STEEL—What t’ butcher whets his gully on.
STEEL-YARD—A weight balk ’at weighs bi’ measure.
STIANI—Stiani-gill, Stiani-raise, an’ seea on; a lads marvels ’ll some
o’ them be stianies.
STIRRUP-CUP—The glass that is taken after the guest has mounted his
horse.
STO’ED, STO’FED—Ah dar say some o’ ye’s sto’ed o’ this riapment week
efter week, an’ yan gits sto’ed varra oft’ o things ’at’s ower good bi’
hauf for us.
STOOR—A quarrel. We’d a regular stoor aboot t’ bullocks gitten oot o’
t’ pasture inta their corn field.
STOPPEN-ON—When sarvant men, an’ lads an’ lasses, git a spot ’at they
like an’ they can hit on’t fer wage they stop-pon. They durt skift that
tierm.
STRADDLE—Stride. Thoo can straddle ower theer surely.
STRAP-OIL—We used ta think it grand fun ta send a lad fer a pennorth
an’ wait for him ta come wi ’t yewlen like a gurt cauf.
STRAPPIN—A gurt strappin fellow. Yan ’at’s weel grown.
STAND-SWASH—Stand out of the way. Stand-swash, Ah’s gaan to lowp.
STECK—A horse taks t’ steck when it won’t tak t’ cart an’ inch farder
fer nowt ner neea body, an’ varra oft t’ nag maister taks t’ stick
aboot t’ siam time.
STUCKER—State of alarm. Thoo’s put us in a stucker noo, gaan ta be
wedded an’ us seea thrang wi’ t’ turmets. Thoo’s neea thowt.
STUSSLE—Confusion; stir. He was o in a stussle an’ fuss.
STAG—Thoo gurt awkward stag. A young nag at izzant brokken in.
STAKEN, STOPEN—Aboot t’ siam as “popen” an’ “mopen.” Staken aboot wi’
his mooth wide oppen.
STALKEN—To stiffen. Ah was varra near stalkened.
STANKEN—“T’ thing was theer still, an’ Ah cud heer it stanken, an’
granken, an’ blooen fer o t’ woorld like oold Dick Smith.”—_The Mason’s
Ghost Story._
STEE—A ladder. A chap ’at can’t see a whol in a stee ’s badly hodden,
deed is he.
STEG—Gander. A steg on a het girdle fer dancin’ aboot.
STICKS—As black as sticks. Nacken like rotten sticks. Selt up, stick
an’ stower. Cut thi stick. He’s a gay stick. Tak’ thi stick an’ hook
it. Ah’s yabble ta gie neea information; they o mean summat, neea doot.
STIDDY—Stithy-anvil.
STILTEN, STILTEREN—Siam as “Stowteren.” A bit awkward on a body’s pins.
STOOP—Post.
STRIPPINS, STRIP, STRIPT—Some kye ’ll give a drop o’ mair milk efter t’
main on ’t ’s bin gitten, seea they’re stript for ’t.
STRIKES, STRUCK—This is aboot t’ sheep i’ het wedder; a drop o’ rubbin
bottle for ’t.
STUB, STUBBIN-HACK—Stub whins. Get them up by the root.
STUB, STUB-TWIST—An old horse shoe nail is known as a stub, and a gun
barrel made out of them is known as a stub twist, an’ a soor, sulky
chap is said ta liuk as if he could bite stubs through.
STUFF, STUFT—To be crammed with tales that are without foundation in
fact.
STUNNEN—Hoo go? Stunnen.
STUNNER—A beauty. Yon gallawa’s a stunner.
STURDY, STOWT—These is sheep complaints, an’ varra bad uns.
STAND-KIRN—Yan o’ t’ auld farrand sooart. Up an’ doon, some fooak co’
them.
STANG—A sudden pang of pain; a cart shaft; a bull stang; but sen Ah
can tell they used ta ride t’ stang at New Year. Eve, or New Year Day,
fer yal. T’ fun was catchen chaps ’at pretended they dudn’t want ta be
catch’d ta be stanged, an’ dudn’t they liuk silly astride ov a powl,
an’ tweea fellows carryen them frae yah public-hoose tul anudder, an’ a
arm chair ta stang t’ winner in. It’s gian oot o’ date, an’ it’s happen
as weel.
STILTER—(Whar’s t’ word genius noo?) Ye’ve seen a fellow gahn ower a
lot o’ rough cobbly stians, an’ he’s bin steppin atop on them varra
careful, as if he was flait o’ fo’in off; he was stilteren amang
t’ cobbles. Siam wi’ muck an’ waiter, ye’ve ta stilter throo on
tippy-teeas.
