRIES—These er nobbut alder in annuder an easier way. Ye can use owder ye want fer t’ burtree.
ELSE—Thoo’ll be off ta bed er else. Ah war fasht wi’ mi rheumatiz, er else. The alternative is understood to be of a serious nature.
ELLY—A point in football scoring. Whar they’ve neea goal stoops, they’ll punch t’ bo up again t’ wo, an’ that’s a sooart; when they punch ’t ower t’ top o’ t’ wo inta t’ next field, that’s an elly, an they change ends. Ah’ve hed lumps o’ mi shins as big as wo’nuts, an’ t’ bark peel’t off i’ spots wi’ this mack o’ craft, but Ah wad ten hundred times rayder be laiken ner talken aboot it.
EMPTY-HEEDED—Vain, shallow, pretentious. A victim of one of those “brecks” known as practical jokes willretaliate by remarking that it’s some o’ them gurt empty-heeded gofframites, ’at’s lowsed his lin-pin, or, fielded t’ cart wheel up a tree, er yoked t’ nag wi’ t’ heed ta t’ cart. Yah poor chap fan his nag yoked t’ wrang way, an’ t’ stangs throo t’ bars ov a yat. “Noo, this caps cut-lugs,” sez he, an’ he set tull an’ sawed t’ stangs off afoor he wad be bet.
END-NER-SIDE—beginning and finish; sense; Ah can mak nowder end-ner-side o’ thi tial.
ENTRY—A passage.
ENGLISH—Decipher. A ca’t English sec rubbish as thoo writes.
END-UP—To rear a cart up; to set anything on its end; to raise a person into a sitting or standing posture; to finish a task, or the day’s work; “ended him up” an’ “end up” er tweea varra useful spacks.
END-BOOARD—Aye, what noo, anybody knows ’at t’ end boords is at end o’ t’ cart, an’ ’at they tak oot, an’ seea on, but it izzant seea easy to put inta print.
END-OWER-END—To tipple “head over heels.” Ah catcht mi teea ower a cobble, an’ doon Ah went, end-ower-end, heedamaneckum inta t’ beck.
ESH-CHATS—Seed of the ash tree.
ESH-PLANT—A walking stick miad oot ov a young ash tree pood up bi t’ riut an’ dried. T’ lads aboot ten know generally what they’re used for.
ESH, ESH’K—Ax or ask; ax’d or asked.
ESH—Ash tree.