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LAKELAND WORDS
A Collection of Dialect Words and Phrases as used in Cumberland and Westmorland, with Illustrative Sentences in the North Westmorland Dialect

By Brigham Kirkby
1898

• Aaron's Rod — It grows e' t' garden.
• Aback — Behind; in the absence of; over some land-mark or another. Thus, a cap hangs up aback o' t' door; a tale may be told about some one aback of his back; and another comes frae aback o' t' fells.
• Aback-o-beyont — The place from which comes nothing but mystery and terror for barns; neea body's bin an' come back to say whar it ligs.
• Abide — Put up wi'; ah can't abide mucky fooak.
• Abreed — Level, equal, broadcast. They war walken o' abreed.
• Acock — Hay that is cocked up in "fiut cocks," or "gurt cocks"; something that is set finely, and evenly balanced; ready and eager for a fratch; a hat put on sideways; put out of temper; glib.
• Acockinecks — Where most youthful jockeys make their first attempt at riding, namely, across the father's neck; and later on in life as a schoolboy's game. To ride acockinecks is regarded as fine enough for anyone.
• Acos — For the reason; because. "What for dud thoo punch at my shins?" "Acos Ah thowt Ah wad see what thoo wad say if Ah dud."
• Across — Met with. Ah com across an auld nebbur er tweea.
• Acrook — Crooked. When t' maut gits intul a chap's legs an' he gahs across t' rooad he's gaan acriukt.
• Addle — Earn. In the sense of the word as now used in literature, "addle" has none but an exactly opposite meaning. To earn; to turn to good account; to make a living; it has nothing to do with barrenness, corruption, or rottenness. How Addle, Addlepate, Addle-head, Addlebrain, and so forth have sprung from so respectable an origin can only be conjectured.
• Addlin', Addlins — Earning; wages. "Is ta addlin owt much?" "Siavin's good addlin." "His addlins divn't come to mich." " He taks miast of his addlins hiam tul his wife an' barns." Like Addle, Addlin', and Addlins are of good repute in Lakeland lore.
• Afront — Before. He was on afront.
• Afore — In front of; before. A gurt dub o' watter afooar t' door. Winter's come afooar it time.
• Aforetime — Previously: the old days. They'd hed some bother afooartime about t' sheep an' t' dykes. Afooartime yan used ta be prood o' some good poddish fer yan's supper.
• Aforehand — Done before; he had his rent ready afooarhand.
• Agree — Amiss, crossways. T' auld piase-eggers wad sing:

If ye give us nowt we'll tak nowt agree.

But we'll gang and sail owld England's sea.

• Aggle an' Jaggle — To higgle over a bargain; a bit o' fendin an' priuvin' ower owt.
• Agate — Started; abusing; out of the way. "Hev ye gitten agiat mowin'?" T'auld beggar's allus agiat o' yan er anudder on us blackin' an' gaan on, Ye've gian a lang way agiat.
• Agatewards — Towards the gate. Said by some to be a relic from the times when savage dogs rendered it necessary for the visitor to be "set" by "t' fauld yat." Another and an older reason than savage dogs still keeps the custom of "settin' yan anudder agateards" alive, and is likely to do, so long as lads and lasses care for one another's company.
• Aiblins— Possibly. Will ye gang o' Sunday? Aiblins ah may.
• Ah-wooa-ge-hedder-come-up — A nag 'at doesn't understand it's orders is apt ta git t' whup. We yance watched a chap plewin, an' he said, "An-wooa-ge-heddercome-up" till he was stalled, then he let flee wi a clot, coad t' nag a fiual, an' telt it ta liuk an see what seek wark it was makkin.
• Ahint — Behind. Allus keep ahint a shutter. Thoo can git on ahint me an' hev a ride. We're a lang way ahint wi oor wark.
• Ajye — O' yah side as some fooak weear their hats.
• Aim, Aimed — Intend, intended. We didn't aim ye to know. Ah'd aimed ye to stop an' hev a cup o' tea.
• Air, Aired — To warm or dry. Air t' bed; air mi shirt. Adrop of aired milk.
• Airin' — Showing off. He was arin' hissel oot in his majesty.
• Akeen — Related. They're nowt akeen ta yan anudder. Siam as Rag Mary, akeen ta o' t' gurt fooak.
• Allodin — Not in regular employment, but looking for an engagement. This is a gay auld farrand word an' taks us. back a lang way.
• Ally-com-panny — A game. Rhyme:

Ally-com-panny

When'll ta marry?

When apples and peers is ripe

Ah'll come ta thi wedden,

Without any bidden,

An' dance wi t' bride at night!