STIRK—A young heifer or bullock.
STOUR—A bit o’ bad blood ’at brecks oot in a fratch, an’ sometimes ends
with a feit. Like that ’at co’s aboot March, it’s a bit blustery, an’
varra oft ther’s a change on aboot than—o’ bad words.
STEP-MOTHER-JAGS—Nang-nails explains this.
STEER-OFF—Start for. We mun steer off hiam. Aye, what it ’ll be gitten
on fer t’ edge o’ neet bi ye git theer.
STICK—A pint o’ yal Mary wi’ a stick in ’t will ye? It’ a drop o’ rum.
STEP-MOTHER-BITS—Varra canny bits o’ breed er cheese,
STERICS—Hysterics.
STINKEN-ROGER—Ye’ll find it i’ t’ garden.
STINT—A given quantity. A chap hed chang’d t’ coo diet an’ was weighin
t’ butter ta know t’ effect. “Weel diun, dockens an’ nettles,” he sez
tul hissel, “t’ auld stint.”
STOMACH—Appetite. Ah’ve neea stomach fer nowt. Ah ca’t stomach fat
meat, ato’.
STOOR—Ye’ll mappen find some aboot March.
STAP—Round in a ladder, or stee.
STEND—A stick to hod a stuck pig oppen tell it sets.
STOOR AN’ DRIFE—small driven snow. Seek a neet! Stoor an’ drife fit ta
blind yan.
STRACKLIN—A bad ’un.
STREEN—Strain as through a syle. Also to relate how the milk comes from
the udder without effort when over full. Also the action of milking as
it streens from the teats to the vessel when properly performed.
STRINGS—They hev ta deea wi’ kye aboot cauven time, but ass t’ coo
docter.
STINT—A common right, but bless ye ther’s neea commons noo. They’re o’
gian up lang sen.
STUMP AN’ RUMP—Iv’ry rism. She set him a quart o’ poddish, some breed
an’ cheese, an’ he felt t’ lot stump an’ rump. When fooak gits inta
difficulties t’ bum bailiff sells ’em up stump an’ rump, stick an’
stane.
STAND—A stall at a fair.
STRETCH—Distance. It’s a gay lang stretch ta walk.
STIRRINGS—Aboot t’ fair an’ tierm times thers bits o’ stirrins.
STITCH-A severe pain in the side from over exertion.
STOUR—See Dyke-stour.
STRAKE—A piece of horn to scrape t’ churn doon wi’, or t’ cream pot, or
bowl.
STRAKE—A piece of wood with a perfectly straight edge to strake a
measure of grain and so test it and remove that which is over and above
measure.
STRAKE—A marvel laiker’s word at ringy.
STRICKLE—What a mower sharpens his ley wi’. Thers t’ greasehorn,
sandhorn, an’ t’ auld knife, an’ what is ther cheerfuler than whetting
a scythe on a fine day i’ July, t’ auld hands can fairly mak music on
’t.
STRINKLIN—A thin covering; a griming. Put a strinklin’ o’ lime on ’t.
STRECK—Straight. Streck as a seeve.
STUTT—To stammer.
STEEL—A place where a footpath is taken over a hedge.
STOWER—T’ end of a cart stang ’at sticks oot ahint. What yan could ride
o’ them formerly.
SUCK-IN, SUCKT-IN, SUCKT—A famish preacher was exhorting his
congregation ta come noo, come at yance, he says, er—er—er—ye’ll be
suckt. It means disappointed.
SWAPE—It’s when a chap walks on his heels, throws his heed weel back,
an’ does a bit a quaveren wi’ his shooders. He gahs wi’ a ter’ble
swape, an’ maks a gurt spreed.
SWAD—Pea shell or bean.
SWAIL, SQUAIL—To throw with violence.
SWAP—Cowp, exchange, barter. Ah’ll cowp ebben hands.
SWITCHER—A smart ’un; yan wi’ a bit o’ swape aboot her.
SWAG—T’ inside of a beggar pooak.
SWAMISH—Shy. A gurt swamish lad.
SWARM—To climb a tree by clasping it with the arms and legs.
SWARM-PLUM-SWARM—When t’ bees kest.
SWATCH—Sample. He’s yan o’ t’ siam swatch. It would seem that one kind
of a swatch is a piece of material or wool accompanying a consignment
to the dyer for a pattern.
SWEAL—To burn down rapidly on one side as a candle burns in a draught.
