Chapter V: Part 5

LET ON, LET WIT—To give heed. Ah hard him, but Ah nivver let on. Take no notice. Thoo mun tak neea nooatice on him, co’in thi, niver let wit ’at thoo hears him; he means nowt bi’ ’t.

LET-DOON—A drink. I hev neea objection ta a let-doon, an’ Ah’s varra nar chowkt; bring us a lal drop i’ t’ liadin’ can.

LETTIN-DOON—A disadvantage. It’s a gurt lettin-doon ta fooak when they’re short o’ sowder. An’ some’ll say it’s a gurt lettin-doon when fooak ca’t ken what’s ther awn, frae that o’ somebody else.

LEAD ATWEEN—It means if ye’re leaden muck wi’ three nags an’ cars, yan’ll be at t’ midden fullen, yan at t’ field emptyen, and yan on t’ way owder gaan er comen back; him at leads atween hez t’ best job on ’t; he can ride yah way.

LEAF—T’ inside of a pig’s ribs; grand fer makkin same on.

LEAR—A sken. At dark it’s a lear. Ah liuk at this yan as bein’ varra handy. We’ve a sken, an’ a glent, an’ a glif, an’ a glimmer, an’ tweea er three mair fer day-leet. This is fer t’ dark, when t’ broos is lowered wi’ streenen ta git a seet o’ summat, an’ o ivver ye manish ta deea is ta catch a lear on ’t.

LEATHER-DICK—A leather brat fer barns, ta keep them frae burnen ther clias.

LED-FARM—A farm that is managed, and on which the farmer does not reside.

LEDDERDY-PATCH—Ass a fiddler. Ah nivver could dance nin, but Ah’ve hard fooak talk aboot cross t’ buckle an’ leddery-patch; it’s sum mack o’ silly craft, Ah’ll apode it.

LEEM—To strip. Leem oot o’ thi cooat an’ gang an’ buckle teea. We chip’t t’ maister fer a quart, an’ he leem’d oot.

LEEMER—The hazel nut when ripe or ripening, and leaves the husk.

LEE-WATTER—Serum. It’s parlish when lee-watter begins ta come oot ov a sair spot.

LEET-GEEN—Ah’s in a quandary wi’ this yan. If Ah put it in some on ye’ll say Ah sudn’t; if Ah durt some on ye ’ll say Ah darrant. It refers to a bad habit some men hev ’at sud know better.

LEP—Drink. He likes his lep.

LEP—To sup like a dog by licking. Lep it up.

LEP—A bundle o’ straw is a lep o’ streea.

LEY—A scythe.

LEEVE—Rather. Ah’d as leeve be tied tul a coo tail an’ trailed ta deeth.

LIEVER—More readily; much rather.

LEG-BAIL—Run away. He gev them leg-bail, an’ ’listed.

LEADEN—Carting. We’re thrang leaden muck.

LEDDUR—Anudder fer tannin. Ah gat leddur’d fer gitten wet-shod. To go about in a great bustle. He was ledduren aboot efter t’ cauves. To beat. We leddured them at crecket.

LEDDERIN—A thrashing. Ah gat a ledderin for playin’ trewan.

LIASE—Still anudder.

LET IN—A bad sign when a chap’s shun let in. Deceived. Ah was let in wi’ that skaymeril ov a potter.

LIAV-LUG’D—Drop eared. That nag’s liave-lug’d.

LICK-FOR-SMACK—If a body was gi’en ta nacken yan wad write this phrase doon as “vigourously.” O’ ivver it means is ’at somebody ’at hed a task afooar them—whedder it was mowin, er fieldin, er riasen, er wrusslen, er gitten away frae something er annudder ’at they du’t like—seea lang as they deea ’t wi’ a fullock, an’ put ther hearts intult job, an’ strip off tult, that’s lick fer smack. A chap was tellen me aboot a feit, an’, says he, “At it they went, lick fer smack. T’ wick ’uns ’ll trail deed ’uns oot.” That’s it to a T.

LICK-POT, LANG-MAN—The first and second fingers.

LIFT—Start. They gev him a good lift at t’ first an’ he’s nivver liukt behint him sen. A ride. He gev us a lift amang t’ batches.

LIGGERS—Long branches which a diker cuts partly through and ligs down to form a dike.

LIGHT—Nacken fer leet—ta sattle. Ye’ll find this yan’s an auld ’un if ye liuk intult reet.

LIG-IN, LIG-OOT—These tweea’s aboot t’ young beeas, an’ whar they spend ther neets. They lig-in er oot as ’t happens.

LIG-IN—This is aboot summat else; it’s when t’ family’s growen i’ numbers.

