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Dialect of Derbyshire

Introduction

I've always been fascinated by the different dialects and colloquialisms of our British Isles. Possibly because I had so many to listen to as I was growing up. My father came from Southampton, my mother from Sunderland (her father from Scotland) and they settled in the Midlands. Imagine the sort of mish-mash that came out of the mouths of my brother & I!

Visits from relatives from both North & South proved to be a learning curve and deciphering the broader accents were a challenge in itself - not to mention the various phrases.

My Aunts & Uncles from 'Down South' didn't quite understand the 'Pet' and 'Hinny' terms of endearment from my Northern relatives and in return my Aunts & Uncles from 'Up North' couldn't quite understand the oft slipped into 'rhyming slang' of London & The South of my Southern relatives.

Add to this the Staffordshire term of endearment 'Duck' as in 'Ey up duck' and we're almost back to Babel.

Most of my mum's family followed her down to live in the Midlands and some had even stronger accents than she had herself. There was a particular Aunt and Uncle who, especially when they were 'in their cups' I actually began to believe were from a completely different country. While I was in Secondary School I wondered if I would be able to take an O Level in the subject - I'd have passed with flying colours.

But even within my own county the various accents and sayings could be a complete minefield. I realised that there were so many different forms of speech often for the same thing and that it could just be a mile or two in distance for the accents and sayings to change.

I've recently been reading a book that is based in Derbyshire and includes some forms of Derbyshire Dialect and I thought I'd share them here. I'd also love to find out just how many are still in use. If anyone knows of anymore please do add them or if I have any interpretations wrong or there are more than one.

And so to Derbyshire

Agate = Busy or On fire

Battletwig = Earwig

Belter = something good, as in "It wer a belter"

Bladder o lard = Bald

Cawsey = Pavement

Cawshun = A bit of a rogue

Chance child = A love child, child born out of wedlock

Clackfart = A tell-tale

Codwinder = A puzzle

Croodle or Crudle = To squat down

Daddied ower = Tired out

Div = an idiot

Dog in a blanket = Roly poly pudding

Doolally = mad, crazy

Eadscrag = The boss, anyone in charge

Fossneck = A know-all

Fuddle = A party, a bit of a do

Gabbletrap = A gossip

Grawnch yer grinders = To grind your teeth

Hob = Goblin, Elf or Pixie

Katey cornered/ katey swished = A chair placed diagonally across the corner of a room

Knockometer/ Knockinstick = A hammer

Lairy = Wild, out-of-control

Leckincan = A watering can

Ludlam's dog = An idle creature

Manchester Screwdriver = A hammer

Motty = A miners check

Nazzybritches = A bad-tempered person

Nesh = slightly derogatory term for someone who feels the cold easily

Odge = Stomach

Ommucks = Feet

Ormin = wandering aimlessly about. Mums often accuse their kids of "ormin abaht" when they get under their feet

Poll Thompson = Trouble/'aggro'

Queedle = A seesaw

Shate = A handkerchief

Sheenies = Cowards

Slibjib = A person with a receding chin

Slops = Policemen

'Slormed' = Sprawled lazily. Kids can slorm over the furniture when they're "ormin abaht at 'om" (See also Ormin)

Sanppyjack = An officious person, a park attendant

Snap = originally a miner's packed lunch but came to mean food in general

Spadge = a sparrow

Starvin = Very cold

Sward = Bacon rind

Swilkerin = Drinking tea from a saucer

'Throstle' = a thrush

Tup-ead = Someone stubborn

Werrat = a noisy child

Wom = Home

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County:  Derbyshire