The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies

The Dialect of Cornwall

In Conjunction with Brian Stevens

Recorder of Dialect

Abroads

Open. Your mouth was `abroad' for someone to look at your teeth.

Ass a forth

the wrong way round. Carrying out a chore in the wrong way.

Ancient

of a child or elderly shrunken small person. "She's an ancient little soul".

`ate of sense'

hardly any intelligence or minimum of recognition. "If thee had a `apporth of sense, thee wouldn't have done that" Also pronounced, Apperth of sense an inconsequential person. I remember the phrase, "You silly appeth" which I understood to be a `halfpenny worth ' of little value and the remark derogatory.

Apple-bee

a wasp, as distinct from honey-bee or bumble-bee. An apple-bee is arrish -- known as a `jasper' down Mousehole/Newlyn.

`a corn `arrish,

or the stubble left after cutting the corn. It was known as `pilth' when torn up

Ought

Nothing. Nil. The number 0 or zero.

Away to go

Went. A lively exit by a person.

Adder-weeds

wild orchids. Adders often found where these plants grew. A warning to keep away

Arum lilies

he sign associated with death. Funeral wreaths always one. Never grown in our garden. Avoided like the plague

As hardened as Pharoah

Stubborn. A Biblical connection possibly through Methodism and a knowledge of the Bible stones.

a gonner'

An expression indicating that an animal, or person has no chance of hanging on to life at all, and is in fact virtually dead and finished. Now this expression, on the face of it looks rude and vulgar.

'Assob'n'

or "That's of it, or That's it "When you agree with someone exactly. Dialect abbreviation and pronunciation.

All a cock

Everything possible has gone wrong.

Bad -- ill "

Took bad " -- Taken ill. Another expression, `Laid up'.

Backalong

In previous times. In the olden days.

Baistly

This is one pronunciation, or `beastly' -- dirty, unkempt, unwashed, filthy. Used in this way could be used by someone crude or coarse or vulgar, reprimanded by, " Don't be beastly!

Beal

a young chick, wild bird, goose, duck or turkey then beginning to break out of its shell.. " The^y eggs is bealing " The clutch of eggs when put under the the fowl numbered thirteen eggs, a baker's dozen. No breakages werereplaced.

Barley- mow

Clean barley only. Smaller strawed sheaves.

Beauty

" She's a beauty! She's a pretty beauty. Nothing to do with looks. Of doubtful reputation. `Beaut' is the word I am familiar with. "She is a beaut -- an amazing person, one with a rapid and witty turn of phrase or word or expression. Said in admiration of man or woman. Amazing or entertaining

Beau

the popular name for a horse or cow on the farm. " Move over, my beauty" said to an animal to encourage it to move

Belong

used of habitual action. "I or we `belong to do this or that of a Monday, or we do not "belong 'to do this or that means in the habit of doing something, or not doing it.

Cheening

Last night at my Cornish Class at Redruth Community Centre, Francis Bennett, our tutor asked me if J had ever heard the dialect word of cheening. She had heard it that day from a friend, and knowing my interest in dialect words, remembered it and passed it on. I have never heard it.

Cheening --- to strip the growing sprouts from potatoes prior to peeling. On checking the Cornish Dictionary [ Gendal ] the word in the language for this is cheen or cheeny.

Churchtown

group of houses surrounding a parish church. Where I was brought up, Cury Churchtown was a directive to the place as opposed to Cury Whitecross in another part of the parish

Clicky

clique in English. " They are so `click 'up Legion or "Some clicks `down Chapel ". A group of people who habitually keep themselves to themselves

Clicks

can be lefthanded, or more so clack handed

Clidgy

a sticky mess, especially in the mouth. " My mouth was clidged 'together with that toffee "

Clip

sharp in speaking. "Some clipwith `ee, wadn't she? Abrupt, even rude and insulting.

Cloam

plates, cups and saucers, egg cups, etc. " Don't scat the cloam ` ,clumsy as you are.

Cloam egg

a china clay white egg imitating a real one put under fowls to encourage them to lay in that nest and not choose their own. A rare item nowadays.

Cloam oven

an earthen ware oven, old fashioned in my young days. Used on the stone hearth, with hot ashes or' embers ',partly burnt wood or twigs, almost charcoal or peat or turf, heaped on it, [ it was domed shaped ] , and scraped away when it was adjudged that the foot was cooked, learned by practice and experience

Cluck or clucks

of hens, who were getting broody, or 'going to sit, when a hen took to her nest day and night to hatch a clutch of eggs. Too many broody hens, and they were shut in a confined space with very little food or water. That eventually brought them back to lay again

Clunk

to swallow, especially difficulty in swallowing something large. Hardly ever used it, as it was dying out of use in my young day.

Come—by - chance

an illegitimate child. Remember the old saying," The first cheild can come anytime. All the rest take nine months ! "

Comfortable

[ of people ] easy to get on with if a person, or were' comfortable ` if they were thought to be financially secure

Coor or core

overtime, or extra work, especially of tin or copper miners.

out of core

their own free time

Coose

to chase a rabbit or a maid or both .

Coose

was also a derivation of course of thatch laid down the head of a corn or hay rick, when thatching with wheated straw, when thatching the whole head

Cousin Jack

a fellow Cornishman, often from abroad

Crake

a loud complaint, harsh like a corn crake. Phrase is, " What 'ee  craking about? Moaning. Complaining

Crib

an alternative word for " croust " used in other parts of Cornwall. A crib was a designated place in a stable for a horse to feed, a wooden raised manger in which oats or mangolds was put adjacent to a deep box in which the horse hay was dropped for them to feed on. For a cow or bullock the crib was a concrete or cement lined brickwork area at floor level in front of them in which their dredge corn mix or manufactured linseed based protein feed or turnips was placed. A long iron or wooden or galvanised iron feeding trough was used in bullocks, yearlings or calves houses for their feed.