LIG-IT-IN—To put the dried hay together, so that it can be carted or cocked. To put a scythe blade and shaft together.

LIG-IT-ON—To grow fat fast.

LILT—To go with a lively spring. She lilts aboot like a fower year auld.

LILTEN—Frisking. Give ower lilten aboot, an’ deea some wark.

LINE—Linseed growen.

LIPPEN—Paired. Whia noo, hes thoo hard t’ liatest? Nay, what is ’t? Whia, but thoo mu’t tell, t’ heed man’s been sitten t’ youngest lass up, an’ they’re gaan ta be wedded at t’ tierm. Whia what Ah izzant capt, Ah lippened them tweea a gay bit sen, but Ah sed nowt ta neeabody.

LISH—Active. As lish as a tweea yer auld. It’s a good sign when yan’s lish.

LISKS—Whar legs an’ body join. Stiff at t’ lisks, a mower ’ll say, t’ first day at it.

LIST—Energy; life; activity. Mi bians wark an’ Ah’ve neea list fer nowt.

LISTIN—A narrow strip of cloth at the side of a web.

LIST, LISTED—These er aboot gangen ta sarra t’ Queen in a reed cooat an’ a cockade. Ther’s t’ makkin o’ some grand gunpooder food i’ some o’ oor gurt row lads, but a good job fer them an’ huz ther’s nin seea many o’ them ’at taks tult. An’ t’ auld fooak they fair seem ta dreed owt aboot listen. Let them feit at fratch, sez Ah, an’ nut huz.

LITHER—He up wi’ his nief an’ catched him a lither fair ower his kisser, an’ than off.

LITHE—Lish, an’ cant, an’ fresh; thoo liuks lithe.

LITH’NIN—What they thickin gravy wi’

LINK—Arm in arm. Sweethearts in an advanced stage of the complaint affect a good deal of linken’, and it is recorded of an auld world farmer who went to hire a lass and came back without, explaining to his better half that o’ t’ lasses at was up ta owt hed gone blind. “Gone blind,” said t’ missis, “hoos that?” “Nay,” he says, “Ah du’t know hoo ’t is, bit iv’ry man jack o’ them hed a chap leaden her bi t’ arm, an’ thoo knows we ca’t deea w’i tweea o’ them on oor spot.” An’ she peppered his lugs wi’ caper sauce fer some time aboot it, an’ t’ blind lasses. T’ auld woman knew ’at love izzant blind ato’, an’ ’at it sees a lot mair i’ linkin ner an auld dooaten fellow ’at niver gits linked nobbut when he’s hed a lal drop ower mich gin.

LIP—Let’s hev nin o’ thi lip. It means impudence, or cheek.

LIPT—He lipt mi rarely—t’ siam again.

LISTER—A fork wi’ a lang shank to stob fish wi’ when ye can catch them asleep.

LITE—Suppose; imagine. Ah lite yer tired wi’ trashen aboot. Met. We could nivver lite on.

LITED—Depended; expected. We lited on ye comen ta yer tea.

LIT ON—We war gaan ower bi t’ Common Holme when we lit on wi’ tweea er three mair fooak.

LICK-SPITTAL—This means a dirty minded man, but Ah’ve hed a go at tryin ta find oot what a spittal is, an’ yan tells me it’s a gurt wood spiun; if it is, lickin a spittal’s nowt ill aboot it.

LIG—To lie down. Gah an’ lig ye doon a bit.

LIGGEN—Laying. He’s liggen doan fer an hour.

LIN-PIN—It gahs through a car assle tree, an’ keeps it i’ t’ spot. We used at yah time ta think it was a good breck ta tak a lin pin oot, an’ field it. They’ve mair sense noo.

LIMB—A rum fellow. He’s a limb.

LIMMER—Pliant.

LINJY—Agile, well-built.

LILL—To rear and whinny as young nags do.

LILLY—To coax up. He’d ower mich lilly wark aboot him fer me.

LILDEREN, LILDER—Leet i’ t’ heed as well as t’ feet. Fooak ’at lilder aboot frae yah spot tull anudder er up ta nowt.

LIMMERS—Cart stangs.

LIG-ON—The battle cry of lads, “Lig-on.”

LIG-IN-LANKY—Pitch intul ’t.

LIMMISH—A bit ov a limb fer a breck.

LINED—Summat up wi’ t’ bitch.

LIAF-BREED—Bread in loaves, as distinct from that in cakes; but “liaf” is frequently used for fruit loaf or spice cake.

LIATHE-LOFT—A barn over other buildings such as stable, cowshed, &c.

