Regional words that you thought everyone used.

[WhatsGoodForTheGoose]

A friend mentioned her winterdyke to me recently and was amazed that I had no idea what it was. It seems that it's what I'd call a clothes horse or airer. I'm from Glasgow and she's from Ayrshire. She said that she thought everyone called it that.

Are there any words that you use and assumed that everyone knew but it turns out that they don't?

@tearinyourhand

I used to be a teacher and once had a parent come into complain that I had taught her child to swear........ The word I had used was blethering......... As in Will you stop blethering!

What did the parent think it meant?

I have absolutely no idea. She steamed in to see the HT and complained. He asked for the word in context, she told him, he told her what it meant and she went away. She spoke to me later and said her immediate assumption was that it was swearing because she didn't know what it meant. She also asked that I didn't use words 'from your dialect' in the classroom because her son wouldn't understand them. She was an interesting parent..........

@bruffin

Those black shoes you wear for PE are sand shoes here. Plimsolls in london

Pumps

West mids

'Sand shoes' had a mention in Gregory's Girl, belonging to a potential footballer with no boots.

Just dropping into the thread to say I’ve been mardy on MN for a long time now.

My IL's are from Yorkshire and MIL always tells me she'll be working 9 while 4

We had a lecturer at uni who used while to mean until. I remember her giving out some times to the class and all of us looking at each other confused as she said ‘Monday 1 while 5, Wednesday 9 while 12..’
I’ve heard that the train networks had to change some of their signs in areas where this is used, especially on unmanned crossing with signs saying ‘do not cross while a train in approaching’ and the sign in the ‘do not use the toilet while the train is in the station’.

One other West Country phrase that doesn’t get a mention is ‘where’s it to’ or ‘where’s that to?’ I had no idea that wasn’t a regular phrase until I left home.

She also asked that I didn't use words 'from your dialect' in the classroom because her son wouldn't understand them.

Indeed - t'would be terrible if her son should learn to enrich his vocabulary and language skills at school, as well as his comprehension of other people's POVs, different areas of his own country and national heritage.

It says a huge amount about her that she not only thinks that a teacher would deliberately teach her son swear words but also that anything that isn't currently in her (presumably) quite basic vocabulary must be 'wrong'. I wonder if she thinks the same about 'forrin' food, languages and culture as well - unfamiliar to her, so clearly 'wrong'.

Nope! I found this out when I had an accident on an island. The insurance woman was very stroppy... "an island or a roundabout.. Which was it?!" Erm they're the same blasted thing! I do try to say roundabout if I'm not local these days.

That was a reply to @shinynewapple2020 for some reason the quote didn't carry over

Great thread. I live in Scotland but have an Irish father, mother from Lancashire, scouse husband and a SIL from Yorkshire. Lots of opportunities for confusion!
I am always amazed though when the"outwith" thing comes up. It's such a useful word. How do you manage without it?

Rammel! That was used by my grandparents too to mean clutter. My ex was very confused with while. It's often used to mean until here whereas he understood it to mean during. I've obviously heard of both interpretations and context is everything. For me the unwritten rule about until/while being interchangeable is would swapping while for until make sense. Eg "wait while I get home/wait until I get home", "wait while the lady has got off the bus before you get on/wait until the lady has got off the bus..." etc. These are ok to use either variant as (to me) the meaning stays the same. But for example "don't use your phone while driving" can't be interchanged with "don't use your phone until driving" because they clearly have the opposite meaning and you wouldn't logically wait until driving to use your phone.

@Elsiebear90 "ow yo doin cocka?" Or "alright cock?" My uncle still says this despite me sniggering at it every time...I'm in my 40s and cock will always be funny.

He/she has got the face on/munk on, or he she is morngy = sulking or in a bad mood.

Lugs = ears or hair knots.

Don’t wind her/him up, or he’s/she’s a wind up merchant = makes people angry/cross.

Hey up = hello/hi

Some Scottish ones ive6causrd cinfusion with (it tends to be words for very inconsequential things that i dont realise aren't English)
Oose = fluff
Pook=pill or pulled thread on clothes
Plook=spot /zit
Stoor=dust
Skelf=splinter
Totty=tiny

morngy = sulking or in a bad mood.

Such a wonderfully descriptive word although I'd spell it 'maungy'. Obviously I've never seen it written down so people are free to spell it any way they like.

Not me, but a friend calls Christmas tree baubles 'wessell cups'.
I looked it up - West Yorkshire from Wassail'

Then of course you have your snicket, snickel, ginnell etc. That seems to be different in different parts of the same town.

In Glasgow we use "how?" in place of why.
My ex fiancé (from Kent) didn't have a clue what I was on about. Examples:
I'm so excited for this weekend!
How?

I got a punishment exercise at school
How?

Also, we say "the back of" when asked the time. i.e. "its the back of 11" - there are different schools of thoughts on what the window for "back of" refers to: I personally have it as anywhere past the hour to about twenty past, whereas others may think its anywhere from the hour to half past the hour.

Again, my ex would be seething "just tell me the ACTUAL time"

I grew up knowing lots of Cornish dialect but the two two I didn’t realise were local words were ‘teasy’ as in being a bit teasy so in an irritable mood and ‘lagged ‘ for being covered in something for example ‘lagged ‘ in mud. I was so convinced they were normal expressions I got a dictionary to prove my point !😂

I'm in Sussex and beazled I've heard used and sometimes use it myself, means shattered! My elderly neighbour uses the word Codger to describe a miserly friend of his and chiping for moaning.

Oh and elderly Sussex neighbour uses 'bread and cheese friend' to describe a very good friend he can trust.

Oops, I realise that doesn't fit with the title as the only one I thought may be from the whole if the UK is beazled as my Dad sometimes uses it.

Not RTFT but was familiar with Nesh and All round the Wrekin.

Anyone know what the spence is?

Skelf - I never realised that was Scots till at uni.

I love all the alley / passageway ones - vennel/wynd near me but heave heard ginnel / snickle / close etc.

Never heard winterdyke though (born west central Scotland live in NE Scotland). The word jobbie does not mean what you think it should up here ;)

Had a friend who used "got wrong" which I have adopted as it's great.

Bob 'owler for big moth!

Out of fettle- feeling unwell/ not right