Crimp

to join the long edges of the two halves of a Cornish pasty together neatly to seal them. Cornish maids were taught by their mothers how to do this at an early age -- and what ingredients to put in and what not to include

Croust

a meal [ with hot tea carried in a large aluminium kettle ] the food in a large oblong wicker basket, wrapped and covered in a perfect white table cloth, the original basket made by gypsies from materials taken from our woods, carried out to the men in the harvest field, either haytime or corn harvest. Sandwiches, whie yeast or saffron buns, heavy cake, rock buns, and at corn harvest time whole backberry and apple tarts in their blue and white cloam dishes, the segments cut out ready for use, together with all the cutlery needed and the large white ` harvest ` mugs. Another speciality was slab cake -- a rich fruit cake. We children were only allowed any food that was left, only after all the men had finished eating. That was not very often !

" Cussn't "

--- cannot.

Cut up

to talk in a mock refined or altered accent.

Dredge corn

mixed corn, barley and oats, mixed on the farm, two thirds oats, one third barley, or purchased from the seed merchant in that proportion of mix. Oats only grown for the working horses. Barley only for the pigs. All other cattle, including the milking cows, had the dredge corn.

A drug, or a drag

whatever the emphasis on the pronunciation of the word for this device, it was a very well made iron, or steel item, oblong, about a foot in length, placed under one of the rear wheels of a harvest wagon, which when heavily laden pushed the horse or horses down a hill too fast, especially on a tarmac road. The drag slowed the whole load down to a manageable speed for safety. Sparks would fly, and the heated melted tarmacadam would pervade the scene for a while.

Dryth

said of the weather for drying hay or corn, or the weekly wash. " There's no dryth in the weather. They clothes will have to go out again!"

Durns

door frames.

Door and heeps

the half doors, top and bottom to a piggery or calves house, and even in some cases, the back kitchen door.

Damper

the device on a Cornish Range, usually with a brass knob handle that was used to riddle the accumulated soot, and freeing the air flow to the slab and the fire prior to baking or putting the kettle on over a dull fire to make a cup of tea

Drawers

male underwear, as well as female. " Where's my drawers?" heard frequently by the males in the household. Long Johns were also known as drawers!

Date pasty

a delicious pasty, eaten with plenty of clotted cream

Deadly nightshade

bella donna. Avoided like the plague, as it was known to be poisonous, and not handled.

Dead nettle

a different genus of the more common stinging nettle.

Divider

the outside part of a binder or hay machine with a purpose made wooden slim pole, placed at an angle, dividing the cut crop from the standing. A weather beaten tangles crop could be caught up in the divider and stop the machine, if it was not placed on the binder or the hay machine.

Dry as chips

that meant chips of wood, normally from a carpenter's shop, not those made from potatoes. It implied that a thing was bone dry

Dark glasses

to my explicit knowledge, some older folk always distrusted fully sighted people who wore sunglasses or shades. To be described as a " dark glasses person" implied that they had something to hide. Eye contact was everything to former generations.

Dry as a wooden god

said very unkindly mainly of someone's baking being too dry. Stale food, bread or cakes.

Darned!"

as close as some old folk would go to swearing. "That darned boy! That darned little maid!"  See my recollection of the alternatives to Anglo-Saxon expletives later on.

"Drag all the way up over there?"

moaning at the prospects of a long tiring journey on foot to somewhere.

Dickie cart

the two wheeled short trailer towed behind the threshing set, which carried tools, oil, grease, chocks of wood to wedge the wheels of the threshing machine when 'set up'

Dab hand

a skilful person, jack of all trades, and as we say in farming,' master of the lot!'

Emmetts

ants, murrains, and said of crowds of people or tourists!!, Mainly non local, but describing a vast concourse on the beach, locals and others if that many, they were all lumped together. Crowds at Flora Day, or Harvest Fair, or The Royal Cornwall Show, even Harvest Festival, all could be described as such

Ent'n

to pour. ^"Ent'n down the drain, boy!"

Ent'n

to pour from one container to another. " Ent'n in, boy. All of'n!"

Eve

or should it be heave? to become moist. A floor is said to 'eve, or heave' , and indicates the presence or imminent arrival of wet weather.

Evil or should it be 'eval?'

normally described a four pronged manure or dung fork. The five pronged version was not considered a real 'evil' With the four pronged 'evil' you "scud" Dung from the pile carried out with the horse and cart, and placed in neat equi-distanced pile across the meadow or field. It was usually a 'wet day job' clad in a ' towser' as a protective apron, made from an old Hessian sack, with another one draped over your shoulders to keep the rain away. You spread the dung with your evil ` evenly over the grass, so that it weathered away, and promoted good growth during the winter months, so that by Spring you could ' turn out' --- that is finish wintering the animals. What a relief from the seven days a week grind, ' hand feeding' all the stock!!!.

Eat the herring off a grid iron

describes what a hungry person could be driven to.

Embers

partially burnt pieces of wood, or twigs, glowing red hot, but not burnt out. Almost charcoal.

Edna?

Cornish dialect pronunciation for " Isn't it?"

Ess!"

is the dialect for ' yes'

Naw!

or " Giss on with 'ee" is "No!'

Edicate

is educate

Fandango

with liveliness. Boisterous. " What's all this fandango about?"

Fanny man/ fancy woman

a sweetheart, especially when one or both of them are married.

Feather tye

 a feather bed or mattress. The height of luxury.

Fiddler-dick

 said of a small boy known to me, who was always meddling with things and trying to find out which way they worked, or taking things to pieces and not always able to put them back together again. Complaint registered:- ^"Fiddler-Dick's been here again!"

Fiddly

irksome, difficult, annoying, taking up too much time, such as, " Winding up that coir yarn up in the barn on a wet day, is some fiddly old job!"

Figgy-cake

a cooked bun with plenty of currants. A bit like heavy cake, but no sultanas or raisins [fruit] in it. Not a fig in it.

Finicky

 meddlesome, very fine and needs intense concentration. Like unravelling wool, cotton or string. Considered to be shocking remarks, not said indoors.