LIATHE—Mappen some on ye ’ll think er say ’at anybody ’at ’ll print owt aboot a liathe sud be i’ Garlands, an’ ’at they’re barns, nut liathes ato. But if ye’d fielded i’ yan when ye war barns, an’ rowt i’ yan when ye’d gitten up, ye wad want a good word fer t’ auld liathe. Mewin i’ summer, threshen i’ winter, allus in an’ oot, what yan’s like ta git weel acquainted, an’ whar is ther seck a spot fer a dance when we’re hevin a merry neet an’ seck? It’ll be a cauld day fer huz when we hevn’t a warm word for t’ liathe.

LICK—Yan mair fer a ledderin.

LICKT—Beaten. Thoo’s lickt me hiam. If ther’s owt in ’t, t’ main o’ t’ lickins ’at seck as we gat when we war lads was wi’ a bunch o’ birks, ’at miad yan canny aboot sitten doon fer a bit. Noo, ye classic chaps, oot wi’ ’t.

LICK-AN’-A-PROMISE—A shuffling mak o’ diun owt ’at’s neea good. Hes thoo wesht thi fias? Aye. Thoo’s gien ’t a lick an’ a promise, thoo gurt idle slenk.

LIGS-ROUGH—Said of one who, having no home, sleeps in out-houses. Also said of those who get belated. We hed ta lig rough, or sleep rough.

LIKELY—Probably. Likely ye’ll be gaan ta t’ sial. Ah likely will.

LIMBER—Varra pliable (hem!). It means like this: If t’ cart gear gits hard, an’ ye grease it, an’ it turns soft, it’s miad it limber; yer joints ’ll be limber at times, an’ at udders as stiff as a crutch.

LING—Heather. Ling besoms yah while war varra common, but they can’t mak them i’ Garmany, seea what we mun deea withoot noo.

LING-CROPPER—Yan off t’ Black fell side.

LOLLOCK—A good big lump. As auld Nanny lad, Ike, said when they’d company at dinner, an’ she ass’d him if he wanted sarra’en wi’ any mair meat. “Aye,” sez he, “Ye can cut us a lollock o’ fat an’ a lollock o’ lean tell Ah gah an’ wipe t’ sweet off mi broo.” A lal unmannerly urchen.

LOUNDER—Handled roughly, Ah loundered him a bit wi’ t’ besom shank.

LOSHES—Our dialect has more of the harsher sounds in it, as is natural, but this is one exception. It is used to signify the liquid “swish” of the flooded river as it flows over the boulders in its course, and is unequalled as an onomatopoetic. One of Lakeland’s poets, who uses its dialect for his verses, has said of the Lyvennet that it

“..,. laykes an’ loshes ower the steaynes,
Like kitlins wi’ a cloot,
Howks grubs an’ worms fra under t’ breeas,
To feed t’ lal hungry troot.”

The contrast of sound in the two first lines and the two last is well brought out.

LOST-AN’-LOPPART—Soor wi’ muck. Sairy things, t’ barns war lost an’ loppart i’ muck.

LOUR—Liuken dark an’ like rainen; also a fellow ’at’s his rag oot, an’ showa it—it’s louren.

LOVE—Ah’ll feit thi fer a sov’ren! Nay, Ah’ll nut tak a sov’ren frae thi seea easy as that, but Ah’ll tell thi what Ah’ll deea, Ah’ll feit thi fer love. Ah’ve seen chaps feit fer love tell ther heeds was like a shammles.

LOW—A blaze. Keep thi fingers oot o’ t’ low.

LOWN—A quiet sheltered place. It’s lown here, we’ll leet up. When ther is neea wind and everywhere is quiet and still, it’s varra lown; an’ some places lig varra lown.

LOWMER, LOWMER-DOON—Lower, it’s a gay bit lowmer (or lowmer-doon).

LOWP—Jump. Thoo miad mi lowp.

LOWPER—Jumper. He’s a rare lowper.

LOWP-DIKE—A coo ’at izzant satisfied wi’ her own, but seeketh that of another—ower t’ dyke.

LOW-PRICED—Mean; underhand; deceitful; coarse; vicious; an’ owt else ’at’s bad is “low-priced.”

LORDS AND LADIES—See bulls an’ cows.

LOBBY—Fat. A gurt lobby lad.

LOB-LOLLY—A gurt fat easy body.

LOB-SIDED—On one side. Thoo’s lob-sided. An’ seea’s thoo.

LOFT—Upstairs. Cock-loft’s up again t’ riggin. Hay loft is varra oft ower t’ coo ’us.

LOGGIN—A bottle of straw.

LOP—A flea.

LOW—Downhearted; fallen spirits. He went low ower a lass.

LOWERMAS—Lammas.

