Derbyshire Dialect
 Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong int arm - an quick in t'ead..

Is the local Derbyshire Dialect, Derbyshire lingo disappearing? View our A - Z list below.

As time moves on some of the older ways are disappearing and making ways for quicker and easier ways of living our lives. Some I am very grateful for. For example I wouldn’t want to bring my children up in a polluted smoggy atmosphere or send them to work at 11 years old up a chimney. One thing that I believe should be Passed on is local dialect. I remember when I was younger I thought it was cool to speak some words that others didn’t understand. For example pig Latin, French and local dialect.

I remember reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence while I was at college and really enjoyed trying to work out the local dialect used in his book.

`Shall y'ave something?' he asked her. `Shall y'ave a cup of tea? t' kettle's on t' boil'---he half rose again from his chair.

`It isna horrid,' he said, `even if tha thinks it is. An' tha canna ma'e it horrid. Dunna fret thysen about lovin' me. Tha'lt niver force thysen to `t. There's sure to be a bad nut in a basketful. Tha mun ta'e th' rough wi' th' smooth.'

`Tha loved me just now, wider than iver tha thout tha would. But who knows what'll 'appen, once tha starts thinkin' about it!'

I appreciate that DH Lawrence was from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire and didn’t use Derbyshire dialect; I loved it all the same.

 This was recently sent to us via our contact page Andre love it when readers get in touch - thanks Sylvia:

"My mother often used the phrase: "What are you gorping at?" and "Stop gorping." (I think that's how it's spelled.) It means staring - what are you staring at, or stop staring. She was raised, along with her many descendants, in the Chesterfield, Derbyshire area".

Our A – Z of Derbyshire dialect

 A

Aah do                                                How do you do.

Abide                                                  Ah canner abide 'em.' To endure, (I can't stand                                                                                                      

                                                            them)

Agate                                                  Busy or on Fire

Ah'd gorrallon                                   I'd got all on. I was pressed for time

Ah wer all of a shek!                          I was all shaken up (scared)

Ahs                                                      House

Anklebiter                                          A Scrounger

Anna/Onna                                        Are not, aren't

Arkin                                                   Listening. (Ark at im – listen to him)

Asker                                                  A newt

Avya gorra wivya?                            Is your wife with you? "Have you got her with                     

                                                            you?

Awk about                                          To carry around

Ax/Ex                                                 Ask

Ay up                                                  Hi, Hello, a friendly greeting, as in "Ay up, me

                                                             duck!" (South Derbyshire), or "Ay up, Surry!"  

                                                             (Mid and North Derbyshire)

av i 'eck as                                          No I haven’t

av i eck as like                                    I haven't done it

B - (Derbyshire Dialect)

ba baas                                               Naughty - "don’t touch that its ba baas" usually

                                                             said to small children.

Badly                                                  Ill, poorly, hung-over

Bag On                                               A bad mood, "eez gorra reet bag on!"

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 - as in 'Twoz a belter!'

Be sed                                                 That's enough, be told

Bill's mothas                                      A vague direction, over there, as in "It looks a bit

                                                            black owa Bill's mothers". It's black uvver ahh

                                                           Bill's motha's - it looks like rain, impending bad

                                                            weather.

Bladdered                                          Drunk

Bladder o lard                                   Bald

Blart                                                   Bellow

Blobbed                                             Stuck out, as in 'Shey blobbed 'er tongue aht ut

                                                           mey!'

blubber/blubb                                  To cry/weep uncontrollably (i.e. "Stop your

                                                           blubbing.")

bobby dazzler                                  Handsome, a cute baby.

Bobby off                                          Polite way of saying get lost, go away.

Bobby's Job                                       An easy task

Bod                                                    Bird

Bon/Bont                                           Burn, as in "I've gone and bont mesen".

Bonk                                                  An incline, hillside, slope (from 'bank'.)

Bonny                                                In many dialects, this has the sense of ‘looking

                                                           well’ often referring to a healthy plumpness. In

                                                           Leicester and Nottingham, a transferred sense

                                                           of overweight is derived from this sense.