Fitcher --- a polecat.

ferret wide eyed, staring [ in amazement or surprise]

Fitty

to be not fitty, means to be not right in the head, one slate short of a full roof, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Slightly insane, even temporarily

Flam-new

brand new. Described as , " Spanking flam new!"

Flummoxed

bamboozled, beaten, completely outwitted.

Flasket

a heavy and large wickerwork clothes basket in which the clothes were taken from the wash house or back kitchen, after having been put through the mangle to squeeze out the surplus rinsing water. Made from local materials by the gypsies.

Flighty

highly strung, especially of a female. " You are some flighty today. What's wrong with 'ee? " They gleanys is some flighty  tonight! That old dog fox around somewhere is'a?

Flink

a spasm of bad temper, indicated by a toss of the head, with the hair flying all over the place, to show annoyance. " You can flink your head as much as you like, my dear! You are not going to the fair in this weather!"

Flour 

Fly-by-night

a dubious person, who's movements were suspect and unreliable. Untrustworthy.

Furt

the bum, or backside., but more your anus.

Foochy

slow, pedantic. Not much movement or ambition. Said of someone who did the minimum of work. A 'foochy' farmer was always one who was always behind with their work, teeling', hay harvest and corn harvest, anything, and the farm looked unkempt, with overgrown hedges, field gates all to larrupps, and the farm buildings with unpainted doors, and unmended riffles on the roves.

Force put

no alternative. No option but to go for it. "I was force put to go to the pub!"

Follow them home

just see how they live. Question their status and ability and see if they match up to what they purport to be

Fraile

a lightweight wickerwork basket .

Frail

A wisht person, looking slight and nearly a dier!! " Don't overload that frail mind, or you'll scat the handles off!"

Fowl pest

 at about the time in the fifties when it was first known about, if anyone looked ' seedy ' or ill or out of sorts, you remarked to or about them, " Got fowl pest, `ave `ee ?"

Fowls

 all domestic poultry. The breeds were Rhode Island Red, Light Sussex, Indian Game [ the cockerels of this breed made excellent table birds ] Plymouth Rock [ speckled ] White Wyandot, Leghorn and of course the bantams.

Fowst

 shabby. " That suit ov'n was some fowst!"

Forthright

not afraid to speak their mind. Open.

Forthy

cheeky. Answering back. Said of the bold, oversexed, brassy young women, of a roguish appearance, nature, and background, the ones you did not your son to mix with.

Frightened

said and used in this way, " Shouldn't be frightened if we d'have visitors today". Not surprised if something happened, or someone turned up unexpectedly.

`Fishguts! 

---`Any boy you played football against who was not in your team, and they came from Porthleven, you insulted by calling them  That led to many ` sliding tackles ` outlawed now in football

Frizzy

description of a full or fine head of hair, either male or female, naturally curly and luxuriant. Thick as a mop. " Hair of 'ee, like a mullah. Get'n cut!"

Furnace

the fire under the copper boiler in the back kitchen or the wash room, used for boiling the washing water. In exceptionally hot weather, with the sun beating down, `like a furnace', summed it up.

Full as a drum 

bloated. Over full. Piggish.

Fullright and foolish

someone with a " slate loose " or any description of that kind. Not all " quite there!"

G'aate

the English word great is transmuted in Cornish dialect to `g'aate `, as in, " You g'aate idiot ! "

Gallivant

to be going from here to there and never in one place or at home. Forever mobile. Borrowed from English, but I remember it in use

Geek

 to look at. To peer. Curious look. " Close they blinds, will `ee. We don't want they next door geeking in ! "

Glaze

to stare at. " What `ee glazing at?"

Gleany

a guinea fowl. Cornish dialect term for one. An African bird originally. Kept due to their sensitivity to disturbance, i.e. foxes or strangers. Their collective alarm calls better than anything electronic.

Go in for

we do not usually do this, as "They don't go in for saffern cake like we do ". Not accustomed to do something or other.

" go fur'n "

encouraged by that shout, " Go fur'n boy " in a fight at school, or a mother lightheartedly prompted by her husband when scolding one of the children. " Go fur'n, maid. Cheeky beggar !"

gone back on

changed the mind or opinion of someone previously praised to the hilt or skies who were in favour. " I've gone back on she !

gone to lie

of a corn crop battered down by the unseasonable weather. Yields were always badly affected, and the harvests made more difficult. Said also of an animal who became tired out on being driven to market in the old days, and " went lie !

got'n off to a tee

mastered a task, chore or skill, as in " You've got'n off to a tee ! "A dab hand at something

Grafted

[ of dirt ] " His shirt collar was @ grafted " Dirt deeply ingrained say, after playing football or hurling.

Grammar sow

wood lice. Typically Cornish. Turn over most stones and there would be ' grammar sows ' there

" grizzle "

to be caught with a grin, often in mockery, and when doing so, when the other person thought you ought not to be, there came, "

What 'ee grizzling for?"

grouts

tea leaves, sometimes used twice, and if so, they were

definitely so.

" I believe that tay we had was made from ' grouts' !"

girts

the Cornish word for gruel or porridge.

Grockel

a holiday maker, visitor or Emmett === I think this word is borrowed from Devonshire

Goose or Geese

 kept almost everywhere, but on the farm where was brought up they were banned as they could soil every patch of grass around. The grass was first reserved for the milch cows, the bullocks came second in preference, and the horses last. Geese considered ' beastly `.

Gooseberry Fair

a mid summer event held at Helston at one time.Helston Harvest Fair in early September was a feature, but nothing compared to Flora Day on May the 8^th, Plum Fair, the plums from that area near Truro, renound for them. Kea Plums, just remembered.

Grouder

mould board on a plough

Galley wow

a doubt about the sex of a mannish woman. Neither one thing or the other.

Gawky

tall and ungainly. Awkward.