• All-owerish — A feeling of general weakness or ailment. Ah nobbut feel a bit o' owerish ta-day, ah's o' ower alike.
• Alley — An alabaster marble, with which boys play. Hoo many marvels has thoo? Ten potteys and three alleys.
• Alley — A passage between the rows of seats in a hall or building. We can walk doon t' alley.
• Alag — Leaning; on one side. That hoose side's varra mich alag. T'carful o' hay gat o alag. Set t'stee mair alag, i.e. give it a bit more "skatch."
• Alag — A "call" used when necessary to disturb a flock of geese.
• Allay — Guarantee. Allay yer tired? It is used frequently to affirm an answer that is anticipated.
• Ample-order — In perfect condition and ready. O's e' ample order fer t' weddin.
• Amand-hands — In the midst of other and various duties. We're thrang wi t' hay and howin' turnips amang-hands. She was weshen', an' biaken', an' singen' amang-hands fer t' barns.
• Aneath — Below. Price o' floor's a gay bit aneath what it yance was.
• Anent — Alongside. He could shear his rig anent a man. Directly opposite. We sat anent yan anudder.
• Ano — Too; as well. Thee gang wi us ano.
• Ankle-bands, Ankle-belts, Ankle-straps — Shoes or slippers provided with a strap to fasten around the ankle to keep them on. Fer dancin' in thers nowt better ner a pair o' ankle straps.
• Ankle-straps — Shoes that come over the ankle, and which have a long front quarter, like those worn by soldiers. He'd a pair o' ankle jacks fer t' Sundays.
• Angry — Nay, nut mad, ner vexed, but inflamed an' sair like a kin, er a frozen teea. This word illustrates the divergence there is in the use of words in the literary and dialect senses.
• Antres — In case; providing. Tak yer top cooat antres it rains.
• Anunder — Beneath. Did thoo see that fish gang anunder t' breea?
• A-nag-back, A-fiut — Are ye gaan a-nag-back, er ye'll gang afiut? Riding or walking. Afoot is also often used to signify well, and up afiut.
• Apode — Ah's warn't; dare be bund; daresay. Ye've hed some fash wi' that barn, Ah'll apode it ye hev.
• April-gowk — April-fool. A person who is betrayed into some senseless errand, or action, and then informed that he's an April gowk and that it is the first of April.
• Apple-pie-order — Neatly arranged. We've o' e' applepie-order fer sitten doon ta t' tea.
• Arch-whol — A hole in the wall of a building in which sparrows build and light and air pass through.
• Ark — Meal chest. Many hands mak' leet' wark An' many mooths a tium ark.
• Arm-wholL — The arm pits. Ah's as sair as can be i' t' arm-whol. The opening in a coat or waistcoat through which the arm is passed.
• Arrals — A skin disease, also known as ring-worm, and said to be contracted by contact with cattle. Ah've l' arrals on mi arm, an' Ah want some copperas ta puzzen it wi'.
• Arrant — Thoroughly bad. He's an arrant auld slenk.
• Arran'-web — Cobweb. T' baulks was hung wi' arran' webs.
• Arr, Arr'd — Scar or seam left on the skin by a wound or disease. He'd a gurt ugly arr on his broo whar t' nag hat him. It maks fooak varra kenspeckle when they're seea pock arr'd.
• Art — Quarter. What art's t' wind in? It's in a wet art. What art er ye frae? This yan's a gem o' purest watter an' varra near as auld as oor auld hills an' whols. Lang let it stop.
• Arval-bred' — Loaves distributed at funerals.
• Arval-supper' — An entertainment or feast given at funerals.
• As tight — As well. Thoo mud as tight whissle as sing.
• As leave — As soon. Ah' as leave gang as stop.
• Areed — Solve; guess. Areed me this riddlin.
• Ass-trug — See ass-boord.
• Ass — Ashes, an' ashes is burnt muck, cinders, er owt else 'at's bin throo t' fire.
• Ass, Ax — Ask. Ass that body fer a drink o' milk.
• Aside — Near. Whar's t' cowrak ? It's clooas aside o' ye.
• Aside — Ta "ride aside" means to ride as t' ladies do ― aside. Ta sit o' yah side o' t' nag nobbut ; they've saddles a purpose fer t' job i' some spots.
• Ask — An ask's a lizzard; ther's van i' t' pond.
• Askatch — In rearing a ladder against a wall if the bottom is set well from the wall "it's far eneuf askatch." One who stands with his feet apart, or walks with them well set out has plenty o "skatch."
