The English Dialect Game

Recreation Fun & Games
1

Here are five words and five phrases, all genuine dialect terms from the Westcountry (that’s south-west England) - guess what they mean. With some below it may help to know that Westcountry is one of the most conservative of English dialects, relatively isolated economically and geographically - and so closer to pre-Norman English than ‘standard’ English is (whether British or American).

Flittermouse
Gramfer
the Kiddies
Keener
Painen

Them’s gurt macky jaspers, buye.
Dap down Asdal an get I some Forn, willa?
Cheers, drive.
Yer! S’pitchin out.
Ee be chuckin a benny, innum.

Kudos if you can get any of these without googling.

2

No wonder I couldn’t understand a friggin thing when we went there.

3

I’d wager most English people can’t understand it either.

4

Press “show” if you want to see my guesses.

Ee be chuckin a benny, innum. He’s getting jolly upset, what ?If I know this then it’s not a purely a West Country thing, unless I learnt it unknowingly from a West Countrysider.

Dap down Asdal an get I some Forn, willa? Pop down Asda and get me some booze, would you old chap ?

5

Two points for BFM.

I thought ‘benny’ was restricted to the Westcountry, but praps not.

‘Forn’ refers specifically to Blackthorn cider but I reckon you got close enough.

6

Flittermouse is a bat.

Faith! It’s fair dingin’ doon."

7

What about Boontling?

“It’s not just shy sluggin’ gorms neemer.”

8

Correct!

Faith! It’s fair dingin’ doon."[/quote]

Close, but no zigar for thee. “Pitchin” means “settling” with regards to snow.

9

[quote=“sandman”]Flittermouse is a bat.

Faith! It’s fair dingin’ doon."[/quote]

Haud ya whisht, ya wee scunner!

10

Ah’ll haud yer wheesht fur ye the noo, ye bissim. Ah’ll tak ma haund aff yer bahookie 'n’aw.

11

Cost kick a bo againt a wo an’ then ‘it it wi’ thi yed till it bosses?

12

I get all of it except “cost”. “Could you”? “Can you?”

13

Jaunt smore deet?

14

Keener: someone’s who’s overly enthusiastic abt doing everything right?

Gramfer: grandfather?

15

I get all of it except “cost”. “Could you”? “Can you?”[/quote]Yes, it’s “Can you”, it must be the only phrase of Staffordshire dialect that still exists, because it’s the only example I ever hear.

Good that people are respecting the local culture and learning the local dialect when they go there, Americans and Taiwanese alike.

16

I get all of it except “cost”. “Could you”? “Can you?”[/quote]Yes, it’s “Can you”[/quote]

From “canst”, perhaps? (German: kannst)

17

Absolutely.

Yes, but not in this case - this is an animal (a small one).