Derby Dictionary
Derby, with its storied past and resilient spirit, boasts a distinct dialect that reflects the city's character. As we embark on this lexical adventure, we'll unravel the meanings behind words that may seem foreign to the uninitiated. The streets of Derby echo with phrases and expressions that are more than just linguistic curiosities; they are the threads that connect us to the traditions and tales of our ancestors.
Sadly, many of these words and phrases are facing extinction, casualties of a world moving too fast for its own good. The linguistic landscape is changing, and as we witness the decline of these linguistic gems, it becomes our duty to preserve them. This dictionary is not just a compilation of words; it's a testament to the resilience of Derby's linguistic heritage and an invitation for you to be a part of its preservation.
Abide - Ah canner abide 'em.' To endure, (I can't stand them)
Ah do (How do you do)
Ah wer all of a shek! (I was scared)
Ah'nt said nowt (note) (I haven't said anything)
Ahs (House)
Am I heck as like (what you said about me is untrue)
Anklebiter (scrounger) also Anklebiter (toddler)
'Ave yer et owt or nowt? (have you eaten anything?/Nothing?)
Bag on "he's got a reet bag on" (Bad Mood/ he's in a right bad mood)
Bobby Off (Leave in a hurry, also telling someone to clear off or go away)
Bog off! (Clear off)
Ah'd gorrallon (I'd got all on. I was pressed for time)
Anna/Onna (Are not, aren't)
Arkin (Listening) Ark at im (listen to him) Ark at you! (Listen to you!)
Asker (A newt)
Avya gorra wivya? (Have you got her with you?)
Awk about (To carry around) Gotta Awk About this plate (I have got to carry around this plate)
Ax/Ex (Ask) Ex him (Ask Him)
Ay up (Hi or Hello, a friendly greeting,) "Ay up, me duck!" (Hello my friend) also spelt with an E as in Ey Up.
Av i 'eck (No I haven’t) or av i eck as like (I haven't done it)
Backie, or Gis a Backie (sitting/standing on the back of someone's bike/motorbike as they ride, or asking someone to allow (give) you a seat on the back of their bike as they peddle/ride.)
Ba baas (Naughty - "don’t touch that it's ba baas" usually said to small children.)
Badly (ill, poorly, hung-over) "Ah he's badly"
Bagteel (A Wagtail (Bird)
Balm (Yeast)
Banty-legged (Bow-legged)
Bargin/Borgin (Boasting)
Bat (Pieces of slate contaminating coal, which cause mild explosions in the fireplace.)
Battin' (Moving fast, as in: 'Eh wer battin' along!')
Battlewig (Earwig)
Belt-job (Easy job (used in certain coal-mining communities based on watching a conveyor belt)
Belter (A good one or a good joke - as in 'Twoz a belter!')
Be sed (That's enough, be told)
Bill's mothas (A vague direction, meaning far away or over the horizon, It is used when to say it looks like rain is coming. "It looks a bit black owa Bill's mothers". or "It's black uvver ahh Bill's motha's" it looks black over Bill's mothers - it looks like rain, impending bad Weather.)
Bladder o lard (Bald)
Blart (Bellow)
Blobbed (Stuck out, as in 'Shey blobbed 'er tongue aht ut mey!' She stuck her tongue out at me)
blubber/blubb (To cry/weep uncontrollably (i.e. "Stop your blubbing.")
Bobby's Job (An easy task)
Bod (Bird)
Bon/Bont (Burn, as in "I've gone and bont mesen (myself)".
Bonk (An incline, hillside, slope (from 'bank'.)
Bonny (In many dialects, this has the sense of ‘looking well’ often referring to a healthy plumpness such as a Bonny baby. In Leicester and Nottingham, a transferred sense of overweight is derived from this sense.)
Borra (Lend, as in "Borra us yer spade, me duck. (Borrow)
.JPG)
Bostin/Bossin (Bursting, full up)
Boz-eyed (Cross-eyed.)
(image courtesy of Calvin Bowler)
Brig (A bridge)
Brimmin (On heat)
Bull week (Miner's term for the week before a holiday, when record amounts of coal are produced (and maximum bonuses are earned) (Go'in at it like a bull).
Caded (Spoilt. (twas all caded in)
Cart off (Clear off, leave)
Canned Up (Drunk)
Cardy (Cardigan)
Causey (Pavement)
Chance child (Child born out of wedlock)
Chelping (Backchat)
Chisits (People from Skegness, due to their expression for "how much is it" when asking the price in shops.)
Chommax (Grind with teeth, eg tuffies (sweets) should be gently sucked, not chommaxed and galloped)
Chops (Cheeks "come on cheeky chops" or if someone has red cheeks "rosey chops")
Chuck (Throw, "Chuck us 'ball." or "chucked him out")
also referred to as wang (Wang that stick)
Chuffin' (Expression of exasperation - 'Chuffin 'ell!!!!')
Chuffed (proud, happy)
Chunter (to complain, mumble. (ah stop wiv ya chuntering)
Clackfart (Tell tale)
Cleck (Face (wash ya cleck)
Clammed (Very hungry)
Clobber (Clothes (get yer clobber on)
Clonk To hit. 'It clonked me ont th'ead'
Cloth yer one (Hit you (I’ll cloth yer one)
Clouts Trousers (usually pronounced claarts)
Clouty (Dirty.)
