A - Z Dictionary

glegg - to look or stare

wappy - stupid or crazy

Another local term used for staring at someone is "gawping". I often hear this term used around the Ashfield region of Nottinghamshire.

"Cheese it" - I've been reading John Potter Briscoe's book from 1879 entitled ‘The Book of Nottinghamshire Anecdote’ and on p.37 he says the phrase “Cheese it” is “a Nottinghamshire provincialism expressive of discontinuance”. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but he does say its a Notts phrase!

Surely 'gawping' is universal English slang? A more obscure 'looking' word is something like 'yarrup/yarruping' meaning 'to peer myopically': 'I reckon 'e needs glasses, 'im.' 'Why? Does 'e yarrup?' Unfortunately this is Lancashire/Wigan, not recorded in Notts (unless anyone knows differently).

Does 'Cheese it' mean 'Let's get out of here quickly'? If so, still current in USA.

"Ling" - heather. This is another 'find' (p.47) from the book ‘The Book of Nottinghamshire Anecdote’ by John Potter BRISCOE, Nottingham: Shepherd Brothers, 1879). Briscoe says that “’Ling’ in the dialect of Nottinghamshire is the name for heather” (p.47).

On looking through the list, there are a great number which have their origins in the Romany/Traveller world! As Newark has a Traveller presence, perhaps this could be verified?

When I was a child in Mansfield in the 1950s the word "starved" was used to mean cold, eg I'm rate starved meaning I'm very cold.

What about "cowd" meaning I,m cold or I've got a cold.

Afeared = Afraid. This example is given in the book 'Notes About Notts' by Cornelius Brown (1874) p.103

What about 'Bunkass' meaning donkey. I'm sure I heard folk using this word in years gone by

CHEESE IT: In ‘The Book of Nottinghamshire Anecdote’ by John Potter BRISCOE, (Nottingham: Shepherd Brothers, 1879, p.37), the phrase “Cheese it” is described as “a Nottinghamshire provincialism expressive of discontinuance”.

What about Ay duzna meaning he doesn't and O duzna meaning she doesn't, in common usage in my village among the older people most of who have now passed away, you don't hear it so much now. 

There's also SEN meaning self, eg. By me sen, meaning on my own.

I have studied the words in the Dictionary and found some that are familiar but our dialect in the Mansfield area is different to the South of the County. I am a Assistant Curator at the Heritage Link in Woodhouse Library and I did a project WOODHOUSE b.c. detailing Woodhouse in 1897 before Sherwood Colliery was opened in 1902. The projects will be on this site shortly when we are able to scan these!! The local dialect was pure Woodhus, after that the dialect was mixed with Derbyshire, Staffs, Welsh and Yorkshire. Later the Polish, Latvians and Hugarians!! Geordies, Scotts, Lancashire and Cumbrians came down, this added to the local dialect!! I'll put in my pennyworth, Hoss, Hosses, watter, our youth, our lass, our Gert, yer dirty bogger, heyup youth, gob[mining term]. In the 40s the locals used to say Sorry after every sentance, no idea where that habit came from. The latest speech habit is a "Like" after every couple of words, I have heard this a lot in the USA in general conversation. In the Ashfied area their dialect was different to ours, Is your herse in Sutton?[Herse meaning house] tha nows,[do you know] more of a Derbyshire dialect, similar to a Sheffield one.

 Sorry Editors!! Typo, my comment on dialect for yerdirtybogger, should have read yerdottybogger!! Does anyone remember in the 60s a book called PITMANS'ENGLISH!!!  I think it was the Geordies take on language used down the Mines!! It was quite funny, bordering on a foreign language, someone must have  a copy. I'll check the Library to se if the British Lending Library has a copy!! The local EMEB Offices used to keep copies of letters from disgruntled customers written in the local dialect and ask visitors to decipher them. THe Woodhouse Warbler [local rag] has a section called hey up me duck with translation your readers may find amusing!! Google Woodhouse Warbler and you can download 50 editions, comes out quarterly.

LING - heather: In ‘The Book of Nottinghamshire Anecdote’ by John Potter BRISCOE, Nottingham: Shepherd Brothers, 1879, p.47), the author states “’Ling’  in the dialect of Nottinghamshire is the name for heather”.

There's also another phrase the old locals used in my village:- atta harknin meaning are you listening.

KERVER - a carver of alabaster (once a thriving trade in Notts).  Not sure if Kerver is a term unique to Notts but the term was certainly used to describe local albaster craftsmen in the 15th & 16th centuries.

A couple I remember :

Cake hole, usually preceded by 'shut yer' 

Bobbars, meaning don't touch 

beinging a child of the 60's this is fab. we never used the f word but would say "knickers". Hope no one is offended jennifer

Holl - to throw

Strut - Stickleback (fish)

Heppen - handy or skillful

Clarty - Clayey

Melish or Moidering - a damp or moist day

These Notts words are recorded by the local historian Thomas M Blagg in Notts & Derbys Notes & Queries Vol.2 (1894) pp.183-4

"Dadle" - In a diary written by a William Moss of Mansfield (who worked as a Cooper) he uses the word "dadle" in the context of helping an inebriated friend walk home.  The full entry is "1st November 1842; Yesterday I understand he was at the Blue Boar drinking brandy, and did not leave until 11 o'clock at night, when they were obliged to dadle him home"

Some more words from historian Thomas M Blagg in Notts & Derbys Notes & Queries Vol.2 (1894) pp.183-4

Fettle it up - to put a room in order

Clammed - starved (hungry)

Addle - to earn

Clout - cloth or garment

Pipkin - Round wooden milk pail

When growing up in Mansfield in 50’s/60’s, the word ‘blortin’ was used to describe crying - ‘Stop yer blortin’.  Can anyone throw any light on this word, I cannot find any reference to it.

NYND - pronounced "nigh-hand" meaning close or near eg 'Nynd yon lad wer run ower' = that lad was nearly run over.  Alternative usage "Are you going to Hucknall today?" "Nynd arm goin'; nynd arm not" where nynd can also mean maybe or perhaps.  A contributor to Notts & Derbys Notes & Queries magazine in 1898 suggests the word was specific to north Notts

SNI or SNIDED-OUT – meaning ‘full of’.  The word ‘Snies’ appears in the book ‘Ripple and Flood’ (1897) by local author James Prior: “the river snies with fish”.  Snided-out is also used to mean full-up or over-flowing.  Notts & Derby Notes & Queries of 1898 suggests that the word is commonly used 9although not exclusive to) South Notts.

‘Dialect’ section on the very last page of ‘The History of Mansfield and it’s Environs’ by W. Harrod (1801):

Yed = Head

Sen = Yoursewlf

Weant = Will Not

Musent = Must Not

Shanno = Shall Not

Ax = Ask

Hopanny = Halfpenny

Thot = Thought

Watten = What Must

Bed = Bid

Haden = Had

Caunt = cannot

Ston = stone

Neet = night

Geit = give it

Dom = damn

Pickle = wicked

Newens = new ones

Mon = man

Yow = you

Surry = sorrow

Whome = home

Shu = she

Stee = stay

Weets = weights

Frit = frightened

Twitchel = entry

Harrod does say, however that “this dialect is not peculiar to this place, but is also spoken in the neighbouring counties.”

Does anyone know the meaning of the phrase:

"Wiggoin swafftin"? (seen on a mug with other Notts phrases such as "Gerraht onnit"). Sounds like they are going somewhere or to do something, but it has got us stumped in the office!

wiggoin swafftin is an agricultural term.  swath tonnin is turning cut hay in order for it to dry. thad tonnit rake it up then eap it into stooks before meckin a stack onnit.