Saturday 6 May 2017

Learn Yerself Sussex!

If you have a spare few minutes today perhaps you might like to learn a little of the old Sussex dialect gems...would make a change from the more normal holiday conversation lingo!

Beazled - tired

Draggle-tail - a lady of loose morals or slack in her housekeeping standards

Dumbledore - a bumble bee

Foundle - something you find

Hagstrack - circles of coarse grass created by "witches dancing at night" [caused by a fungus]

Quilt - when cats claw a carpet [or the nearest human's lap!]

Scaddle - wild, mischievous

Skitterwaisen - from corner to corner.

It might come as no great surprise I have a new book from which these are gleaned. It was a Victorian collection, but I think some of the words could do with reviving!

Arilx

5 comments:

  1. I love these old words and sometimes how they've evolved...I suppose being bamboozled would lead you to being beazled. If you foundle something you may then fondle what you've found? I use skidaddle as in to make off quickly away from something which is similar to scaddle. Ha ha autocorrect is having a hard time deciphering my typing today!! x

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    Replies
    1. I do too...I am longing to use draggle tail...shall have to choose my context carefully!
      Arilx

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    2. Trusting that you're having a rest from housekeeping! x

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  2. I do find the different dialects fascinating,how one village next to another can sound different and have different words, sadly that seems to be happening less and less. My northern husband still uses 'old' words such as keks (trousers) wick (fast) na'thn (now then) si'thee (how do you do) but working with Yorkshire farmers opened my eyes (ears) to all different words. Backend (autumn) watta (water) crambly (belly ache) lyl (little) gert (big) yows (ewes)

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