• Ass, Assed, Assins — Them 'ats gaan ta git wedded know gaily weel, marry, what it is ta be assed. Ass some o' them, an' they'll liuk as sheepish as asses.
• Ass-cat — A chap 'at croodles ower 't fire when it's a bit cauld is an ass-cat. As grey as an ass-cat — i.e. a cat 'at cronks under t' ass-whol, an' gits mucky wi' burnt muck.
• Ass-boord — A chap was tellin' anudder what a ass-boord is, an' he said it was a sooart of a wheel-barrow, nobbut it hed neea trunnle, neea legs, an' neea stangs tult, an' it was used ta gedder muck in. He mud a bin farder rang.
• 'Ass-grate — An iron grate at fits t' ass-whol, an' keeps t' barns frae tummelin' in.
• Ass-midden — T' heap o' burnt muck. Nearly ivvery hoose hes yan tul itsel, an' varra few fooak but sailors ivver git a mile away frae yan o' somebody's.
• Ass-muck — Ivverybody knows what ass-muck is; it izzant up ta mich fer nowt.
• Ass-niuk — In miast hooses there's t' hood niuk, an' t' assniuk yut, but ther nut what they used ta be, an' ther gitten grand neeams for them. Ther's nin o' them can beat oors yut, we'll stick ta er awn auld ass-niuk a bit langer.
• Ass-whol — T' gurt whol i' t' fleear whar t' burnt muck drops intul cot 'at t' fire.
• Assle-tooth — A cruncher or molar is an assle-tiuth, an' it's grand when yan o' them warks i' t' neet when yan sud be asleep.
• Assle-tree — Ivvr'y cart wheel has yan tul itsel, and revolves on it's awn assle-tree, an' that'll be what t' world gahs on it's awn axis for I expect.
• Assoon — To fo assoon 's a bad sign. It means yer wankly, or else ye've hed a gay hard knock ower t' cannister, an' it's miad ye faint, an' silly.
• Aslant — Sloping, it izzant thunner rain, it co's aslant.
• Astraddle — Astride, siam as Rag Mary used ta ride on a stick, an' somebody sed tul her, "What, yer ridin' ta-day, Mary ?" "Aye," sez Mary, "but it's nobbut t' niam o' t' thing."
• Astoop — Bent with age, pain, or labour. He begins ta gang sair astoop, is said with a sympathetic tone that often implies much when tokens of decay are discerned.
• Aswint — Streck across frae yah corner tul annuder, yan sometimes gahs aswint a pasture; an' yah auld chap used ta tell t' tial aboot anudder 'at 'cot his pie crust aswint an' t' maister tel't him he "was warse ner a ninny-hammer to cut his crust aswint."
• Atter— A spider.
• Atter-cob — A spider's web.
• Atte-mite — A lal spider on t' watter.
• At, Et, It, Ut— That; who; which. That's t' rooad 'at leads ta Peerith. Yon dog's an auld slenk, 'et is 't. He went t' way 'it he thowt best. It izzant allus fer I' best 'ut yan does things.
• Atwine — Oot ov a streyt line, owder up a hill, er doon yan.
• Atwist — When yan's- fishin' tome gits hankled siam as threed.
• Atween — Between. Nivver thee gang atween neeabody ats feiten, let them feit it oot says Ah.
• Aumry— The office or lodgings of the almoner; also the place where the alms are given; a pantry.
• Averish — Greedy, or hungry and eating in a guiversome manner. Tak thi time an' divn't be seea averish.
• Avised — Black-avised like a man that gits oot o' bed on t' wrang side, or gets his fias smeared with grime. A good old standing phrase that often hits off a description when more refined expressions would fail.
• Aw-macks — Goodstuff of mixed varieties. A ho'perth o' aw-macks.
• Awn, Awny — The beard of barley, awny wheat, &c.
• Awovver — An affirmation. Ah wadn't deea seea, awovver.
• Awmus — An awmus dish is what they tak t' toll in at t' market, but what aboot t' mooths like an awmus? Lads at t' skiul when they want ta beg a bite o' yan anudder's apple, er peer, as' fer an awmus. It's becos it's a sooart ov a takkin' an' givin' nowt back, like miast o' tolls, Ah reckon.
• Awvish — Seekly an' silly, like a fellow at's bin on t' rant.
• Ayont — Beyond. We set him a lang way ayont t' fower rooad-ends.
• Aye — Fer ivver an' ivver an' aye means a gay lang while.
• Aye — Aye, whia, what noo? Aye of course means "yes," but it means a lot more. It asks questions and answers them, as well as puts them by. One well skilled in humanity's little traits tells us that the use of this monosyllable will stick to a man longer than any other, and he could locate a man's origin by it's use to a few miles. Aye 's a lal un, but it's a sticker.

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