` gone sit '

sitting comfortably in an easy chair, and likened to a broody hen on a clutch of eggs. " Gone sit 'ave `ee ? " A hint of laziness implied. Couched potato, the modern expression

Going along

used in context with the weather, " going along fine, edna? " or recovering from a cold or illness. "Going along fine, thank you "

Guts of rain 

a sudden heavy downpour, or a day's persistent rain. Can mean either

Gussunder

not necessarily Cornish, but the reference to the utensil under the bed, the thick china one that chinked loudly when bumped against the iron bedstead, or the tinkle from the lighter weight enameled variety. " Goes under the bed "

Hacker

a two pronged cleaved iron hand tool for digging potatoes, or for pulling dung from the back of a cart into piles for hand spreading

Half-crease

an old system of taking half the profit from the sale of wool and lamb from a season's crop, split between the owner of the sheep and the farmer who's pasture has helped breed and fatten them, and who has looked after them.

Hames

collar sticks, normally made of iron, used in conjunction as collar and hames, part of a cart horse harness.

Handsome

a term of endearment, even between the sexes. " Hullo, my handsome [ or 'andsome ] How 'ee doing?"

Hardheads

plantain seed heads used before ripened for playing with when conke were not available.

Hay -- making sweet hay

 in theory and practice, the boy gathered a wisp of newly dried hay in the field [ from a dram ] twisted it quickly into a small rope, caught the maid, garlanded it around her neck and drew her closely to him and kissed her.

Harve

to harrow. " Harve that field of barley in before come in to tea, won't 'ee, boy ? Weather's changing t'rain."

Hinderment 

hinderance. Someone getting under your feet, such as a small child while working. " That cheild's been some hinderment to me today."

Housing

going from house to house socializing and gossiping. " I don't belong t'go housing."

How ?

Why? " How 'ee meeting she?

Humming 

absolutely stinking, like an old outside lavatory in hot summer weather. Absolutely putrid.

Hurried

used in the sense of not bothered. " I'm not hurried whether she comes or nnot."

Home bird

someone always at home. Hardly ever goes out. "She's some home bird. She hasn't been outside her front door for ages, not since Chapel Anniversary."

Head on his/her shoulder

an intelligent person.

Helyars 

stones used as weights at spaced intervals on the hovis of a hay or covering coconuts ] to stop the wind lifting the thatch. About fourteen pounds in weight

Hovis 

bottom of the thatch, which shed and dripped rain water from the hovis to the ground, and well clear of the rick. Also the bottom row of slates on a roof guiding the rain water into launders [ guttering ].

Hildatroop

a dark violet colour. Indigo

Hedge-straw

that long weed covered in white flowers, climbing over hedges noticeable in July month. Botanical and common name ?

Heavy cake

flour, sugar, mixed fruit rolled out into a large flat area, and when baked on a sheath is cooled on a wire tray and cut into portions. An old schoolchildren's chant, " Heavy cake, made light ."

Heathen

or more to the point, to be called " You heathen ." was a reprimand if naughty or over noisy. " Like a lot of heathens going round." When our play became over boisterous

Hawthorn blossom

may blossom in dialect speech. The first person to present a sprig of may blossom to the house on the first day of May was rewarded with a creamy morsel, or as I heard it pronounced often, 'marsal ' or even ' marshal '. That meant a piece of bread with clotted cream and sugar ] brown preferably ] with the lower part of the clotted cream soaked into the slice of bread. Mmmmm ! Out of this world !!!!

Honey bee

as opposed to a wasp or an apple bee,or a bumble bee .Bumble bees do not sting.

Hard bound 

constipated as opposed to ' the scats ! ' Said of hens when no eggs were being produced.

Honked up 

to vomit. To be physically sick. 

Humping

going extremely fast. Speeding. " He went down that road in that car humping.  

Husk

an affliction of young bovines believed to be the result of aparasitic worm picked up when grazing in damp places like the bottoms. Drenching the animals with a mixture from the vet helped if given in time. Affected the lungs. " Got the husk, 'ave 'ee ? " asked of someone who has a racking cough.

Ivy bush

" She looked like an owl peeping out from an ivy bush. " Said of a maid with a luxuriant head of hair with only part of her face visible. Itching --- dying to have a go. Impatient. "Itching t'get up their place t'see the new cheild. "

In some stank

in a mess or a muddle.

In a tizz 

another description of someone completely at sixes and sevens.

Johonny or Jacky Fortnight

a packman, pedlar or travelling salesman who calls once every two weeks selling goods and collecting payment for goods sold previously.

Jack ass

term of mild abuse probably brought back by the Cornish miners from America. An old name for a mule ?

Jouster

a fish jouster. I can just remember the cry of a fish jouster, met somewhere near Cury Church Town when a small boy. " Pilchard ! Pilchard ! Pilchard ! Nice fresh pilchard ! [ the 'd' of pilchard hardly pronounced ] That cry was repeated again and again, until a customer appeared from the houses [ the old council houses ] The jouster had a pony and cart or a shay, I faintly remember.

Jack in the box

lively. Never still for a moment. Said to us when the firecracker comment brought little response. We had a jack in a box as a Christmas present and knew what that was.

Johonny Frenchman 

a Breton onion seller. Appeared after the War. These strands of golden onions were purchased from the Breton onion seller who came around on an old dilapidated bicycle. Spoke the minimum of English and managed to get by on it. These onions were purchased and hung in the pantry. ' Raw fry ' onions and water only cooked in the old fying pan with perhaps some bacon added to Flavour it.

Keeve

large tub, wooden staved, iron bound soundly constructed, used for scooping up loose grain from the huge pile on the wooden barn floor into sacks to be weighed. Known as a 'half strike tub '. Held four gallons dry measure

Kibble

a mine ore bucket, known from an uncle from Condurrow ,Beacon Camborne.

Kibbled maise

whole maise which had been milled and broken down to be eaten by domestic poultry.