LOWNDER—A chap ’at izzant varra handy wi’ his legs an’ feet. Theer, thoo’ll lownder aboot tell thoo flees ower.

LOWSE—Relaxed. Raffy. He gat inta bad company, an’ he’s gian varra lowse an’ drucken.

LOWSE-END—Disengaged. Ah izzant hiren this tierm; Ah’ll hev an odd hauf year at t’ lowse end.

LOWSE-OOT—To unharness, or unyoke a horse from its work.

LOWSE, LOWS’NIN—An apprentice whose time is served; a lowsnin is the feast got up in rejoicing on the stage of journeyman being attained.

LOCK—A handy load, or a small portion. Thoo’s just a nice lal lock fer t’ next liad. Ah’d a lock o’ streea under mi arm; a lal lock o’ cooals, an’ seea on an’ seck like.

LOFF, LOF’D—Offer; choice. Ah’d t’ loff o’ yan at mi awn price. Ah lof’d misel ta gang an’ help them when they war seea hard throssen wi’ yah thing an’ anudder.

LOG-WATER—That part of a pool that is distinct from the stream.

LOOANCE—Aye fer sewer, what ye’ll want t’ looance noo. It’s summat, genarally yal, ’at’s allooed ower an’ abiun t’ price o’ t’ wark; er a bit ov a job ov any mack—it’s a looance job, neea wage ato.

LOOANEN—A rooad wi a dike o’ biath sides is a looanen, an’ ther’s some bonny ’uns i’ Lakeland.

LOOACH—As streck as a looach; but Ah niver saw yan.

LOOACHER—Lal fish. Tommy looachers an’ bull heeds.

LOOK—Poo thissles wi’ a pair o’ lookers. Anudder rampen good niam fer a blow. He gat a look under t’ lug fer his trouble.

LOOKERS—A pair o’ lang legged pinchers ta poo thissles oot o’ t’ cooarn wi’.

LOPPART—Crudded milk; it’s loppart.

LU’YA, LUSTA, LUCKSTA—Look ye. Lu-ye! lu-ye! Liuk whar yer treeden wi’ yer gurt pasty-feet.

LUBBER—A term of disgust for an idle person.

LUDGEMENT—Lodgings. Says Bowness:

“Sic monkeys are sewer ev a dirty ludgement,
’At show, like thee, meear sperit ner judgment.”

LUMP-IT—What yan doesn’t like yan hes ta lump; that is, swallow withoot chowin!

LUG—To pull the hair or ears for punishment. Ah’ll lug thi toppin a bit fer thi pains.

LUG AN’ LAGGEN—All over. He was grease an’ muck o’ ower; covered frae lug ta laggen. In a tub “lug and laggen” includes the whole of the parts.

LUG-MARK—A sheep’s ear punched or clipt to distinguish it from those of another owner.

LUGS—The ears of any and everything. The places to which the handles of buckets and cans are fastened; the ear covers of a cap; a part of a clog or shoe upper.

LUG-WHOLS—Ear holes. Stuff thi lug-whols wi’ woo, an’ keep t’ cauld wind oot.

LULLEN—Lolling; being embraced. “Basken an’ lullen in t’ arms o’ Nan Bullon,” says Whitehead.

LUMPHEED—A silly chap ’at’s diun summat he owtn’t is varra oft co’ed a gurt lumpheed.

LUNGIOUS—Subtle; revengeful. A gurt lungious brute.

LURRIED—Worried. He set t’ dog at them, an’ lurried them oot, an’ kilt yan or tweea.

LUSH, LUSHT, LUSHEN—Ye’ll see on a public hoose sign boord ’at seea an’ seea is licensed to retail “ale, beer, wine, and spirits.” That means he can sell lush to them ’at wants it; an’ some gah as far as ta say “licensed to be drunk on the premises”—that is to be lusht. Lushen is ta git a lot o’ drink inta a body ’at likes it.

LUSH—Juicy; rich. That beef’s varra lush an’ tender.

LUCK-PENNY—What’s given back “fer luck” off a bargin. Thoo’ll git neea luck-penny oot o’ mi.

LUM—A deep dub whar they wesh sheep, an’ t’ lads dook.

LUMPS AN’ STULLS—Noo, that’ll cap some o’ ye nacken bodies. It’s when t’ poddish er owt co’s oot i’ gurt lumps; they’re o’ lumps an’ stulls.

LURRY—To pull to pices with the teeth. He was lurryen at a gurt lump o’ fat meat, an’ he was grease frae lug ta laggin.

LYA—Listen. Lya at yon auld maunderen thing.

