Is that English?

[Andy Hamilton]

I just got an email from an American who has not heard of swedes. I never thought it was something that was so British. (a swede is similar to a turnip for those who have not heard of it)

Anyway. made me think that there are a lot of words that might not translate over the pond. Or indeed over to the other side of the globe. people might not know. Might be good to have a glossary of culturally specific words. Anyway, here are a few English ones that even English, English might not know.

Emmet - Tourist or outsider (cornish English)
Snap tin - Pack lunch box - Midland English.
Bristle - Bristol - Bristol English
Ikeal - Bristol English

[pumpy]

hi Andy, the Norfolk dialect is a wholly diffrunt thing completely, but after 30 yrs, i've just about got the hang of it.
mardle - chat
troshin' - work ( as in; he went all the way to Swaffham, 'n done three days troshin', fur nutting)
blust-me .... my goodness
mawther - wife

the list is endless, but it's great talking to the oldun's & hearing them talk in dialect............i'm actually bi-lingual!!

[Annpan]

Well it isn't fair to even start with Scottish dialects, there are many words up here derived from old Scots and in fact Scots is still a language in it's own right.

But just to clarify (for what seems like the billionth time ) a Swede is a Rutabaga in America (Scots call them a turnip) What English call a turnip Scots call a white turnip (but we don't really have them much up here)... but yeah Rutabaga is the word you are looking for.

Oh go on then I'll join i with a few Glaswegian/ Scottish words

Stank - a metal drain covering or grid.
Bunnet - a mans hat.
Ginger - carbonated juice... likewise a 'gingey bo'le' (including glottal stop) was a glass bottle with a 10p deposit on it... we used to be given them as pocket money.

[MKG]

A swede is a rutabaga to an American.

Mike

[Millymollymandy]

They are called Rutabaga in France also.

Here are a few French words:

Le shopping
Le weekend
Le brushing (blow dry)
Le shampooing (shampoo)
Le relooking (revamping a room/person)

[Annpan]

They are called Rutabaga in France also.

Here are a few French words:

Le shopping
Le weekend
Le brushing (blow dry)
Le shampooing (shampoo)
Le relooking (revamping a room/person)

[Milims]

But just to clarify (for what seems like the billionth time ) a Swede is a Rutabaga in America (Scots call them a turnip) What English call a turnip Scots call a white turnip (but we don't really have them much up here)... but yeah Rutabaga is the word you are looking for.

Now just to add a bit more to the confusion! Here we call swedes, that we believe to be turnips, bagies.

Although Northumbrian is almost a language in itself, the town near me also has a language of it's own which seems to be a mixture of Northumbrian, border Scots and........wait for it.........Romany!
So we have (and I'm not altogether sure of the correct spellings)
Yaries - eggs
Jugal - dog
Bints and morts - women (depending on social/family position)
Gajies and charvas - men (ditto)
Yag - coal/fire

And I won't say anything about the teen - speak!

[Carltonian Man]

In Nottingham,
Mardy.. describes a person who is whingeing, sulky, snivelling and stroppy.
Bogger.. someone who is cheeky or full of devilment.

Not so commonly heard now are
Bobboes.. horses
Tuffies.. sweets
Corsie.. pavement

[red]

They are called Rutabaga in France also.

Here are a few French words:

Le shopping
Le weekend
Le brushing (blow dry)
Le shampooing (shampoo)
Le relooking (revamping a room/person)

and le camping

[red]

in Devon English:

grockle = tourist
dimpsey = dusk
diesher = thistle
maid = girl
my love or lover = a polite way to end a transaction (ie there you go my lover = thankyou, here is your change)

[mrsflibble]

twitchell: a cut through between two roads (nottingham)
folley: a cut through between two roads (north essex)


and to carltonian man "GERRON'T CORSIE YA LICKER BOGGER!!!" used to be heard a lot round my way when i was in infant school (West Bridgford, i went to muster's Road school), but has all but died out recently. I'm more used to essex slang now though having spent much more time down here than i have up there!