Kegus

kegus is the Cornish dialect word for cow parsley, a common ditch and hedgerow plant or weed. A tall thin person. I know a man who glories in the nick name of KEGUS,[ AND IS TALL AND THIN.!]

Kicking a ball of wind

a derogatory term for someone keen on football of any code, or the game itself. Play as opposed to work, which in our case was farming. That came first,everytime.

Kicking like a mule

said of a person who has lost control and temper and is lashing out at something. Even said of a horse, pony or even cow who is kicking out

Kiskey

rotten wood from a fallen log or tree. Wet, soggy. No good for burning. Used by song thrushes to line their nests.

Kea plums

plums from that area were considered the best for all culinary use. Plum Fair, was the early September fair at Helston, when Moor ponies were brought down to be sold. Dartmoor the source, I believe.

Kiss in the ring

a game played at Tea Treats [ ours was at Skewes Farm, Cury ] Players stood in a ring, and someone was given a handkerchief which they dropped behind a player. They then had to catch the one who had dropped the handkerchief before they returned to their empty place. If they did, they were entitled to a kiss. Only between males and females you understand !!!

Lagged 

covered in mud, slime or any other substance.

Launder 

the dialect word for the English guttering. Can be wood, cast iron. aluminium or even plastic

Leary 

.faint and weary for want of food. Exhausted from exercise or work.

Leave

commonly used for let. " Leave'n alone, will 'ee ."

Larrups or lerrups 

torn to pieces or in shreds. " Breeches of'n were in larrups. "

Lew or lewth - in the lew or lewth 

sheltered away from the prevailing wind [ the west wind]" 'Yes windy here. Let's gone in the lewth out o'bn. "

Lick or more so the garden leek

" Bring they liks in for the pasties. "

Louster

to hang about doing nothing.Old Johnny Cliff hung around St. Martin blacksmith shop all day, loustering. " Done nothin' t'day," he admitted each day, "but! 'll give'n hell tomorrow !" He never did.

Long dog 

a dog of the greyhound, whippet or lurcher breed, very speedy. " See `ee gone down the road like a longdog."

Look

to expect. " He won't look t'see `ee here."

Looking like a winnard 

wisht or ill and really poorly. A winnard is a redwing, a winter visitor to the county, and in exceptionally cold weather is all ' scrumped up `, hence the description of a person looking like it. 

"lost are 'ee? "

when a relative or close friend turns up at the house all unexpectedly, greeted by, "What you doing here? Lost are 'ee? 

Lily

a flag iris which grows only in wet places, yellow in colour. Daffodils were also described as ' lilies `.

" looking as if `ee had been dragged through a hedge backwards"

someone very very untidy about dress and hair, male or female. Scruffy. The word ' scruff ' applies generally to children grabbing each other in a form of wrestling, and pushing or pulling each other." Scruff'n, boy." was the encouraging call to boys about to wrestle with each other

 Lembs [ or limbs 

small branches of trees. " Cut they lembs off, boy, closer than that!". The lembs were cut up for firewood to use under the boiler or ' copper `placed in the corner of the back kitchen on washing day, Monday, or ` mazed Monday '.

"like a cow handling a musket !"

a clumsy person, all fingers and thumbs. Incompetent

 laughing like a piskey '

` shrill continuous laughter, something maniacal, and a little off putting and unsettling. [ Do pixies laugh like that?] ` 

like a dishwasher's tail '

 the dialect word for a wagtail is a dishwasher. Said of a talkative person speaking quickly. "Tongue of 'un going like a dishasher's tail !"

 like the end of a house, barn, barn door , outhouse

said of a very large person, or a large backside. Considered rather rude, just like the next one.

Little chit of a thing 

small, a small baby, or thin person.

Laid up 

taken to one's bed through illness or injury. The time taken over that period.

Lip

answering back. Cheeky. "I don't want any more lip from you, boy !" General usage

Mind

 to remember. " Do 'ee mind old Reggie do 'ee and that Corgi dog of his ?"

Mow 

a large hand made small stack of sheaves, broader in the base, and decreasing with every ' ring ' of sheaves as it grew taller and taller, finishing with just three or four sheaves. It was constructed from about a dozen shocks [ stooks in English ] from six to eight sheaves in a shock. The butts of the last few sheaves were twisted and intertwined together. Known as a " hand mow ". Built in catchy weather if the ricks of corn could not be built immediately from the dry sheaves. Old Harvest time Rhyme ---- " All is safely gathered in, except three acres down Penryn " 

Mowhay

the enclosure close to the farmyard where the ricks of corn were placed for security.

Murvan

an ant. Heard occasionally.

" mind to"

a decision, or about to come to a decision on something. "I've a mind to give hera piece of my mind !"

milliard 

the flat piece of stone with half a hole worn in it to support the bottom iron pivot at the bottom of the hang bow on a wooden five barred field gate which supported the weight of the gate [ the heaviest part 

'a minute '

The Cornish expression as in, "Let's gone up t'see grandfather 'a minute '.Could be any length of time

Manure 

oddly enough, this usually means chemical or bag fertilizer. Superphosphates.The straight forward description of anything else was dung. " Clean the dung out of that cows' house, will 'ee

milky doe'

wild female rabbits nursing young. If caught in that state, were given to the cats to eat, and were not used for human consumption.

Marble tops

used on bedroom washstands on which the washing bowl and water jug stood.

Mevagissey 

this Cornish sea side town and fishing port is spelt this way, and is pronounced that way by outsiders, but not by Cornish residents. This is pronounced MevagIZZY --- THE EMPHASIS IS ON THE DOUBLE ZZ, and not the ss ! mind that, will 'ee?

Maudlin

in a perverse mood.

"My giddy aunt"

this expression is used to replace good old Anglo-Saxon swear words or blasphemy by Methodists known to me

Neary

tight fisted, mean. A miser.

Niffed

or is it the English ' miffed ' meaning upset or annoyed. ?

Night crow 

one active at night. A stay up. These days it would be levelled at the young clubbers. They are just going out when their grandparents are getting ready for bed. 