MANNER, MANNISHMENT—Manure; tillage. Thers nowt beats gaily o’ mannishment fer taties. In some old documents belonging to the parish church of Morland “manner” is given; date 1665. An “oldest inhabitant” in the writer’s earlier days used the same word to describe manure formed of dung, earth, and lime.

MAIDENHEED—Summat funny frae yan ’at reckons hissel sharp. What’s e’ them pooaks? Maidenheeds.

MACK—Kind; variety. It tacks o’ macks ta mack ivvry mack, an’ some’s a mack ta thersel.

MADDLEN—A body ’at’s a bit daft. Thoo’s a gurt maddlen ta gang an’ sell t’ cowey.

MAINLY-WHAT—As a general rule.

For Miley is mainly-what nowt but a brick,
An’ scorns frae his heart an’ unnebberly trick.—_Bowness._

MAISTERMAN—A maisterman’s a chap ’at’s sarra’d his time, bin a journeyman, an’ than set up fer hissel—a maisterman tailler, an’ seea on; an’ he’s mebbe t’ maister ower neea body but hissel.

MAISTERMAN—A chap ’at hes a bit ov a temper, an’ gies way tull’t. Thoo’s a maisterman, but Ah’ll pare thi doon a bit.

MAISTER—Superior. He’s my maister at leein’.

MAISTER, MISTRESS—“Oor maister” an’ “oor mistress” are used generally for “husband” or “wife.”

MAJESTY—Top o’ mi majesty. It means varra oft at top of a varra poor sooart ov majesty, co’ed bad temper.

MAK-FER-A-MAK—An’ what it’s as weel ther sud be, er else what wad become o’ o’ them at izzant a mak ato?

MAK-NER-SHAP—Like t’ auld woman sark ’at she cot oot wi’ an axe; an’ a lot mair things that’s oot o’ proportion varra badly. They’re nowder mak ner shap.

MALT-CUM—Mawt-cum, sometimes co’ed cummins. Parson Harrison kent o’ aboot it varra nar fower hundred year sen. Lissen: “They take it [barley] out, and laying it upon the clean floor on a round heap it resteth so until it be ready to shoot at the root end, which maltsters call combing. When it beginneth therefore to shoot in this manner they say it is come.”

MANBODY—Ay! barn, but thoo hes grown sen Ah saw thi. Thoo’s a manbody any minnit.

MAPPEN—This is yan ov oor cautious words. A young fellow wanted his sweetheart ta gie him a kiss, an’ nowt seea nat’ral, an’ she wadn’t. “Mappen,” he says, “ye will at Kirsmas?” “Whia,” says she, “mappen Ah may than, but mappen Ah maint.” A chap ’at can carry on t’ gam wi’ neea mair encouragement ner that desarves his reward.

MAINT—May not. Ah maint be at t’ kirk if mi cauld’s neea better.

MANTY-MEKKER—A dress-maker. Oor lasses ’al be smart this Easter Ah’s warn’d. T’ manty-mekker’s bin workin’ varra near neet an’ day fur et meast of a fortneth.

MANNERLY—Generous; homely. She’s a gay mannerly body wi’ barns.

MANNERLY—Average, or more than average. We’d a gay mannerly crop o’ taties.

MANNERLY—Respectable. What Ah’ve some mannerly clias fer t’ kirk, an’ t’ market, an’ sials, an’ what does ’t matter when yan’s howken aboot bi yansel amang t’ kye?

MANNERLY—Decently. Behave thisel a mack o’ mannerly, when we’ve company hooiver.

MANNERLY—Tidy. Noo fadder, fassen yer waistcooat, an’ liase yer shun, an’ gah aboot mannerly, as a body sud. Git oot wi’ thi, Ah izzant gaan by t’ fauld yat, an’ Ah’s mannerly eniuf fer that Ah sud say.

MARCH-MALICE, MEADOW-SWEET—These is herbs fer badly fooak; but Ah’s neea doctor.

MARRA-FER-BRAN—Ther’s six o’ yan an’ hauf a dozen o’ t’ udder i’ this.

MARR’D, MAUNG’D—Petted; spoilt.

MARROW—Equal; match.

Her maister I’se sartain I nivver seed,
An’ seldom her marrow for bottom an’ speed.—_Bowness._

MARSK—A field name, an’ somebody ’ll mappen gie us t’ meanen on’t, an’ a lot mair o’ them.

MAWK—Maggot. As fat as a mawk.

MAY-GESLIN—T’ hauf-cousen tul a April-gowk. A gurt lad yance tiak me an’ tweea er three mair aboot a mile, becos he said he knew ov a place whar they hed fielded a lot o’ Queen’s heeds in a cunderth. We varra nearly poo’d t’ cunderth doon, an’ than he said we war o’ May geslins, an’ he fleered, an’ nicker’d an gurn’d becos he was seea clever an’ could let a lot o’ barns in. Ah nivver gah by that cunderth noo withoot thinken aboot it, an’ Ah wonder what mak o’ stegs them geslins hes turned oot.

