Dialect/slang

The origins and history of placenames, nicknames, local slang, etc.
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BLAKEY
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Post by BLAKEY »

silversurfer wrote: Hi everybody, Silversurfer here (new to the site) just had to put a bit in about dialect. I grew up in Leeds 12 (new wortley) We often laiked tors in the street while our mothers stood calling at their doors. And then when it was in for bed we were told put sneck ont door. When I had relatives in Bridlington I was a regular traveller on the West Yorkshire buses to the resort. Most of the conductors on there were very senior staff and were helpful and friendly but one woman was a very nasty piece of work indeed and I'm sure she'd never smiled or been pleasant in her life. On one occasion she was alerted and disturbed from her knitting (no kidding) by something rolling in the gangway of the long new bus. Rising menacingly from her seat she fixed us all with her ice cold nasty stare and snarled "WHO'S IS THAT TOR ??." It was then that we all noticed a plain glass marble rolling up and down the gangway according to the gradient of the road - nobody owned up 'cos its a blooming long walk from Warter Priory to Bridlington.That's the first time I'd ever heard the word "TOR" meaning a marble and I often chuckle at that memory to this day.Also silversurfer I had a lovely family friend who lived first in Silver Royd Hill and then moved to a nice cottage nearer to her mill in Old Fold near the New Inn.
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

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Leodian
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Post by Leodian »

Possibly not really a dialect/slang word but 'Wesley bobs' is what I call those bright fragile Christmas decoration baubles that are hung on trees. It's what my mum called them, but it seems to be virtually unknown though when I mention it to people.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

Trojan
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Post by Trojan »

Leodian wrote: Possibly not really a dialect/slang word but 'Wesley bobs' is what I call those bright fragile Christmas decoration baubles that are hung on trees. It's what my mum called them, but it seems to be virtually unknown though when I mention it to people. We called them Wesley Balls in Morley - but I think it comes from Wassail Balls.
Industria Omnia Vincit

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Leodian
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Post by Leodian »

Trojan wrote: Leodian wrote: Possibly not really a dialect/slang word but 'Wesley bobs' is what I call those bright fragile Christmas decoration baubles that are hung on trees. It's what my mum called them, but it seems to be virtually unknown though when I mention it to people. We called them Wesley Balls in Morley - but I think it comes from Wassail Balls. I've heard them called Wesley Balls. I agree that it is more likely to be a derivation of wassailing (a drinking bout) than to do with the evangelist John Wesley, though I'm not certain. I have this sudden need for a wassailing event! Cheers all.     
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

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Leeds Hippo
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Post by Leeds Hippo »

Found this fascinating book called"The Dialect of Leeds and its Neighbourhood" 1862 - not sure if anyone has mentioned this in the thread - couldn't find ithttp://books.google.com/books?id=Uo4SAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA364#v=onepage&q&f=false    
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Trojan
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Post by Trojan »

That's really good. The word "doy" a term of endearment for a child is in it. I haven't heard it used for probably forty years. I've often wondered about it's derivation.
Industria Omnia Vincit

String o' beads
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Post by String o' beads »

BLAKEY wrote: silversurfer wrote: Hi everybody, Silversurfer here (new to the site) just had to put a bit in about dialect. I grew up in Leeds 12 (new wortley) We often laiked tors in the street while our mothers stood calling at their doors. And then when it was in for bed we were told put sneck ont door. When I had relatives in Bridlington I was a regular traveller on the West Yorkshire buses to the resort. Most of the conductors on there were very senior staff and were helpful and friendly but one woman was a very nasty piece of work indeed and I'm sure she'd never smiled or been pleasant in her life. On one occasion she was alerted and disturbed from her knitting (no kidding) by something rolling in the gangway of the long new bus. Rising menacingly from her seat she fixed us all with her ice cold nasty stare and snarled "WHO'S IS THAT TOR ??." It was then that we all noticed a plain glass marble rolling up and down the gangway according to the gradient of the road - nobody owned up 'cos its a blooming long walk from Warter Priory to Bridlington.That's the first time I'd ever heard the word "TOR" meaning a marble and I often chuckle at that memory to this day.Also silversurfer I had a lovely family friend who lived first in Silver Royd Hill and then moved to a nice cottage nearer to her mill in Old Fold near the New Inn. Apparently it should be spelt 'taw'. From Middle English 'tawen' to prepare. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/taw

String o' beads
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Post by String o' beads »

We 'did' Wesley balls on page 23 of this huge thread!

Johnny39
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Post by Johnny39 »

Geordie-exile wrote: BLAKEY wrote: silversurfer wrote: Hi everybody, Silversurfer here (new to the site) just had to put a bit in about dialect. I grew up in Leeds 12 (new wortley) We often laiked tors in the street while our mothers stood calling at their doors. And then when it was in for bed we were told put sneck ont door. When I had relatives in Bridlington I was a regular traveller on the West Yorkshire buses to the resort. Most of the conductors on there were very senior staff and were helpful and friendly but one woman was a very nasty piece of work indeed and I'm sure she'd never smiled or been pleasant in her life. On one occasion she was alerted and disturbed from her knitting (no kidding) by something rolling in the gangway of the long new bus. Rising menacingly from her seat she fixed us all with her ice cold nasty stare and snarled "WHO'S IS THAT TOR ??." It was then that we all noticed a plain glass marble rolling up and down the gangway according to the gradient of the road - nobody owned up 'cos its a blooming long walk from Warter Priory to Bridlington.That's the first time I'd ever heard the word "TOR" meaning a marble and I often chuckle at that memory to this day.Also silversurfer I had a lovely family friend who lived first in Silver Royd Hill and then moved to a nice cottage nearer to her mill in Old Fold near the New Inn. Apparently it should be spelt 'taw'. From Middle English 'tawen' to prepare. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/taw There was a larger "taw" about twice the size of the normal ones, we called these "bottlestoppers". I never knew what their purpose was but they were coloured like their smaller counterparts.
Daft I call it - What's for tea Ma?

stutterdog
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Post by stutterdog »

Johnny39 wrote: Geordie-exile wrote: BLAKEY wrote: silversurfer wrote: Hi everybody, Silversurfer here (new to the site) just had to put a bit in about dialect. I grew up in Leeds 12 (new wortley) We often laiked tors in the street while our mothers stood calling at their doors. And then when it was in for bed we were told put sneck ont door. When I had relatives in Bridlington I was a regular traveller on the West Yorkshire buses to the resort. Most of the conductors on there were very senior staff and were helpful and friendly but one woman was a very nasty piece of work indeed and I'm sure she'd never smiled or been pleasant in her life. On one occasion she was alerted and disturbed from her knitting (no kidding) by something rolling in the gangway of the long new bus. Rising menacingly from her seat she fixed us all with her ice cold nasty stare and snarled "WHO'S IS THAT TOR ??." It was then that we all noticed a plain glass marble rolling up and down the gangway according to the gradient of the road - nobody owned up 'cos its a blooming long walk from Warter Priory to Bridlington.That's the first time I'd ever heard the word "TOR" meaning a marble and I often chuckle at that memory to this day.Also silversurfer I had a lovely family friend who lived first in Silver Royd Hill and then moved to a nice cottage nearer to her mill in Old Fold near the New Inn. Apparently it should be spelt 'taw'. From Middle English 'tawen' to prepare. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/taw There was a larger "taw" about twice the size of the normal ones, we called these "bottlestoppers". I never knew what their purpose was but they were coloured like their smaller counterparts. Pop makers would seal the tops of bottles with glass marbles before screw tops were invented
ex-Armley lad

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