DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS

[Tizer]

In Collins the use of tender meaning delicate comes from Old French tendre from Latin tener, delicate; tender meaning to present or offer comes from Latin tendere, to stretch or extend; and tender as with a boat or steam locomotive is said to be a 15th century variant of attender. Confusing stuff!

[Stanley]

Have we done 'scud' as in clouds scudding?

[Whyperion]

One suggestion is that it's from a Dutch word meaning the same as we use scud. Another that it's from a rabbit's scut (tail).

In 2018

Susie Dent on Countdown did a piece on Yacht today

[Tripps]

I've just used the phrase "It will pass" elsewhere.

That reminded me that the softer word 'passed' has almost replaced the more stark word 'died'

I saw a headline a few days ago regarding an appeal to locate a missing person.

The outcome was "XXXX found passed." Took a moment for the meaning to register with me.

[Cathy]

I like the phrase ‘xxxx has been gathered’, when being told of someone’s death.
I find it calming and it gives a feeling of security.

[Stanley]

Horses for courses, I like people to say died because by doing so they are confronting the fact of death and not hiding from it. Not a lot of point ignoring it and hiding......

[plaques]

Scull, scull and cross bones, Think Freemasons, appeared regularly in old paintings and emblems. We tend to associate these emblems with pirates but it was to remind people that mortality wasn't a given and death could just be round the corner striking at any time. Get your good deeds in now before its too late.

[Tizer]

I saw a headline a few days ago regarding an appeal to locate a missing person. The outcome was "XXXX found passed." Took a moment for the meaning to register with me.

Ma Ramotswe would say "XXXX is late" - although it can cause confusion!

[Stanley]

Ken, if you ever take a walk round a cemetery in SW Scotland you'll find that the skull and bones is a common theme on tombstones and you are right, it was a reminder that the man with a scythe was a good gelder, he never missed a stone.

[Tripps]

This was briefly in the news a couple of days ago, but mercifully hasn't 'gained traction' as they say nowadays. Perhaps the events of the last few days have been a good time to bury bad news - which it surely is.

Spooky

The world is full of people who are terrified of being thought to be racist, and many who are eager to take offence, since that gives them power over the offenders. I guess it might resurface next week for Halloween.

[Stanley]

Your right David, journalism like that is bad news and deserves to be buried. It reminds me of the attempt to outlaw Spotted Dick as the name for a pudding. If you dig deep enough and long enough you'll find connections like the ones in the article. It's lazy journalism because the fact these are forgotten examples denotes that they died the death they deserved and trying to revive them to make a spurious point is shameful.
I shall continue to use the word Spooky whenever I please and bugger what Newsweek thinks! (I suspect you will be doing the same David.... I hope so!)

[MickBrett]

Last evening my wife told one of the cats to "stop moidering" That's the nearest I can get to the spelling.

Moidering: "nattering, moaning or generally making a nuisance of your self".

Another term we use often is "getten agate"

Getten agate: get or got into the habit of

When I first came to the States 26 years ago I would visit a store and was often asked if I needed any help finding something.
My opening gambit was "I'm after a..." followed by a description of what I was looking for.
It came out as one word "amaftera".
Once I'd described what I wanted I was invariably asked to repeat the whole sentence even though, in my mind, I had spoken as clearly as possible.
It took a while before I realised that "amaftera" threw the store assistant and they were too busy trying to work out what this initial statement was and consequently never heard any of the rest that I said.

[Tripps]

Moidering: "nattering, moaning or generally making a nuisance of your self".

I think we've discussed this word before - where've you been when we needed you? I first heard it from my Irish Mother in law, (we'd have said mithered at home in Oldham) ,and thought it was Irish, but seems not.

First heard 'agate ' in Rochdale. Pronounced like agayit. I think there's a word for stretching vowels. Stanley will know.

Both included on this site Lancs words

Love 'amaftera'


PS " word for stretching vowels" I think it might be dipthong - but I can't be mithered to look it up.

[Stanley]

'Imaftera'. I'd have to get my Comprehensive Grammar out......
Until I came to this neck of the woods I'd never heard 'moidering', my mother came from Dukinfield and it was 'mithering'. Very often accompanied by "You're worse than dirt down" which of course came straight out of the mill.
I went for a furtle and came up with this...
"Late 17th century, of unknown origin; Possibly allied to Welsh moedro (“to worry or bother”)"

[MickBrett]

Yesterday sat waiting at a junction for a chance to pull out.

Me: Think we're banner be here all day...

My wife Jan: "Aye, I think mill's loising or summat"

[Stanley]

Good ones and common once of a day in Barlick. 'Barn' for going and 'loising' for going home time(Workers being set loose).

[MickBrett]

As you can tell, neither of us has picked up on this American accent thing.
Mind you, we've only lived here 26 years...

People here often comment how they "love my accent"

I usually say "what accent"

I must admit that the way I talk catches peoples attention. I'm always polite when dealing with people, as everyone should be.
It doesn't cost anything and goes a long way towards getting better service or information from whoever you are dealing with.

In America the common thing to say when making a request for an item is "give me a..."
I say "could I possibly have a...."

[Big Kev]

My 'best going out' London accent usually attracts a 'you're not from around here' comment. We've only been here for 17 years. My 3 sons haven't adopted anything local either although my grandchildren have no idea what I'm saying half the time.

[MickBrett]

Good ones and common once of a day in Barlick. 'Barn' for going and 'loising' for going home time(Workers being set loose).

I assume that "Banner be" or "Barner be" is a corruption "Bound to be" meaning "sure to be" or "going to be"

Another that crops up between us often is "sutha" or "setha" from "See thee" or "Look!"

Also "Atta" from "Art thou" as in "Atta banner be late?" from "Are you going to be late?" (Art thou bound to be late?)

You see, folk don't talk right like what we do.
Innit?

[Stanley]

Est bin mon bin? Bin mon's been and bin's non bin sin sin!
What could be clearer than that? Let's hear it for dialect!

[plaques]

One for Tripps. He won hands down.?

[Tizer]

When I came in late from playing out with my mates my Gran would always ask `Wurastabin?'
The answer was usually `Ont tops' which was a reference to the waste ground opposite the cotton mill. Happy days!

[Tripps]

One for Tripps

Now there's a challenge.
First thought (without google) was that it was connected with poker - if all hands are laid down the result is plain to see.

No cigar though - seems it's related to racing and has been around since the mid 19th century. Jockey dropped his hands and won easily.
I've never heard it used in that context nowadays though.

Aren't words interesting?

[Tizer]

Yes, and Radio 4's `Word of Mouth' series with Michael Rosen (he who nearly died with covid) is a good series. I listened to this one from 2018 yesterday and it's illuminating and fun - I've added a quote from it in the jokes thread.
`Shop Names' LINK
Michael Rosen and Laura Wright look at the history behind and witty wordplay used in shop names, with guest Greg Rowland of the Semiotic Alliance, which invents names for products.

[MickBrett]

When I came in late from playing out with my mates my Gran would always ask `Wurastabin?'
The answer was usually `Ont tops' which was a reference to the waste ground opposite the cotton mill. Happy days!

We used to play on "the middins", the stone roofs of the outside lavs and coal holes. Access was gained by climbing the gas lamp.

No computer games in them days but I got days of entertainment and fun playing with an old tyre...