Nuddick

 the back of the neck. Pure Cornish

'Nuther' 

neither -- one or t' other, a derivation. "I didn't want to, nuther !"

Nosing

to look around in curiosity. Someone who habitually takes good notice of the scene.

Napper

head, but I suspect this could be English.

Odds

to make a difference, as "Can't odds it !"

Old -

musty, smelling ' fowst '. Another definition of the word fowst. Clothes kept in a damp drawer or wardrobe would be described as ' fowst ', or smelling mouldy.

Out of coor, or core

in your own free time or spare time after all work had been done. First Came across this phrase when I borrowed some original documents from the great great grandson of a miner who lived at Trenear, Wendron. This was Ronnie Faul, who lived at St. Martin at the time, and is now deceased. Photostats of the originals have been lost forever. 

Over to 

--- at a given place. "we are going over to the farm this afternoon."

oss and cart

an old description and phrase of a common sight now used in modern haulage, when the main part of the tractor unit and waggon, is hitched too and tows the second part of the waggon , hence 'oss and cart

On his, or her last legs

a person or animal expected to die quite soon

"out the road"

get out of my way

out like a light

to fall asleep quickly and easily, as a child or elderly person.

Out of kilter

not true in the sense that it does not match up. The two part of a machine do not bolt together accurately as they did originally.

Off his ruddocks

out of his mind. Out of true

Out of synch or syncaue 

not sounding right, as of an engine being run, and not sounding as it should be.

Passel 

a disparaging term for a group of either objects or persons. Probably dialect for parcel ?. Example :-- " Passel of lies !" or " Passel of nonsence !"

Patch hook

an agricultural hand tool for cutting through quite stout branches, not always successful at the first stroke. A short handled billhook. Very effective in my experienced hands until recently when I was active. Always kept razor sharp at all times, either with a metal file, or a carborundum

Pick

the Cornish description to pluck poultry. "Pick they fowls for Sunday. Preacher's coming".

Pick in

bring in the washing from the clothes line

Piggy widden

 --- weakest pig of the litter, usually from sucking a 'poor' teat---- one which does not produce as much milk as the others from the sow. If a female animal or gilt in farming terms and providing she had the full compliment of fourteen teats, she could make an excellent breeding sow when fully grown. I have proved that when in farming. As an experiment, and taking notice of advice from the 'old men 'the one I bred proved to be amongst the best ever.

Pilf

 --- fluff from under the bed. Also the harrish stubble after a corn crop, chiselled up and had the chain harrow rattled over it at speed knocking out all the earth and dried by the sun and wind One of my earliest recollections is being placed on the cart loads of pilf being gathered up and dumped in a pile or piles close to a hedge, and tumbling out with it when it was tipped. Great fun. Covered in dust. The pilf was used, I believe, to cover a mangold rick, to keep the frost away while in storage. An old practice no longer used. Mangolds not grown. Mains water piped to farms in the fifties did away with that. Mangolds were a good ninety per cent water.

Pimping

 --- spying on a courting couple, but nothing evil or malicious about it, only for fun. Repeated what was remembered they said to each other for the amusement of others, then, " You've been pimping " could be the accusation levelled at you. Only did it once, and the couple did not like it, and I do not blame them. Strained relationships for a while

Piskey

pixie, the Cornish enunciation of the word

Piskey led 

try finding your way out of a familiar place, especially when, as in a field, it had say mists patches at night. Once when tending lambing ewes and carrying a Tilley lamp casting odd shadows and wandering around attempting to find a familiar gate way time and time again, is the closest I have come to being piskey led ! Quite unnerving !

Place

 --- a small holding, farm, home. Anywhere you live is your place.

Planchen

 --- the wooden planked upstairs bedroom floor. " Put they mats down across the planchen " Crossways across the planking.

Platt

--- a small area to place things on. A platt was a place by the roadside on which stone was broken up and stored, all done by hand, for road mending and repairing. These places now known as lay-bys or pull-ins, and favourite with courting couples.

Pluf

-- soft, comfortable, as the soft seat of an easy chair. Also said of a person's face if it was puffed up and swollen, say through toothache. " Your face is looking some pluffy " Said of land prepared for a seedbed, but had heavy rain on it, and would not stand the weight of a man. 

 Plump up 

--- to bolster a pillow. Never knew it had to be done on the sides of the pillow to `plump 'it up, and not from the top or bottom, as I have been doing it for a lifetime!

Pile

 --- in Cornish dialect terms, a pile means a large amount, in time, or volume, or distance. Example :----" We haven't a pile of time left, 'til that bus gets here !" or " We aren't having a pile of luck with the lottery !" " We haven't a pile of water to give to they plants!"

proud as a peacock

--- strutting around so pleased with themselves over something or other, especially in new clothes for the Chapel Anniversary, or Flora Day

Plum or plumb

--- soft ground, not firm enough to take the weight of a human or horse or machine. In agricultural terms, ground which has been worked in preparation for a seedbed, and is too plum [ plumb ? ] to be drilled with seed. Bottoms or marshland. Waterlogged. Used in a similar sense to the description of pluffy.

Plush

--- soft, comfortable, easy, as a favourite bed or chair. Almost meaning luxuriant." Some plush job her boy is in !" Well paid and not too arduous.

Pook 

--- newly dried hay placed in layers in a separate pile, to dry out fully and condition. Hand labour intensive, but it made the best hay in a 'catchy 'season. These pooks were built into domed shaped piles to shoot the rain off. Smallholders with not much acreage resorted to this method. Poor --- of fruit mainly that is or has gone rotten.

Poor tempered

--- irritable. " Like a bear with a sore head !" One member of the family when heard humming or singing hymn tunes to herself, was avoided by other members as she was in a poor temper and everything and anything and anyone would irritate her. Avoided 'like the plague' Popp^y --- the common foxglove flower or plant. The larger lower flowers on a stem were picked off, and under pressure between finger and thumb were burst, making a faint 'pop

Pretty many, pretty lot

 --- a great many things or people. Pretty lot of people down Chapel last night, wadn't a?"

