DICTIONARY OF POTTERIES SLANG
AND SOME COMMON SAYINGS
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP IN THE LATE 60'S I USED TO HEAR THE POTTERIES ALMOST ACCENT EVERY DAY, AS BROAD AS OWD GRANDAD PIGGOTT OR THE JABEZ CHARACTER THAT WAS A REGULAR FEATURE ON "RADIO STOKE" AT THE TIME. I NOTICE WITH SURPRISE, WHEN I HEAR ANYBODY SPEAKING IT THESE DAYS.
DICTIONARY © DAVE THURSFIELD 2007.
A
ACKERS. MEANS MONEY.
AFE. HALF.
AFTY OR SAFTY. MEANS AFTERNOON.
AGIN. AGAINST.
ARIND. AROUND.
AKS. ASK.
AST. HAVE YOU? AS IN "AST GOT TH' TARME?"
B
BAINS. WHAT THEE 'AS ON TOOST.
BABBIE. BABY.
BAY. BE.
BAYER. BEER
BOKE. WHEN YOU KEEP SEEING SOMETHING THAT ANNOYS YOU.
BONK. BANK
BOSLEM. BURSLEM, A LOCAL TOWN
BOST. BREAK OR BROKEN.
BOSTED. UNATTRACTIVE.
BOTH DEE. BIRTHDAY.
BOW. BALL
BROK. BROKEN.
BUZZED. LATE FOR WORK.
BIG HANDBAG AND NO DRAWS. WOMAN WHO PRETENDS SHE IS BETTER OFF THAN SHE IS.
"BIGGER LIAR THAN CRACKER DAN".
C
CADGE. BEG.
CLEMMED. HUNGRY (FROM A NORSE WORD MEANING PRESS OR PINCH).
CHUNTER. GRUMBLE.
CONNER OR COSNER. CAN'T AS IN "THAT CONNER BE RATE!"
CONST OR CUDST. CAN YOU.
COWED. COLD.
D
DROW. DRAW.
DUCK.TERM OF GREETING (FROM THE SAXON WORD DUCAS, A TERM OF RESPECT).
DUST OR DUSNER. DO YOU? AS IN "DUST THEE AVE OWT?"
DINE. DOWN AS IN "GOO DINE TH' SHOP FER US"
DUNNER. DON'T.
E
EKS. ASK.
EYES BIGGER THAN HIS BELLY. SOMEONE WHO PUTS MORE ON HIS PLATE THAN THEY CAN EAT.
F
FACE LIKE A SMACKED ARSE. AN UNHAPPY LOOKING PERSON.
FAYTHER. FATHER.
FALE. FEEL. AS IN "AR DUNNER FALE RATE"
FANG HOLD. TO GRAB SOMETHING.
FOST. FIRST.
FRITTEN. FRIGHTEN.
FROZZEN. FROZEN
FOW. FALL.
FUNT. FOUND.
G
GAB. TO TALK A LOT.
GOO. GO.
GOOIN. GOING.
GRIND. GROUND.
H
HARD FACED. BRAZEN. ALSO CHEEKY HARD FACED.
HER INDOORS. WIFE.
HI SEN. HIS SELF.
"HEAD BIGGER THAN A LODGING-HOUSE SAUCEPAN" A SELF IMPORTANT PERSON.
I
INT. ISN'T.
ITE. OUT. AS IN "AT GOOIN ITE TERNATE?"
INNA. ISN'T
INNARDS. INSIDE THE BODY.
J
JACK. AFFECTIONATE NAME FOR SOMEONE CALLED JOHN.
JED OR JEDDED. DEAD. AS IN "WHEN AR GOT THEER 'E WAS JED"
JELLED. BANGED AS IN "JELLED THER 'EDS TERGETHER"
JUDDER. AFFECTIONATE NAME FOR SOMEONE CALLED GEORGE.
K
KEGGY HANDED. LEFT HANDED PERSON.
KEEP ON THE BRICKS. STAY ON THE PAVEMENT.
KETCH OR KETCHED. TO CATCH.
KINE SLICE. COUNCIL HOUSE.
KNOWST. KNOW
L
LARKE. LIKE AS IN "A DUNNER LARKE IT"
LEATHER. TO THRASH SOMEONE.
LEATHERED. DRUNK.
LIVING OVER THE BRUSH. UNMARRIED COHABITING COUPLE.
LOBBY. A LOCAL STEW.
LOZZOCK. TO LAZE ABOUT.
M
MAY. ME.
MARNE. MINE AS IN "THAT WUS MARNE THEE KNOWST"
MARRED. SPOILT PERSON.