MAD—Irritated. It maks mi mad ta see seck wiaste.

MAZICAN—A mafflin dunderheeded chap.

MAZED—Astounded. Seck seets yan saw, yan’s fairly mazed an’ wondered what next.

MASHELTUM—Meal for bread. A mixture of wheat, rye, and barley.

MACK-AWAY—Mak a job for the crooner; wilful waste; destruction—that’s ta mak’ away.

MADDLE, MADDLE-ABOOT—When things is gitten a bit mized i’ yan’s upper garrets.

MAFFLED, MAFFLIN, MAFFLE—These o’ mean when yan gits muddled up, an’ lost amang things. A lad ’at Ah used ta ken, at laiken time wad run intul a hoose an’ shoot as lads deea: “Betty, Ah’s hungry, will ye giv us a berry shag?” Betty was allus knitten, an’ if she happen’d ta be coonten her loops she wad say, “Thoo nasty lal mafflin, what’s thoo com here for, thoo’s maffled me noo, an’ Ah’ve lost me coont. Ah’ll tak mi’ stick ta thi back.” But he maistly gat a berry shag fer o’ that.

MAIN—T’ main man at a spot is t’ heed fellow; an’ ther’s main rooad; main drain; an’ many a yan ’ll say “What we’ve gitten t’ main on t’ in, er t’ main on t’ s’ ta git in,” an’ seea on. Auld chaps ’at’s bin a bit gam i’ ther younger days tell us hoo a “cock main” was thowt on bi them.

MAIZLE, MAIZLEN, MAIZLED—Confuse. It’s eniuf ta maizle yan o’tagidder. A simple-minded easy going body. A gurt maizlen. Confused. Thoo’s maizled amang t’.

MAK-WEIGHT—A lal ’un thrown in ta pul t’ doon.

MALLISON—A man that cruelly ill-uses a horse. A chap was leaden muck yah day, an’ t’ nag tiak t’ steck, he miad neea mair ta deea, but went an’ dipt t’ shool in a troff, an’ ivry time he hat that nag under t’ belly a gurt sowen blister wad com up. An’ auld chap ’at was watchen ’at dudn’t like nags badly usen, says tull him, “Thoo’s a mallison wi’ a nag, an’ thoo wadn’t hev ta drive a cuddy o’ mine.”

MANNERS-AND-MAKS—When fooak hev a gay deal ta say an’ nobbut varra lal time ta say t’ in they’ll use yan like this, “Sista we’d beef, an’ mutton, an’ ham, an’ o’ manners and maks o’ good things browt in fer oor dinner.”

MARROW—Noo Ah darsay that ye nacken mack o’ fooak ’ll at yance think aboot t’ inside ov a bian, but Ah du’t mean that. Ah mean if ye’ve a pair o’ owt, an’ hes lost yan, ye’ll want t’ marrow. An’ if ye’ve yah nag, an’ somebody else hes yan, an’ ye’ve a job ’at taks a drawt, whia what ye’ll marrow. An’ ye o’ know t’ sayen t’ marrow ta Bonny, which means a cruel bad body o’ some mack, if he war t’ marrow ta Auld Bonny at was gaan ta be t’ King ower huz becos we leev’d in a garden nobbut, an’ war nowt but shopkeepers. But we larn’d him, ’at dud we.

MASH—Brew. Put t’ kettle on an’ mash a sup o tea.

MAUNDER—Roam about in an endless aimless way. He’s nowt ta deea but maunder aboot frae moornen ta neet.

MAUNDEREN—Talking in an incoherent manner. He was maunderen on aboot what he was worth, an’ whar he hed brass oot; he’s gian crack’t.

MAUNGY—Spoilt; petted; pampered. A gurt maungy babby. That’ll draw t’ sooal ov many a gurt petted lad ’at’s yewlen fer t’ miun.

MEALY-MOOTH—Ah tell’t ye yance afooar ’at we du’t care fer fooak ’at’s seea soft spokken, an’ wheem, an’ eny body ’at’s mealy-moothed’s o’ that sooart.

MECKINS—Gurt rough breckins, an’ ye wadn’t think hoo bonny they liuk when ye hevn’t seen yan fer a while.

MEG-WI-MANY-TEEAS, MEG-MANY-LEGS—Milleped.

MEGGY—Weeds of the buttercup kind.

