Derbyshire Dialect
Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong int arm - an quick in t'ead..

Is the local Derbyshire Dialect, Derbyshire lingo disappearing? View our A - Z list below.

As time moves on some of the older ways are disappearing and making ways for quicker and easier ways of living our lives. Some I am very grateful for. For example I wouldn’t want to bring my children up in a polluted smoggy atmosphere or send them to work at 11 years old up a chimney. One thing that I believe should be Passed on is local dialect. I remember when I was younger I thought it was cool to speak some words that others didn’t understand. For example pig Latin, French and local dialect.

I remember reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence while I was at college and really enjoyed trying to work out the local dialect used in his book.

`Shall y'ave something?' he asked her. `Shall y'ave a cup of tea? t' kettle's on t' boil'---he half rose again from his chair.

`It isna horrid,' he said, `even if tha thinks it is. An' tha canna ma'e it horrid. Dunna fret thysen about lovin' me. Tha'lt niver force thysen to `t. There's sure to be a bad nut in a basketful. Tha mun ta'e th' rough wi' th' smooth.'

`Tha loved me just now, wider than iver tha thout tha would. But who knows what'll 'appen, once tha starts thinkin' about it!'

I appreciate that DH Lawrence was from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire and didn’t use Derbyshire dialect; I loved it all the same.

This was recently sent to us via our contact page Andre love it when readers get in touch - thanks Sylvia:

"My mother often used the phrase: "What are you gorping at?" and "Stop gorping." (I think that's how it's spelled.) It means staring - what are you staring at, or stop staring. She was raised, along with her many descendants, in the Chesterfield, Derbyshire area".

Our A – Z of Derbyshire dialect

Aah do How do you do.

Abide Ah canner abide 'em.' To endure, (I can't stand

them)

Agate Busy or on Fire

Ah'd gorrallon I'd got all on. I was pressed for time

Ah wer all of a shek! I was all shaken up (scared)

Ahs House

Anklebiter A Scrounger

Anna/Onna Are not, aren't

Arkin Listening. (Ark at im – listen to him)

Asker A newt

Avya gorra wivya? Is your wife with you? "Have you got her with

you?

Awk about To carry around

Ax/Ex Ask

Ay up Hi, Hello, a friendly greeting, as in "Ay up, me

duck!" (South Derbyshire), or "Ay up, Surry!"

(Mid and North Derbyshire)

av i 'eck as No I haven’t

av i eck as like I haven't done it

B - (Derbyshire Dialect)

ba baas Naughty - "don’t touch that its ba baas" usually

said to small children.

Badly Ill, poorly, hung-over

Bag On A bad mood, "eez gorra reet bag on!"

Bagteel A Wagtail (Bird)

Balm Yeast

Banty-legged Bow-legged

Bargin/Borgin Boasting

Bat Pieces of slate contaminating coal, which cause

mild explosions in the fireplace.

Battin' Moving fast, as in: 'Eh wer battin' along!'

Battlewig Earwig

belt-job Easy job (used in certain coal-mining

communities based on watching a conveyor

belt)

Belter A good one - as in 'Twoz a belter!'

Be sed That's enough, be told

Bill's mothas A vague direction, over there, as in "It looks a bit

black owa Bill's mothers". It's black uvver ahh

Bill's motha's - it looks like rain, impending bad

weather.

Bladdered Drunk

Bladder o lard Bald

Blart Bellow

Blobbed Stuck out, as in 'Shey blobbed 'er tongue aht ut

mey!'

blubber/blubb To cry/weep uncontrollably (i.e. "Stop your

blubbing.")

bobby dazzler Handsome, a cute baby.

Bobby off Polite way of saying get lost, go away.

Bobby's Job An easy task

Bod Bird

Bon/Bont Burn, as in "I've gone and bont mesen".

Bonk An incline, hillside, slope (from 'bank'.)

Bonny In many dialects, this has the sense of ‘looking

well’ often referring to a healthy plumpness. In

Leicester and Nottingham, a transferred sense

of overweight is derived from this sense.

Borra Lend, as in "Borra us yer spade, me duck".

Bostin/Bossin Bursting, full up

Boz-eyed Cross-eyed.

Brawn Boar

Brig A bridge

Brimmin On heat

Bull week Miner's term for the week before a holiday,

when record amounts of coal are produced (and

maximum bonuses are earned).

C - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Caded Spoilt.