Pretty

--- neatly. " That 'oss went over that jump as pretty as you mind to." 

Proper

 --- satisfactory. " You are a proper chap for doing such a proper job as that. 'Proper job!' used to be synonymous with everyday Cornish usage.  

Pussy, or pussivanting around

--- ineffective. Making a fuss about nothing. 

Poorly

 --- ill, out of sorts. " She is too poorly to go to school today, the dear of her 

Paddle

 --- an obsolete agricultural hand tool consisting of a long handle at the end of which was an almost spear shaped iron piece, but it was square at the end, about two inches in width which was kept again razor sharp, and which was used to cut out individual thistles or docks. Creeping thistle mainly, whole patches of them. Under a blazing late May, early June sun, to be out in a cornfield. Paddling weeds for hours on end doing just that was a chore and a bore!!! 

Pants

 --- meaning trousers. An American influence?

Peas, broadbeans and runner beans

--- put here to remind myself of the importance to Cornish gardeners and allotment holders of these staple vegetables, and of my hobby of gardening in a small enclosed patch of ground below the ' pig meadow '. Half a crowns worth of garden seeds from Dobbies, or Cuthberts or Bees was a large investment from your pocket money. Herbs are a modern innovation except for mint and parsley. Garden turnips sometimes grown, but they were bitter. Swedes, acres of them were grown out in the fields

Puffed up like an adder 

--- as it hisses when surprised or teased its head enlarges. Also an attempt by someone to look or behave extremely important.

" Look at'n? Thinks he is so grand! 

Puffed up like a bladder of lard 

--- an attempt to look important. Posturing again. Could come from the practice of storing lard in a pig's bladder, hence the description and likeness.

Pipsqueak

--- a derisive name to call someone, was used, but sounds too English.

Pasty nut

--- the Brazil nut, from its shape similar to a pasty.

Prong

--- a dinner table fork. " Put they knives and prongs on the table properly and stop playing with them" A frequent exhortation to my brother and I impatiently waiting for our dinner to be served, the one as bad as the other. Table manners were taught early, and enforced. 

"proper job ,"

--- one of the most common expressions in Cornish Dialect speech. Still widely used today. Complimentary in its use. Modern education and standard English [ with Americanisms ] is limiting its use

Pain in the guts

--- the true description of internal pain, and very expressive ! The colley-wobbles was another a similar Cornish saying, and is recorded from Newlyn amongst the fishermen, and it could not be more Cornish.

Parish lantern 

--- the moon.

Pard 

--- American slang or colloquialism for a partner or comerade. Again brought back from the States by Cornish miners from the 19th. Century, and heard mainly in the old mining areas. 

Quat or quatty

--- to squat down in an attempt to hide. " Quat down so she don't see we, or we'll get a good hiding."

Quilkin

--- a frog or perhaps a toad

Quicker than shit

 --- this very vulgar remark was not uttered indoors even by the menfolk. If it happened to be said, " Don't be beastly !" followed quickly, as a severe reprimand.

Raw

— said of milk straight from the cow. Unscalded. Also remarked of the weather as being either quite stormy or extremely cold.

Ream

 — to draw a piece of string or rope tightly, or ' home' " Ream 'un home, boy, tighter than that. That'll slip!"

Runner 

— a roller Cowl behind the back of the back kitched door. The roller, or rollers on the back of a farm wagon [ there were two ] which enabled the men to tighten, by way of iron handles, as on a torture rack, which were through it, and by winding tightly, the loads of hay or corn sheaves were firmly secured for transport.

Riggers

 — the supporting wooden lades, front and back of the farm wagon, which kept the load from slipping either forwards or backwards. Ropes were reamed over the load in pairs, the rollers at the rear securing the whole.

Rac farmer 

--- one who took everything out of the soil of a farm, and put nothing back. A poor farmer, despised by the good ones.

Pough as a badger, rough as rats 

--- as a description of dress and appearance and behaviour, could not be worse, particularly behaviour. Loutish.

Stringies

--- runner beans

Rack that is the hay rack

--- to hold loose hay in 6ullocks or calves and yearling houses or for horses in a loose bo.x in the stable, with spaced wooden or metal bars to hold the hay in place while the animals tugged at it with their mouths, not allowing too much to be pulled out at one time and wasted under their feet.

"rather put my hand in fire than do that!"

-- said by the lady of the house who would rather not do a chore or a job of world usually around the house. The trick as we observed, was that either the fire was not lit when a hand was placed in the empty fireplace [ of the Cornish range or slab] or it had burnt so low as to give off none or little heat, and was therefore safe. We children fellfor that ploy, but only once

Rolli red

--- a Rhode Island Red breed of poultry, kept by almost everyone. Common name for a bird of that breed.

Randan or on the randan

---The boys chasing the girls or the other way round. It had the implication that it could be naughty.

Chute 

 — a spring of water as at Breage Chute [shute?]-I like the story I overheard the other day, when someone was relating that they had been "up country " or "up the line `and were talking to people there who imagined that conditions down here were a bit primitive. "We have got running water, you know!" A shute was a meeting place. "See'ee down (Breage Shute" was also a panned pace for couples to meet.

Sleep or "gone to sleep

"is mouldy, musty, fowst.

Slight

 --- unwell, poorly, out of sorts. ".fife's looking some slight, don't 'ee think?" 

Slip

 -- a small piglet, up to about eight to ten weeks old. The old sow had a handsome brood of slips.

Sloan

--- sloes, product of the Blackthorne tree. Sloan wine was a product of that tree or shrub.

Stock 

--- to entice, or persuade to follow, or lead astray. (Beguile. That boy down the village has stocked that maid Jenny away from the boy on the farm!"

Smeech

 --- the acrid smell of burning, especially when a candle was blown or snuffed, or when a `check fell out of the open fireplace.