MELCH—Mild. A chap ’at went ta a pliace whar they mak whisky, an’ they’d gien him a sup o’ reg’lar stingo, said it went doon as melch as new milk. But it gave him a crobbacken gaan hiam, an’ shakken i’ t’ car boddum, fer o’ it was seea nice an’ melch, an’ good ta tak.

MELL—What dikers drive stiakes wi’. An’ they give t’ warst plewer ’at a plewin match—that taks t’ mell.

MELDER—A lot, a heap. He sat doon ta seck a melder o’ poddish as ye nivver saw, an’ he sided t’ lot.

MELDER—A pooakful o’ haver that’s gaan ta be grund.

MEAL-SEED—The fine inner skin which is found on haver. It is of this coating from which sowans are made and derive their nutritious properties.

MELL—Interferes. Ah’ll warm thi canister if thoo mells wi’ oor land. Ah niver dud mell wi’ him, Ah mell wi’ mi awn business.

MELL—SUPPER-Siam as kirn-supper.

MEMO—Ah tell’t ye afooar aboot t’ woman ’at wanted a pen’oth o’ pussy booels—that’s memo talkin’, and ther’s memo i’ eaten, an’ walken. It’s a complaint amang young fooak, but they git ower it, an’ happen they’re neea warse for ’t.

MERE—An auld word fer “mark”; land-mark an’ seea on.

MEW—Mewen hay’s yan o’ t’ warmest jobs ’at a lad can be put tull, but o’ t’ lads—an’ lasses fer that matter—’at Ah ken like ’t.

MEAT-HIAL—In gurt far-larn’d biuks yan reads aboot men an’ lasses vowing ta yan anudder ’at they’re heart-whole. Noo this means stomach-whole, an’ Ah’s gaan ta put it in, even if ye o’ laff at it. Ah’s i’ gay good fettle thenk ye, er ye o’ meat-hial at your hoose?

MEBBE—It may be; perhaps; if it should so happen. Mebbe ye can len’ me a shillin’ er tweea. It may mebbe rain, an’ than what? Mebbe if he was telt aboot it he wad see it in anudder leet. Ther’s a lot a ways o’ usin a lal handy word like mebbe.

MENSE—Manners. They’d a siaved biath ther meat an’ ther mense if they’d ass’d us ta hev a cup wi’ them.

MENSE—Decent in appearance. Wesh thisel an’ mak thisel a mack o’ mense.

MENSE—In good condition. Hoo er ye? A mack o’ mense.

MERRY-NEET—Oot o’ date varra nar—an’ a good job, fer if they were merry neets they war varra oft sooary moornens efter.

MENNEM—A minnow, an’ caht they swirt aboot.

MENSEFUL—Mannerly.

MEAL-ARK—A kist whar meal an’ floor’s put.

MESSAN—To upset or interfere with things. What’s thoo messan wi’ thi fadder razors for?

MISAUNTER, MISHAUNTER—A mudded do, a mishap.

MILLER-CLOOT—A whisp o’ streea ta stick in a wholl’d pooak.

MIUN-LEET-FLIT—It’s when we lap up oor traps at t’ dark an’ whiatly slenk away oot t’ rooad o’ rents, an’ bits o’ bills, er owt er anybody we’ve ta pay tull, we co’ that’n a miun-leet-flit.

MIG—Sump. T’ sypins frae a middin.

MIZZLE—Fine rain; Scotch mist. It mizzles a bit but it won’t be mich rain.

MIZZLE—Disappear quietly. I thowt that lad was worken in’t garden, but he’s mizzled.

MILKUS—Dairy.

MILL-POSTS—Legs as thick as mill posts.

MILT—A soft-bellied fish—herrin’, fer instance.

MINT—A lot. We’ve a mint o’ plums.

MINK-MIMP—An affected manner of talking.

MISCANTER—To fail or be disappointed in an undertaking. It com off wi’ a miscanter.

MIRE, MIRES—Low-lying boggy land—_e.g._, Shap Mires.

MISFIT—One who turns out badly and does not make much effort to succeed in life. They spent a pooer o’ money ta mak a man on him, but he turned oot a misfit an’ it o’ was wasted.

MIGHTY—Ye’ll hear t’ lal ’uns say ta yan at wants ta cock ower t’ midden, “Thoo needn’t mak thisel seea mighty becos thoo’s some new shun on.”

MIFF—Whimper. Keep swat an’ nivver say miff.

MINDS’TA—Ah’ll hev nin o’ thi sauce, minds’ta that noo. This is t’ origin o’ that famish classic, “Don’t ye fergit it.”

MIAL—As mich milk as a coo gies at yah milkin.

MIAL’S-MEAT—As mich as a hungry body can side at yance. They’re nivver tul a mial’s-meat when yan drops in o’ them at feeden time.