Collywobbles / collynobs (Brussel sprouts)
Coughdrop (Cheekily humorous person, ee’s a rate coughdrop)
Council Pop (Tap water)
Cob (A bread roll (bap)
Cowd/code (Cold)
Croaker (Doctor)
Crozzled (Overcooked bacon)
Cut (Canal)
Daddied ower (Tired)
Daft bogger (Silly devil Bogger is an old Norse term for "Will o the wisp", or Marsh Devil which is methane burning at the surface of a bog. (playfully silly)
Dead Ace (Great, as in that games dead ace)
Dead Fit (Really beautiful)
Deedar (Someone who lives in Sheffield)
Diddycoy (Somebody who resembles a gypsy, also called a gypo)
Dob im in (Tell on him (to the authorities or a school teacher)
Dogshelf (Floor)
Dolly tub (Tub for washing clothes)
Donna/Dunna (Don’t) Dunna gerrum goin'! (Don't upset them.)
Dunna wittle! (Don't worry.)
Donna be maudling (Don't be so sentimental)
Dotty (Dirty "Gerrin bath, ya dotty")
Duck (friend, Dear, love (for men or women). Ay up me duck – hello my friend)
Duck’s necks (Bottle of lemonade)
Ee's neearr-sweat (He's lazy!)
Eh fell ova is-sen (He was eager. 'Eh fell ova is-sen te gerra better view')
Eh's gorra munk on (He's in a bad mood.) Shes gorra right munk on (she is in a right bad mood)
Eh's thray shaits te t'wind! (He's drunk! (Three sheets to the wind)
Ere (Here (ovaere – over here)
Ey-up (Hello)
Fair gostered (A good laugh)
.jpg)
Fast (Stuck, caught e.g. (ooze gorra finɡer fast - who's got a finger stuck)
Firk (Scratch)
Flecking (one or two flakes of snow)
Flit (To move house)
Fossneck (Know-it-all)
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Frim (greenery)
Fuddle (A small party/Bit of a do (usually in an office setting at work for a special occassion or acomplishment)
Fun (Found, as in 'Ah fun that photo up int loft')
Gollop (Swallow hastily / greedily)
Gammy (Injured. As in gammy leg or arm, "There's always at least one seagull with a gammy leg")
Ganzi (Pullover/jumper/sweater)
Gerraht! (Get out!)
Gerr ert! (I don't believe you (Get away with you) said in a higher playful tone.)
Geroff wi yer (No way I don’t believe you)
Git – (Insult) (Idiot/Not very nice person)
Gizzit (Give it to me/hand it over)
Gleg (Look.) Gis a gleg (Let me see/look.) Tek a gleg at’err (take a look at that girl/her)
Gloppent "Ey thou looks gloppant" dumbstruck/lost for words
(Credit: The Ricky Gervais Show)
Gone-aht! (Gone out, looking surprised/stunned silence, blank/vacant look as a reaction. Used like: 'Eh lowked gone-aht ut mey' - he looked gone out at me.)
Gone-aht! (Gone out, looking surprised/stunned silence, blank/vacant look as a reaction. Used like: 'Eh lowked gone-aht ut mey' - he looked gone out at me.)
Gostered (looking amazed)
Gotta monk on (Sulking)
Graunch (Grind with back teeth, as a dog with a bone)
Gorping (Looking at)
Hark (same as Ark) To listen/hear. (IE: "Hark at that dog yapping!")
Harping on (Nagging)
Idle-jacks (Loose skin around the fingernails.)
Int winder bottom (On the window sill.)
Is it woth ote? (Is it worth anything? (Nowt = Nothing)
Island (Roundabout)
Is sen / me sen (Himself / myself)
Meesen / yerrsen (Myself / yourself)
It'l all com artt int wash (The truth will come out eventually)
It's nowt te dow wi' mey (It's nothing to do with me)
Jitty (Small alleyway.)
Kecks (Trousers)
Keen (Painful ‘It caught me ont arm, an' it cum keen an' all')
Knackered (Tired, also the word shattered)
Knockometer/Knockin' stick (Hammer)(also called Manchester Screwdriver)
larup/larop (also the word dollop) (To cover with (usually a thick substance)
Let dog say t'rabbit (Make room.)
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Let's be raight (Let us look at the situation truthfully.)
(I did this painting of Christopher Hitchens as he was remarkable for analysing situations and identifying fact from myth and I didn't know who would be better to use for truth.)
Mank abaht (To mess about, fool around.)
Manky (Not working properly also means gross)
Manny (Bossy.)
Mardy (Grumpy, sulky, difficult and moody)
Mash (To make a pot of tea/mashing a tea bag "you mashing?")
Mend t'fire (Put some more coal on the fire)
Mizzle (Very fine rain - finer than drizzle!)