Borra                                                 Lend, as in "Borra us yer spade, me duck".

Bostin/Bossin                                    Bursting, full up

Boz-eyed                                           Cross-eyed.

Brawn                                                Boar

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).

C - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Caded                                                  Spoilt.

Cart off                                                Clear off, leave

Canned Up                                         Drunk

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

Chuck                                                 Throw, Chuck us 'ball.

Chuffin'                                              Expression of exasperation - 'Chuffin 'ell!!!!'

Chunter                                              To complain, mumble.

Clackfart                                            Tell tale

Cleck                                                   Face

Clammed                                            Very hungry.

Clobber                                               Clothes

Clompin                                              As me Nam used it often 'Give over clompin'. Since the 1800's, clomp has been used to mean "to walk as with clogs." It's thought to be a variation on the word clump,                                                                which can mean "a lump of something," but also means "the sound of heavy footsteps." Also I found through a Dutch girlfriend that Klompen means Cloggs in the                                                                    Netherlands!! (Thanks Carl for contacting us and submitting this)

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)

Cob                                                       To throw

Cowd                                                    Cold

Croaker                                                Doctor

Croggie                                                To give a friend a lift on your bike. Either on

                                                              crossbar or the friend is on the seat while you

                                                              peddle in standing position.

crozzled                                               Overcooked bacon

Cut                                                       Canal

D - (Derbyshire Dialect)

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.

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

Dob im in                                            Tell on him (to the authorities)

Dogshelf                                              Floor

Dolly tub                                             Tub for washing clothes

Donna                                                 Don’t

Donna be maudling                          Don't be so sentimental

Dotty                                                   Dirty

Duck                                                   Dear, love (for men or women). Ay up me duck

                                                             – hello my dear

Duck’s necks                                      Bottle of lemonade

Dunna                                                 Don’t

Dunna gerrum gooin'!                      Don't upset them.

Dunna wittle!                                     Don't worry.

E - (Derbyshire Dialect)

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.

Eh's thray shaits te t'wind!                He's drunk! (Three sheets to the wind)

Ere                                                      Here (ovaere – over here)

Ey-up                                                  Hello

F - (Derbyshire Dialect)

fair gostered                                       A good laugh

fast                                                      Stuck, caught e.g. (ooze gorra fɪnɡer fast -

                                                            who's got a finger stuck)

Firk                                                     Scratch

fizzog                                                  Face (Possibly from the French visage?)

Flit                                                       To move house

Fossneck                                            Know-it-all

Fuddle                                                A small party/Bit of a do

Fun                                                     Found, as in 'Ah fun that photo up int loft'

G - (Derbyshire Dialect)

gollop                                                   Swallow hastily / greedily

gammy                                                Injured. As in gammy leg or arm

Ganzi                                                   Pullover or sweater

Gerraht!                                               Get out!

Gerr ert!                                                I don't believe you (Get away with you).

Geroff wi yer                                        No way I don’t believe you

Git – (Insult)                                         Idiot/Not very nice person

Gizzit                                                    Give it to me

Gleg                                                       Look.

Gis a gleg                                              Let me see/look. Tek a gleg at’err – take a

                                                               look at that girl/her

Gobby                                                   Got a lot to say

Gob it out                                              Spit it out.

Gone-aht!                                               Surprised, as in 'Eh lowked gone-aht ut mey'

                                                                – He looked surprised at me.

gotta monk on                                       Sulking

graunch                                                  Grind with back teeth, as a dog with a bone

Gorping                                                 Looking at

H - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Hark                                                    To listen/hear. (IE: "Hark at that dog

                                                              yapping!")

Harping on                                          Nagging

I - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Idle-jacks                                            Loose skin around the fingernails.

Int winder bottom                             On the window sill.

Is it woth ote?                                     Is it worth anything?

Island                                                  Roundabout

Is sen                                                   Himself

itl all com artt int wash                     Things will be better tomorrow

It's nowt te dow wi' mey                    It's nothing to do with me

J - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Jitty                                                     Small alleyway.

K - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Kecks                                                  Trousers or underwear depending

Keen                                                   Painful ‘It caught me ont arm, an' it cum keen

                                                            an' all'

Knackered                                          Tired

Knockin' stick                                    Hammer

Knockometer                                     Hammer

L - (Derbyshire Dialect)

larup/larop                                        To cover with (usually a thick substance)

Let dog say t'rabbit                           Make room.

Let's be raight                                   Let us look at the situation truthfully.

M - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Manchester screwdriver                    Hammer

Mank abaht                                       To mess about, fool around.

Manky                                                Not working properly

Manny                                                Bossy.

mardy                                                 Grumpy, sulky i.e. "She's a mardy one!"

mash                                                   To make a pot of tea

Meesen / yerrsen                                Myself / yourself

Mend t'fire                                          Put some more coal on the fire

Mizzle                                                 Very fine rain - finer than drizzle!

N - (Derbyshire Dialect)

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                                                   Nothing

Nuke                                                   To microwave something

O - (Derbyshire Dialect)

oakie                                                   Ice cream (common in Leicestershire) see

                                                            Hokey cokey

'ollin it dahn!                                      Pouring with rain.

on                                                        of "There woz two on em'" (There were two of

                                                             them).

Om                                                      Home

Ommocks                                           Feet.

Orate                                                   How you doing? 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 oss

                                                             again.

Oss                                                       House, sometimes pronounced ahs

Owd yer osses                                     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)

P - (Derbyshire Dialect)

paste                                                   To beat, he got a good pastin the other night,

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!

Puther                                                To pour out uncontrollably. Usually of smoke,

                                                            steam or dust

Q

R - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Raight as a cart                                  Feeling fine

Rammel                                              Worthless rubbish.

Reet                                                     Right/Alright. "Are you reet?”

Rayt                                                    Really

Rorrin                                                 Crying

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)

S - (Derbyshire Dialect)

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.

Scrumpin                                             Stealing fruit from someone’s garden

Shideradtara                                       She would have had to have

shimmy                                               Vest (Possibly from the French chemise?)

Shin 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 yer skets on).

Slops                                                   Cops/Policemen

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.

snapin                                                 lunch/food, tekken ta werk, taken to work

Snap tin                                              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                                                Sparrow.

Spidge                                                 Chewing gum/Bubble gum

Spidge                                                 Sparrow

Starnie                                                Starling

Stodged                                              Full up

Stodgin' yer 'odge                             Eating greedily.

sucker                                                 Iced lolly

Summat                                              Something. Summat tait = something to eat

Supwiye?                                            What's up with you?

Sustificate                                           A certificate

Swilkerin'                                           To drink tea from a saucer

T - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Tabs                                                    Ears

Tab 'anging                                        Listening into someone else's conversation

Taitered                                             Exhausted

Tat-ar                                                 An ordeal, a bad time, as in: 'Ah've ad a raight

                                                            tat-ar in them shops this mornin!

Tattis                                                  Potatoes        

Tatered/Taitered                                Tired

Teggies                                               Teeth, usually childrens.

Tek                                                      Take

tem tea how                                       Pour the tea out

Terarr                                                 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!

Twave                                                 Microwave

twitchel                                               Alleyway between gardens

U - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Up te press                                         Up to now, up to present time

Utch up!                                              Move a little, budge yourself

V

W - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Wabbie                                               Wasp

Wang                                                  Throw

Wanky                                                Weak

wazzerk/wassock                               Fool (used across the East & West Midlands)

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.

Womit                                                 Go home!

Woppit                                               Wasp

Wobbie                                               Wasp

Woz                                                    Were

X

Y - (Derbyshire Dialect)

yack                                                    To throw up. yack me guts up

yerrsen/ Meesen                                 Yourself / Myself

Yoth/Yothe/Youth                              Used in greetings. Has nothing to do with age

                                                             but with older men is usually only applied to

                                                             others of a similar age. Ay up yoth – Hello my

                                                             friend

Z

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