MICKLE—Many a little maks a mickle—a gay lot.

MIDDLEMER, MIDDLEMEST—Is that t’ auldest lad er youngest? It’s nowder, it’s middlemer. T’ middlemest o’ t’ lot.

MINDS—Reminds. That minds me ta ass ye ta come ta oor hoose ta yer tea.

MIN—Man. Ah’ll tell thi what min, but it’s gay cauld fer t’ nooase end o’ yan.

MIRL, MURL—Varra nar t’ siam as Mosker.

MISMAVED—Disconcerted. He went tul t’ doctor, an’ he saw’d him a finger off, an’ he was never a bit mismaved.

MITEY—Cheese ’at’s full o’ lal mawks.

MITR’D-AN’-MOULDR’D—Ye o’ know what mitey cheese is like, an’ owt ’at’s mitr’d ’s summat ’at’s gian throo t’ siam process wi’ moths an’ worms, whedder it’s a chair leg er owt else ’at’s sided away, an’ gits mitr’d an’ mouldr’d.

MOCK—To imitate in derision. Mudder, oor Jack’s mocken mi slowpen mi tea; cloot his lugs for ’t, will ye?

MOME—Smooth spoken; diffident; still. As mome as a moose.

MONKEY—Mortgate. Ther’s a monkey astride o’ t’ chimla.

MONKEY—What stians an’ mortar gahs up t’ stee in fer t’ wo’ers. See Hawky.

MONEY-IN-IVRY-POCKET—Grows e’ t’ garden does this.

MOP—Mop it up. That’s what t’ mudders say when they want yan ta sup a pint pot o’ salts an’ seeny fer a bad cauld er a strained wrist. Mop it up, it’ll deea thi good.

MOPE—A body’s ’at’s nut ower mich to deea, an’ nivver gits ’t diun.

MOPEN, MOPED—Mopen aboot like a steg i’ sitten time. It means when ivry body else is thrang, an’ neea time to bodder wi’ ye; an’ moped’s when a chap’s sitten ower t’ fire tell he’s aboot silly.

MOUNTY-KITTY—A lad’s gam: “Mounty kitty, mounty kitty, yan, tweea, three.”

MOWD—Mould. Ah’ve put this yan in becos “mould” even is gaan oot o’ fashion, an’ earth’s tian it’s shop.

MOWDI-MAN, MOWDI-CATCHER—A chap ’at catches mowdiwarps, an’ maks pooches an’ purses oot’ o’ t’ skins.

MOWDIWARP—Mole. As fat as a mowdiwarp.

MOIDER—A naggen barn ’at’s allus bodderen yan wi’ questions aboot wheea maks t’ rain, and hoo t’ sun’s fassened up, an’ wheea poos ’t blinds doon o’ t’ sky when it’s time ta be dark, ’ll sometimes be tell’t ta whisht er thoo’ll moider me ta deeth.

MONKEY—Anudder niam fer dander; when a chap’s monkey’s up, keep oot ov his rooad.

MOOTER—Payment in kind for grinding. In maut er meal t’ miller mun hev his mooter.

MOOT—Broach. Ah’ll moot it tull him.

MOOT-HO’—Town Hall. At Appleby (at all events with the older generations), Moot-Ho is the term used for what the designation Town Hall, City, or Municipal Buildings means in modern parlance. And perhaps as we have so generally discarded “fooak” it is only fit that the place of the “fooak moot” should have a name in harmony with its functions.

MOP—T’ cur dog.

MORTAL—Ah’s mortal near chowk’t wi’ stoor an’ muck.

MORTALLY—A thing Ah mortally hate is ta see fooak ’at’s seea prood an’ throssen up.

MOSKER, MOULDER—To crumble away through the action of weather, &c. It mosker’d away.

MOTHERS—Roots. Ah kent a chap ’at was a famish gurt mower, an’ he gat a job o’ mowen fer a auld fellow ’at was varra pertickler. T’ first day ’at he was agiat, t’ auld chap went ta see hoo he was gaan on. “By goy,” he sez, “thoo’s gaan wi’ t’ mudders, thoo’l deea fer yance.”

MOTHER-WIT—Ther’s nowt mich better ta fiase a rough world wi’ ner a bit o’ mudder-wit, ’at liuks at things at ther warst, un’ maks t’ best on ’t withoot gitten soor, an’ oot o’ patience, an’ laughs an’ does as they deea at Culgaith.

MOTHER—Yeast.

MOTTY—T’ hauld, when ye laik at ducky, tiggy, an’ seea on.

MOUNGE—An idle habit o’ body. Moungen aboot.

MOITHED—Tormented; teased.

“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._

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.”

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._

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.