SWEEP—Carten hay withoot putten it i’ t’ cart, but trailen on ’t efter.
SWEG—Swallow. Sweg as mich kurn’d milk inta thi as thoo can hod.
SWELTRY—Close, warm, moist.
SWEY—Weigh butter an’ chow cheese. A pund o’ mair weight. Heighow fer
t’ days when we used ta swey on a plank.
SWIPE—Sup hurriedly. Swipe ’t up an’ hev anudder.
SWARF’T—Swooned. She swarf’t reet away when they telt her.
SWARTH, SWARTHY—A body at’s bin badly an’ it’s gian hard wi’ them an’
they come oot thin an’ ghost-like is said to be a swarth. Dark sallow
complexion is swarthy.
SWATH—Bacon rind. A swath on ’t like leddur.
SWEET MILK—Pleasure. Noo it izzant o sweet milk fer fooak ’at’s plenty
o’ brass.
SWINGE, SWIDDER, SWIZZEN—Singed with fire.
SWYPES-A game like skittles.
SWYPES—Poor yal; it’s nobbut swypes. A gurt drinker is a ter’ble swype.
SWILL—It gahs i’ t’ giss troff. To drink varra greedy like.
SWINWAS—Cater-corner, diagonal, frae yah corner of a field or a fell
ta t’ tudder. T’ auld gam keeper used ta say when they war oot wi’ t’
shutters, “We’ll tak this bit swinwas.”
SWIATHE, SWIATHE-BALK—The grass as the mower turns it off his scythe;
t’ swiathe-balk is t’ grund ’at t’ swiathe ligs on. Ah telt ye aboot
Parson Harrison lal biuk, ower three hundred year old, he tells a lal
bit aboot it. Happen some day Ah’ll put it in.
SWINE-THROUGH—It’s fair shamful hoo some fooak ’ll swine-through ther
stuff.
SWINGLE-TREE—What they yoke up wi’ ta plew an’ seck.
SWITHER—A rough blow. He swang his arm aroond an’ catcht me seck a
swither ower t’ heed.
SWAG—Sway. Thoo fair maks t’ booards swag.
SWALLOP—When ye’ve a dose o’ salts ta git doon, t’ best way’s ta
swallop it off at yah drawt.
SWAPE—What we turn t’ kurn wi’.
SWAT—Sit doon. Ye’re i’ neea hurry, swat ye doon an’ hod crack.
SWATTER—To waste time or money and do it in driblets. He’d a conny bit
o’ brass frae an auld aunt, but he swatter’d through ’t. He’d swatter
aboot an’ nivver buckle teea as he owt.
SWILLY-WHOLS—Pot-whols on t’ moors.
SWANG, SWANGY—A swang, or a wet swangy spot in a field is t’ spot ta
late snipes. That is if ye know whar ta liuk.
SWAPE—A thing wi’ teeth in ta scale muck an’ bray clots oot.
SWATTLE—To fritter away time in frivolous dissipation.
SWEET-BUTTER, SWEET-BUTTER-DO—Ye know this; it’s what’s good fer
krissenens, an’ seck do’s. Butter wi’ rum an’ sugar tult.
SWEETEN TA YER LIKIN’—Make your tea or coffee as you like it. A Peerith
body used ta tell a tial aboot a chap gaan off frae hiam an’ when he
co’ back yan o’ t’ things he hed ta tell his mudder was ’at he’d hed
some sweeten-ta-yer likin’, an’ supt thirteen laal potfuls on ’t.
SWIJE—A chap wi’ a sair ee said it kittled, an’ it swij’d an’ he’d
rub’d it tell he’d frig’d o t’ skin off.
SWINE-GRIUN’D—Siam as “Pig-chafted.”
SWILL—Ta gedder taties in.
SYLING—Pouring down. It’s fair sylen doon.
SYE—Ratch siam as some fooak’s conscience.
SYKE—A lal bit beck, neea bigger ner a gurt gutter. T’ sykes er oft dry
i’ summer.
SYLE—A milk strainer. Syle t’ milk an’ set it away.
SYPE—To drain. Hing it ower t’ wo, an’ let it sype.
SYPINS—Dregs. Thers’ nowt fer me but some sypins o’ tea.
TAFFY-JOIN—A club up ta mak’ a boilen o’ taffy on a winter neet.
TAGALT—A nasty auld tagalt! It’s yan wi’ a bad habit er tweea.
TATH, TATHY—Tufty grass whar grund’s puffed up.