Namor (No More. Ah've towd yuh, an' ah'll tell yuh) namor (I’ve told you, and I’ll tell you no more)
'Nen mate' (Now then mate (Greeting)
Nesh (A weak person, or one who feels the cold)
'Nah theen' (Now then (Greeting)
Nowt/note (Nothing "theres nowt here")
Nuke (To microwave something)
Twave - (Microwave)
'Ollin it dahn! (Pouring with rain.)
On (meaning of, "There woz two on em'" (There were two of them).
Ome (Home)
Ommocks (Feet.)
Orate? (How you doing?/Hello. Also used to show concern Are You Orate?)
Ormin (To 'orm' is to 'doss'/hang around getting in the way. (IE: 'Them children be ormin in't ahs again.)
Owd yer osses (hold your horses/Wait a moment)
Owd yer sweat (Take it easy, calm down)
Ower (Over)
Owt (Anything (di ger owt from shops – Did you find anything at the shops)
Paste (To beat, he got a good pastin the other night, or paste the hell out of him)
Piddle (Falling liquid as rain or urine i.e. "It's piddling down with rain" or "A dog's just piddled on the wall" or I gorra go fer a quick piddle)
Piggle (To work away at something with the fingers.(i.e. "Stop piggling that scab!")
Poncher (Perforated brass bowl on a broomstick, for agitating washing in a dolly tub)
Pop (Fizzy drink)
Pot (A plaster cast)
Pots (Dishes ie "Ah'll goo n wesh t'pots.")
Puddled/puddle-drunk (Intoxicated)
Pumps (Gym shoes)
Put wood int th' ole (Shut the door!)
Raight as a cart (Feeling fine also people say "sound as a pound" or just saying "sound" like safe and sound, all is fine)
Rammel (Worthless rubbish.)
Reet (Right/Alright. "Are you reet?”)
Rayt (Really)
Rorrin (Crying also "Rorrin with laughter" - crying with laughter)
Rumman (Can mean a lot of things. It is used as a general term. Someone wins a game "Ye rumman!" Someone injures themselves "Ye silly rumman.")
Rummon (Cheeky child, eez a rayt rummon – He’s a really cheeky boy)
Scratin'/Scraitin' (Crying)
Scrat-up (Shortage of money, as in: 'Ah maniged te gi'e 'em ther bus-fares, burrit wer a scrat-up' – I managed to give them their bus fare but it was a struggle. People also say Brass or Brassic but that isn't Derby)
Scrumpin (Stealing fruit from someone’s garden.)
Shimmy (Vest (Possibly from the French chemise?)
Sh'in tin (She is not in)
Shonsh (To show off)
Skank (Mean or unfair)
Skanky (Dirty, common)
Skerret (Lit bit of food - Ate every skerret)
Sket (A useless person.)
Skets (To hurry, get your skates on (get yer skets on).
Slorm (To lounge around/To smear something)
Sloshed (Drunk)
Smarmy (Can mean either 'smug', or 'slimy'. "Ye smarmy git!")
Smockravel(ed) (Confuse(ed)
Snap (Used to mean a miner's lunch but now a general word for lunch. Also snapin lunch/food, tekken ta werk, taken to work. A Snap tin is a lunchbox.)
Snidered/snided/snied (Covered/infested,) (DH Lawrence used the word 'Snied' in a description of an infestation of mice in Sons and Lovers.)
Soz (Sorry)
Spadge/spidge (Sparrow.)
Spidge (Chewing gum/Bubble gum also called chungy)
Starnie (Starling)
Stodged (Full up)
Stodgin' yer 'odge (Eating greedily.)
Ice pop (Iced lolly "Stodgin' yer 'odge with ice pops")
Summat (Something. Summat ta'it = something to eat)
Supwiye? (What's up with you?)
Swilkerin' (To drink tea from a saucer)
Tabs (Ears)
Tab 'anging (Listening into someone else's conversation)
Taitered (Exhausted)
Tat-ar (Let's go tat-ar's is to go out somewhere shopping)
Tattis (Potatoes)
Teggies (Teeth, usually childrens.)
Tek (Take)
tem tea how (Pour the tea out)
Terarr/Tra (Good bye)
Thez summat up wee im (I think he may be ill. "There's something wrong with him.")
Throbby (Song thrush)
Throttle (Strangle)
Tret (Treated, as in "I tret mesen terrer new frock". I treated myself to new dress.)
Tuffees (Sweets, confectionery.) "gis a tuffee" - Give me a sweet "Yeh norra gerrin no tuffees!" - You aren't having any sweets!
Up te press (Up to now, up to present time)
Utch up! (Move a little, budge yourself)
Wabbie/Wobbie (Wasp)
Woppit (Wasp)
Wanky (Weak)
Wazzerk/wassock (Fool - used across the East & West Midlands for someone being an idiot or foolish)
Werrat (A loud child)
Wesh (Wash) "Ah'll ay te wesh mi cleck" - I'll have to wash my face.
Wittle (Worry.) Dunna wittle - Don’t worry. Stop Wittling - Stop Worrying
Womit (Go home!)
Woz (Were/was)
Yoth/Yothe/Youth (Used in greetings. Has little to do with age as people use it to refer to each other of a similar age. "Ay up yoth – Hello my friend"