and i do think the sentence "can yer borrah us a tuffie?" and "as yer gorr any tuffies" are distingctly Carltonian/Gedlish because although my mum still says it (Gedling born and raised), I never heard anyone use the term tuffies when i was little except from my mum. and even then only out of earshot of my grandparents lol!!

there seems to be a colloquialism round here which is purely located in Wickford. that is using the term "a" instead of "to". "I'm goin' a'bed" "I'm goin' a'loo". my hubby tried not to use it, but laughs when others do 'cos he can locate where they're from lol!

hubby says most colloquialisms from essex just come under the title of "lazy english" missing out letters from words etc. "'at" "war'er" ("hat" "water")

[Graye]

Here's an interesting thing though. Very often these dialectic words have a basis in English. For instance "causey" (corsi) is actually a proper word, precursor of causeway, and means a way or road raised above the natural level of the ground, serving as a dry passage over wet or marshy ground. It's still right there in the Oxford English Dictionary. Its useage has remained in some areas whereas it has become pavement in others. (I only found this out by asking OH who a) comes from South Yorkshire where it's a common expression and b) has a Phd in English). I've never heard of it from where I grew up in the West Midlands. We are forever laughing about expressions we each remember from our childhoods which aren't in any dictionaries and are completely alien to each other.

The Spanish (certainly in the south) call parsnips "white carrots" because they don't grow there and are rarely in the shops. I would think the taste would be a shock to them if they were expecting a carrotty taste. But in the north they are common, have a proper name (chirrivia) and are grown for export to the UK. Mention chirrivia in the southern shops and you get blank looks. I suppose the same might apply with turnips, swedes and "white turnips"?

[the.fee.fairy]

Don't ask me...my world's in Chinglish now!

'You are going to the bar?'
'you are teacher, it is good'
'you want know price?'

Chinglish tends to miss out small words (like a, to, while) and add in chinese words at random points (i would type these...but i haven't learnt to say them yet...), or the other way round (Engnese?) tends to be chinese, just very very slowly and with the tones pronounced really clearly (mai-dan, lao-ban) (boss, bill).

[Gert]

Can't believe no-one has mentioned the "Turmut" The Fvy, the vly, The vly be on the Turmut ( he sings loudly, and badly)

The battle song of the Wiltshire regiment

T’were on a jolly zummer’s day, the twenty-fust of May,
John Scruggins took his turmut hoe, with this he trudged away,
Now some volkes they loike haymakin’, and some they vancies mowin’
But of all the jobs as Oi loike best, gi’e Oi the turmut ‘oein’.

Chorus:

The vly, the vly –
The vly be on the turmut,
‘Tis all me eye,
For Oi to try,
To keep vlies off them turmuts.

The fust place as Oi went to wurk; it were wi’ Varmer Gower,
Who vowed and swore as how Oi were ‘ – a virst class turmut ‘oer’;
The second place Oi went to wurk, they paid Oi by the job,
If Oi’d a-knowed a little more, Oi’d sooner bin in quod.

Chorus:

The last place as Oi went to wurk, they zent ver Oi a-mowin’,
Oi zent wurd back, Oi’d zunner get the zack, than gi’e up turmut ‘oein’.
Now all you jolly varmer chaps, what boides at ‘ome zo warm,
Oi’ll now conclude my ditty wi’e a-wishin’ you no ‘arm.

Chorus:

The vly, the vly –
The vly be on the turmut,
‘Tis all me eye,
For Oi to try,
To keep vlies off them turmuts.

[Carltonian Man]

Mrsflibble, I'm shocked you can speak like that (and very pleased.. and extremely amused). My late grandmother was occasionally heard to exclaim "Gerroff the 'oss-road an back on corsi Yo, olce that mester'll ev yer".

When not in posh company I still use gew instead of go, ayin instead of having, ed instead of had and of course ote instead of anything.

e.g in a factory it isn't unusual to hear "Snap, Yayin-ote? am gewin t' caff" (translates, Would you care to order any food, I'm going to the cafe).
And then when the food arrives, "Snap, Yed-ote?" (The food is here, did you place an order?)

I love dialects, the country would be altogether less colourful if we all spoke Queens English

Martin