Snob

--- mucus from the nose as in ^`snobby nose!

Some

 --- very. "Some funny "or "some good job

Sour sobs

--- the common herb sorrel. The leaves of which if eaten raw tasted bitter. 

Spence

--- the cupboard under the stairs. A friend told me that once, on clearing a house out of county with the owner, he noticed that the door to the Spence had been papered over with wallpaper. Curious to see what might be inside, he persuaded the owner for him to prise open that door. Inside at the back they found a heavy wooden box which they dragged out. It was full of gold sovereigns!!!

Split 

--- a soft bread roll or bun.

Sprayed 

-- chapped owing to exposure to the weather.

Sprig

 - a small nail used in boot making.  Or a sprig of holly or a sprig of May blossom brought into the house on the first day of the month of May. A stem with a few leaves with berries or flowers.

Stem

--- an old mining term of a measure of work [fathoms drilled] in time or under contract.

Squaal 

--- to cry out like a baby. Pronounce it phonetically. Also squeal like a pig

Screech

 --- in dialect to blubber or cry or wail. " What `ee screeching for?!"

Seed case

--- made  with caraway seed A Second World War expedient when fruit' i.e. currants, saltanas were rationed.

Scats or the scats 

--- diarrhoea. The runs. "got the scats, `ave `ee?! "A person so aflicted, or one who is in a tremendous hurry and must be off at once, or impatient to leave.

Shiner

--- a sweetheart. 'Direct from the Cornish Language.

Swift 

-- a dialect expression to indicate that a person is not very quick or alert.

Stink like a buck_.

 --- a familiar phrase used if someone in a gathering has broken wind or has not washed for days. Buck is the Cornish word for body odour or b.o.

Squit 

--- small, tiny, infinitismal "You little squit !"

Staddle

--- stone "mushrooms" of granite, used in rows the size of the rick base

[eight paces by five, for the largest rick with an adjacent rick_,six paces by four, which comprised'a full days threshing from 8am until 5pm. These ricks in the mowhay were oblong in shape originally built on the `staddles ' which carried' the 'stead ` --- thorn and bramble hedge trimmings placed' on top thickly to keep the rats and' mice away.

'stagged '

--- too much work,to do --- up to your eyebrows in such work,," Can't help `ee, boy. I'm stagged!" Charles Osborne, a representative with the old firm from Marazion and Helston called T.F. Hosking is an example in point. Whenever I used to meet Charles, especially when he was an Agricultural Merchant himself at Ludgvan Lease in the nineties, and asked, as you did, how he was, he would inevitably reply, as he always did, "Stagged Boy! Stagged!" .He used to be present at farm stocksales, and with his customers and friends, we all had a good chat, and told the `yarns 'we had heard, some of which would make a local preacher blush. The `yarns ` would do for a week. or so amongst us representatives and selected farmers, until they were repeated back to us, and we acquired others to take their place Ludgvan Lease was the place to call to see Charles, and get some free pens for Stank

Standing 

 market stalls down any street. [Helston Flora Day or Helston .Harvest Fair always had their fair share of standings — 'standin's `

Stank

.-- to stamp the feet.. To step down hard on anything

Stay stomach 

--- a snack to stave off hunger

stead o f a rick

 --- the 'browse `put under a rick. Its actual measurement.

Sticks

-- up to wrist thick `lembs 'or branches. "(Bring in they stirs for the back kitchen boiler fire for Monday!"

Studdle

— the iron bracket, about eighteen inches long, bolted in pairs, one either side of the wooden or concrete dividing screen in a cows' house. This carried the chain around a cow's neck to tether it, which slid up and down freely, which allowed them to stand up or lie down at will in that stall..

Stream

--- to wash or rinse clothes or anything else in water to clean it. Even, Stream they dishes through, will `ee?"

Stroit 

--- couch grass, that persistent field and garden weed

Strove

-- to overcome in argument. "He strove me down he was right" Someone absolutely sure of their facts, and naturally argumentative.

Shrub 

--- to rob the eggs from a wild birds nest Completely illegal these days. 

Stuggy 

-- stocky in build. Thickset.

Stickler

---  " A stickler was the referee in Cornish wrestling

"see `ee again !"

--- said by someone who owes you money, and who cannot pay you immediately. The remark often implied to the person owed the debt, that they would be waiting a long time for it, or worse would never see it !

Seedy

--- a description of someone completely out of sorts. "Hey, boy! You 're looking some seedy. Sickening for something, are `ee? "

Skeeting down

raining heavily.

Skew -- thickdrizzle

It is said that an almost imperceptible drizzle, when it is hardly wetting at all is know as South Crofty Dry Drizzle!

Scrolled 

--- suffering from the cold, freezing and reacting to it.

Stinger

--- The stinging nettle --- as opposed to the dead nettle, a different plant entirely. The antidote to the stinging nettle rash is the juice from a butter dock rubbed in hard. The nettle was a substitute for spinach in WW2

Tay-fight

 --- the Sunday School Annual celebrations. Methodist. Ours was held at the 'Meadow' at Skewes Farm, Cury. Big saffern buns, bottles of 'pop'. Athletic Sports. Alpine railway - a pulley over a steel rope [ part of a hay pole and gear] on which was suspended a wooden seat and a tow rope. You were pulled between two massive trees, and from where you started, sacks filled with hay and straw acted as a soft buffer. Your friends pulled you all the way to the opposite tree, up high, and then let go of the tow rope. If it was one of the girls on which you were "sweet', that was the way you showed your affection!! ^'Kiss in the Ring' --- a dropped handkercheif_ chasing game rounded off the evening.s

Tommy Tinker or Tommy Taylor

 --- the Daddy long Legs. Jhis insect neither bites or stings, but can send the ladies hysterical when caught up in a closed room.

Tub meat

 --- or 'mait 'as it was pronounced ,Another name for flour and possibly a protein feed or additive, fed to animals housed in the winter time. There was a boughten mixture of cereals and other imported bits and pieces which were very