TAW—T’ motty. Ta taw t’ line is a good thing—allus—worken er laiken.
TAYSTREL—A good-fer-nowt character. Thoo’s a nasty taystrel.
TAICH, TACH, TACK—Fassen on slemly. Tach us a button wi’ ta?
TAGUE—Tease. Yon barn’s a reg’lar tague.
TALLY-IRON—What cap borders is crimpt on.
TARN—A gurt pond, er laal lake.
TATIES AN’ POINT—When ther’s neea meat but saut.
TA-YEAR—This year. We’st hev nin ower mich hay ta-yer.
TAK-UP—Be fine. Ah wish t’ wedder wad tak up.
TALLY—Single men an’ ther wives. Leeven tally. T’ new woman wad rayder
co’ ’t summat else, seea wad t’ auld man, but we stick ta t’ auld words.
TALLY-MAN—A woman’s husband she’s nut wedded tull bi’ t’ Church ner t’
State. Happens a Gretna Green touch, er a gipsy, er a potter do, an’
that’s o.
TALLY-MAN—A travelling tradesman wi’ his shop on his rig ’at tacks seea
mich a week an’ missins.
TARGER—A bit ov a character. Yon’s a targer.
TEEA—Toe, too, to.
TEAFIT—Plover, peewit, er teafit i’ common talk.
TEANAL—A cockle basket.
TEDDER—To fasten a bull to a stoop wi’ a riap.
TEARER, TEAR-AWAY—A chap ’at brashes aboot an’ maks a gurt show o’ wark.
TEESTER—Bed-heed.
TERRILOO—Set t’ dog on amang t’ geese, an’ ther ’ll be a terriloo.
TEWTLEN—Whistling. He was gaan on tewtlen up to keep t’ boggles off.
TEEAFAW—A laal bit poorch an sec, built up again t’ hoose side.
TEETOLLY—A small square top to laik at pins wi’.
TEEM, TOOM, TIUM—To pour out. Teem him a cup oot.
TENG—Sting. Ah gat teng’d wi’ a wamp. Also the point of any article
driven into a shaft.
TER’BLE—We’re hev’n ter’ble fine wedder fer oor hay, an’ we’ve a
ter’ble lot on ’t doon, an’ its ter’ble heavy ta-year.
TEW—Ye o know what ’tis ta hev ta tew an’ slave, seea Ah say neea mair
on ’t.
TEWER—One who makes a good fight. He’s a tewer is yon.
TEDDR’D-BI-T’-TEETH—Feeding. Betty, whars your Bob? He’s here si’tha
tedder’d-bi-t’-teeth.
THAK—Roof. I’ yah spot when a babby com a lad they pitched him on ta t’
hoose top; if he stopt up he war miad intul a thacker, an’ if he rowled
off he was put ta preechen.
THATN, THISN—That; this.
THREEP—To argue or contradict. Will ta threep that lee i’ mi fiase?
THROWN-OWER-T’-BAWKS—Ass’d oot at t’ kirk fer weddin purposes.
THUMMEL-TEEA—Big toe.
THICK—In love.
THIVEL, THIBLE—What we stir poddish wi’.
THOIL, THOOL, THOLE—Find in yan’s heart. He can hardly thole ta loss t’
reek off his poddish.
THOMASES—Gurt wallopen clogs.
THOW-WIND—It comes fer t’ frost an’ snow, an’ its a snizer at times.
THRANG—Busy. We’re thrang as can be wi’ t’ hay. Thrang as throp wife.
THRIMMEL—To part with anything in a hesitating and reluctant way. He
thrimmell’d them nooates ower an’ ower afooar he left lowse o’ them.
THRINKUMS, TANKLEMENTS, TACKLEMENT, THINGEMITY—These is three or fower
gay lang ’uns, seea what they mun gang in a row siam as Johnny Lingo
sheep. They mean owt ’at ivver ye want them ta mean, an’ when ye’re
fast fer a word o’ that sooart tak yan o’ this mack.
THROPPLE—Throat.
THROUGH—A gurt stian ’at gahs reet through a wo’ an’ cocks oot at
tudder side ta bark yer shins on when yer clammeren ower ’t.
THROUGHLY—Buxom. She’s a gay throughly body ’at’s well tian care on.
THROUGH-HANDS—Ah’ll tak thi through-hands. Chastise.
THROW—A turning machine is yah mak, an’ ta be put on yer back i’
wrusslen’s anudder.
