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Contents – A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A Collection of Dialect Words and Phrases as used in Cumberland and Westmorland, with illustrative sentences in the north Westmorland dialect
- 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.