MARRER. A TERM OF ENDEARMENT OR MEANS FRIEND
MAK. MAKE.
"MORE RATTLE THAN TOMMY ROT'S GOT GODFATHERS" - A TALKATIVE PERSON.
N
NATE. NIGHT
NESH. SUSCEPTABLE TO THE COLD. SOFT.
NOWT. NOTHING.
NUMBERS. WUN, TOW, THRAY, FOWER, FARVE, NARNTAIN, ETC.
"NOT AS GREEN AS CABBAGE LOOKING" - NOT EASILY FOOLED
O
OATCAKE. LOCAL DELICACY MADE WITH FLOUR, OATS AND YEAST.
OH RATE. ALL RIGHT AS IN "AT OH RATE?"
OMMEREND. HALMEREND. (PLACE NAME.)
OSS. HORSE.
OUR. A FAMILY MEMBER EG. OUR DAD.
OUR SEN. OUR SELF.
P
PARNED. POUND.
PARNT. PINT AS IN "GERRUS A PARNT IN WUT"
PAYS. PEAS.
PEE. PAY.
PIECE. A SANDWICH.
POUSE. BAD TASTING.
PUT WOOD IN HOLE. CLOSE THE DOOR.
PUTHERY. HOT AND HUMID SUMMER WEATHER.
Q
QUAYER. QUEER. AS IN "A FALE A BIT QUAYER TERNATE"
QUATE. QUIET.
R
RATES PAY. WRIGHTS PIE (LOCAL DELCACY).
RATTLE ON. TO TALK TOO MUCH.
RIND. ROUND. AS IN "GOO RIND IN A BIT"
RIND ABITE. ROUNDABOUT.
ROT. RAT.
RUCK. A LOT OF SOMETHING, OR A FIGHT.
S
SATE. SIGHT AS IN "SHAY LUKES A SATE IN THAT DRESS."
SCRAM. FOOD.
SENT NULL. LOCAL PAPER THE EVENING SENTINEL
"SHUT YER CHOPS". BE QUIET.
SHONNA. WILL NOT.
SHOWNED. SHOWED.
SOFT MICK. FICTIONAL PERSON AS IN "MORE MONEY THAN SOFT MICK."
STONEY. NO MONEY. STONEY BROKE.
STOON. STONE.
STRAYT. STREET.
SKEERED. FRIGHTENED.
SKRIKE. CRY.
SKINNY. MEAN.
SLAYCE. SLICE AS IN "SLAYCE A BIR OFF FER US WUT"
SNEEP. TO SNUB SOMEONE
SNIVED. OVER RUN WITH SOMETHING, AS IN SNIVED WITH RATS.
SMOW. SMALL AS IN "E'S A BIT SMOW INT E"
SNAPPIN. FOOD.
SOWED. SOLD.
SURRY. TERM OF ENDEARMENT, FRIEND.
SUP. DRINK.
T
TACK. TAKE.
TARME. TIME
TERNATE. TONIGHT.
TOWK. TALK.
THAYT. MEANS YOU. AS IN "IS IT THAYT TOWKIN?"
THARNE. YOURS, AS IN "DOES IT BELONG TO MAY OR THARNE?
"TO OLD A CAT TO BE KIDDED BY A KITTEN." - SAID TO SOMEONE YOUNGER WHO WAS TRYING TO FOOL YOU.
U
US. YOU OR YOURSELF, AS IN "GIVE US A FAG".
UTCHEATER. UTTOXETER ( LOCAL TOWN.)
"UP SHAH'S, BACK OF JOSHES" REPLY TO THE QUESTION, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
V
W
WAYER WE ARE.
WAST. WERE YOU?
WEER. WHERE, AS IN "WHEER AT?"
WENCH. A GIRL OR YOUNG WOMAN.
WERRITING. WORRYING.
WHALE. WHILE.
WHEER AT. WHERE ARE YOU
WOM. HOME.
WOODEN HILLS (TO BEDFORDSHIRE). STAIRS.
WOST. WORST, OR WERE YOU?
WUT. WILL YOU. AS IN "PULL US A PARNT WUT"
Q "WHERE ARE YOU GOING ON HOLIDAY?" A "OUR GATE AND BANG IT"
X
Y
YAWP. TO TALK INCESSANTLY.
"YOU KNOW WHAT THOUGHT DID, FOLLOWED A MUCK CART AND THOUGHT IT WAS A WEDDING"
"YOU WANT KNOW MEG'S ARSE YOU DO". (SAID TO AN INQUISITIVE PERSON)
Z