Old Forest Words & Expressions
This list was compiled by Cameron in 1972 under the title of 'Old Forest Words and Expressions that seem to be fast disappearing'.
Idiom | Meaning | Idiom | Meaning |
Ash, Mixen | Ash Tip | Apern (long a) | Apron |
Acon (short a) | Acorn | Bruck | Brook |
Bile | Boil | Biler | Boiler |
Bin | Been | Bust | Burst |
Bannut | Walnut | Bellocking | Howling |
How Bist | How are you? | Thou Bisn't | You are not |
I Byunt | I am not | Brum | Brrom (plant) |
Butty or Old Butt | Mate or Friend | Browst | Brushwood |
Bittle | Beetle | Byun | Bean |
Blue Aysaac | Hedge Sparrow | Bunt | Butt. (Sheep) |
Bent | Tall coarse grass | Biff | Beef |
Chunt | It Isn't | Cawnt | Cannot |
Chimmock or Chimley | Chimney | Cognoggler | Large piece of bread |
Cossunt | Can't you | Cussunt | Couldn't you |
Cyart | Cart | Dout | Extinguish (light) |
Daggled | Tired | Dawk | To dig hole |
Dicky shirt | Vest | Drew | Through |
Drabble | Dribble | Daft | Foolish |
Ellum | Elder Tree | Ettles | Nettles |
Flummox | To confound | Fadge | To have your whack |
Gaust | Gorse | Gyarden | Garden |
Gob | Lump of turf | Gob | Mouth (shut your) |
Gis | Give | Gyule | Sneer |
Gwain | Going | Galls | Baby Geese |
Gurt | Very big | Goosegogs | Gooseberries |
Hoss | Horse | Housen | Houses |
Hain | Forest Enclosure | Humpty Tump | Mole heap |
Hommocks | Big Feet | Imbers | Cinders |
Jud | Dead | Joy | Jay (bird) |
All kiff | Alright | Ketch | Catch |
Lush | Brushwood for swatting | Leg it | To run |
Moithered | Bewildered | Moochers | Big Hands |
Moke | Donkey | Mon | Man |
Mael | Meal | Nithered | Very cold |
Nist | Nest | Nern | Neither |
Ooman | Woman | Owt | Hold. Don't do it |
Oy | Yes | Oot | Will you |
Ood | Wood | Oodin | Wooding |
Cont | Mole | Owd un | Old one |
Oggy | Strong drink | Polt | A hard knock |
Putt | Put | Quat | Rest on haunches |
Quomp | Beat in Argument | Quist | Wood pigeon |
Rodney | A lazy person | Raculas | Auriculas |
Rot | Rat | Squitter | Run away quickly |
Shard | Gap in hedge | Stank | Dam small stream |
Surelie | Surely | Snowper | Foxglove |
Snomper | Foxglove | Sturt | To make one jump |
Snippet | Small piece of bread | Squall | To cry loudly |
Sin | Seen | Sid | Seed |
Spud or Tater | Potato | Ship | Sheep |
Stretch | Mistle Thrush | Spitter | Spade |
Swill | Wash face and hands | Ship Badger | Sheep Owner |
Slummock | Sloush | Snowl | Hunk of bread |
Stwon | Stone | Surry or Zurry | A chum |
Splatter vit | Splayed feet | Stutter | Stammer |
Skew Whiff | Askew | Smot | Smash |
Screecher | Swift (bird) | Stroddle | Straddle |
Tallet | Hay Loft | Tap Boots | To sole them |
Tamp | To run fast | Tommy | Food |
Thee or thou | You | Tith | Teeth |
Telled | Told | Thic | That one |
Tump | Hillock or Mound | Tup | Male sheep |
Tush | To drag something | Twud | Toad |
Onyons | Onions | Vyarn | Backen |
Vire | Fire | Vit | Feet |
Vrog | Frog | Varmer | Farmer |
Vinch | Finch (bird) | Vir | Fir |
Vust | First | Vowls | Fowls |
Vut | Foot | Wesh | Wash |
Wopper | Wasp | Wum | Home |
Wick | Week | Wet the tea | Make tea |
Water (long a) | Water | Weeker | Ear |
Wust | Worst | Windy | Window |
Watty Handed | Left handed | Yarks | Cord below trouser knee |
Yucks | Expression of distaste | Yowl | To cry lustily |
Yow (as in low) | Ewe | Yank off | Cut or Pull off sharply |
Yut | Eat | Yus | Yes |
Zee | See | Zummut | Something |
The Forester is a friendly person, and it is customary when walking out in the Dean that he should greet any passer-by he meets.
Have you heard of the old Forester, who had gone to a busy town to spend his week's holiday?
It appears that after he had had breakfast on his first morning there, he decided to take a walk. Opening the door, he found people thronging the pavement going about their business. However, following his custom he began wishing them 'Good Morning' as fast as he could, but naturally he got no response.
After a while, the old man gave up the battle, either through lack of breath or bewilderment and returned to his home quietly and in deep thought.
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I heard of a boy who lived on Blakeney Hill, who boasted that he could speak three languages. When asked what they were, he replied, "One I speak at home, one at school and the other when I am out at play".
Archive retrieval by Richard Chidlaw, recreated for the rest of us by Ken Morse, March 2010