THUM-SHAG—Tak a bit of thin haver ciak an’ cover’t wi’ butter fresh oot
o’ t’ bowl, an’ spreed it wi’ t’ thum.
THUM-SYMES—Streea bands.
THEAT—Watertight.
THROSSAN-UP—Nin ower mich room. Mi teeas is o throssan up i’ these shun.
THROSSAN-UP—Yan ’at’s prood, forrad, fast. Stuckan up, that’s it. A
throssan up monkey, she stinks o’ pride (hem!)
THWACK—Ah gat sec a thwack ower t’ cannister wi’ his stick.
TIT-BO’-TAT—A kind o’ tennis laikt wi’ t’ hand again a hoose side.
TIA, TIAN—One; the one.
Brian o’Lynn thoo’s a welcome guest,
Whilk o’ mi dowters does thoo like best?
Tian can card an’ tudder can spin,
Ah’ll wed them biath, sez Brian o’Lynn.
TIAVE, TIAVEN—Planshen aboot amang t’ wet gurse, er owt. We tiaved
aboot laiten mushrooms.
TIDDY-WEE—Hev some mair? A lal tiddy-wee bit thenk ye.
TIED—Obliged. “Ah’s tied ta be theer.” That’s what chap said ’at was
gaan ta be wed. “Nay,” says his mudder, “thoo’s theer ta be tied.” T’
auld woman knew.
TIERM, TEARM—The half-yearly holiday at Martinmas and Whitsuntide.
TIFF, TIFFY—Dispute. We’d a bit of a tiff. Bad temper. He gat intul a
tiffy ower t’.
TIFT—Pant. Runnen maks yan tift.
TITE—As lief. Ah’d as tite be tied tul a coo tail an’ trail’d ta deeth
as leeve wi’ some fooak.
TITTER, TIDDER, TITTERMOST—Thoo’ll gang titter if thoo gangs bi
thisel—which is tittermost?
TIG—A slight tap, used i’ laiken at Tiggy-Tiggy-Touchwood.
TISSICK—An epidemic. It’s neea cauld, Ah’s sure, it’s a tissick ’at’s
gaan aboot. Like iv’rything else, noo, they’ve gitten a foreign niam
fer ’t—Russian influenza.
TITTIVATE—Watch a young fellow aboot twenty, siapen his mustach o’ t’
Setterda neet, an’ putten same on his heed, an’ macken hissel as smart
as ivver he can. That’s tittivaten.
TIDY—Good fettle. Hoo’s ta blowin’? Oh, tidy fer an’ auld ’un.
TIP-HORN—Varra bent and cruikt as a tip-horn. That is i’ temper.
TIGGY-TIGGY-TOUCHWOOD—A gam at tiggin; t’ hauld mun be a wood un ta
siave ye.
TOITLE—Fall off. He toitle’t off a carful o’ hay.
TOP-LIP—Moustache. Tho’ll nut ken oor Jack; he’s letten his top-lip
grow. What’s ta growan thi top-lip for, thoo gurt silly neddy? Fer
fiuls ta liuk at.
TODGE—Shog, shamble. He was todgen on nice an’ stiddy.
TOCH—A laal lock. A toch o’ hay.
TOITY, TOIT, TOITISH—Concerning tempers. A chap ’at’s gitten his rent
paid, putten a bit by, an’ things gaan on gaily weel, ’ll be i’ fair
good toit.
TOME—A fishing line. To pull taffy. “Linked sweetness long drawn
out”—that’s tomin taffy oot.
TOUCH—Broon paper steeped i’ saltpetre an’ dried ta leet pipes wi’ a
flint an’ steel.
TOUCHWOOD—Wood that is thoroughly rotten. To this is ascribed the
Willy-wi-t’-wisp—that dread of youngsters.
TOFT—A building:
“Jenny Hunter leev’t than on t’ auld beck smiddy loft,
An’ Will Lytel held rest o’ that spead maken toft.”
—_A Tail for Joe and the Geologist._
TOMMY-LOACHERS—Ah telt ye aboot t’ bullheads; these is his mates.
TOORAL-OORAL, TOWRY-LOWRY—Just when a chap’s gaan ower t’ line afooar
he’s drunk as a wheel heed.
TOOARTI—Easily offended. Thoo mun mind hoo thoo talks, he’s as tooarti
as can be if thoo comes wrang way o’ t’ grain.
TOOZEL—Upset. Thoo wants ta toozel up thi toppin a bit mair.
TOPPER—Thoo’s a topper at a bit o’ leein. “He sings i’ the kirk, what a
topper is he.”—_Anderson._