Cart off Clear off, leave

Canned Up Drunk

Causey Pavement

Chance child Child born out of wedlock

Chelping Backchat

Chisits People from Skegness, due to their expression

for "how much is it" when asking the price in

shops.

chommax Grind with teeth, eg tuffies (sweets) should be

gently sucked, not chommaxed and galloped

chops Cheeks

Chuck Throw, Chuck us 'ball.

Chuffin' Expression of exasperation - 'Chuffin 'ell!!!!'

Chunter To complain, mumble.

Clackfart Tell tale

Cleck Face

Clammed Very hungry.

Clobber Clothes

Clompin As me Nam used it often 'Give over clompin'. Since the 1800's, clomp has been used to mean "to walk as with clogs." It's thought to be a variation on the word clump, which can mean "a lump of something," but also means "the sound of heavy footsteps." Also I found through a Dutch girlfriend that Klompen means Cloggs in the Netherlands!! (Thanks Carl for contacting us and submitting this)

Clonk To hit. 'It clonked me ont th'ead'

cloth yer one Hit you (I’ll cloth yer one)

Clouts Trousers (usually pronounced claarts)

Clouty Dirty.

collywobbles / collynobs Brussel sprouts

coughdrop Cheekily humorous person, ee’s a rate

coughdrop

Council Pop Tap water

Cob A bread roll (bap)

Cob To throw

Cowd Cold

Croaker Doctor

Croggie To give a friend a lift on your bike. Either on

crossbar or the friend is on the seat while you

peddle in standing position.

crozzled Overcooked bacon

Cut Canal

D - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Daddied ower Tired

Daft bogger Silly devil Bogger is an old Norse term for "Will

o the wisp", or Marsh Devil which is methane

burning at the surface of a bog.

Dead Ace Great, as in that games dead ace

Dead Fit Really beautiful

Deedar Someone who lives in Sheffield

Diddycoy Somebody who resembles a gypsy

Dob im in Tell on him (to the authorities)

Dogshelf Floor

Dolly tub Tub for washing clothes

Donna Don’t

Donna be maudling Don't be so sentimental

Dotty Dirty

Duck Dear, love (for men or women). Ay up me duck

– hello my dear

Duck’s necks Bottle of lemonade

Dunna Don’t

Dunna gerrum gooin'! Don't upset them.

Dunna wittle! Don't worry.

E - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Ee's neearr-sweat He's lazy!

Eh fell ova is-sen He was eager. 'Eh fell ova is-sen te gerra better

view'

Eh's gorra munk on He's in a bad mood.

Eh's thray shaits te t'wind! He's drunk! (Three sheets to the wind)

Ere Here (ovaere – over here)

Ey-up Hello

F - (Derbyshire Dialect)

fair gostered A good laugh

fast Stuck, caught e.g. (ooze gorra fɪnɡer fast -

who's got a finger stuck)

Firk Scratch

fizzog Face (Possibly from the French visage?)

Flit To move house

Fossneck Know-it-all

Fuddle A small party/Bit of a do

Fun Found, as in 'Ah fun that photo up int loft'

G - (Derbyshire Dialect)

gollop Swallow hastily / greedily

gammy Injured. As in gammy leg or arm

Ganzi Pullover or sweater

Gerraht! Get out!

Gerr ert! I don't believe you (Get away with you).

Geroff wi yer No way I don’t believe you

Git – (Insult) Idiot/Not very nice person

Gizzit Give it to me

Gleg Look.

Gis a gleg Let me see/look. Tek a gleg at’err – take a

look at that girl/her

Gobby Got a lot to say

Gob it out Spit it out.

Gone-aht! Surprised, as in 'Eh lowked gone-aht ut mey'

– He looked surprised at me.

gotta monk on Sulking

graunch Grind with back teeth, as a dog with a bone

Gorping Looking at

H - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Hark To listen/hear. (IE: "Hark at that dog

yapping!")

Harping on Nagging

I - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Idle-jacks Loose skin around the fingernails.

Int winder bottom On the window sill.

Is it woth ote? Is it worth anything?

Island Roundabout

Is sen Himself

itl all com artt int wash Things will be better tomorrow

It's nowt te dow wi' mey It's nothing to do with me

J - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Jitty Small alleyway.

K - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Kecks Trousers or underwear depending

Keen Painful ‘It caught me ont arm, an' it cum keen

an' all'

Knackered Tired

Knockin' stick Hammer

Knockometer Hammer

L - (Derbyshire Dialect)

larup/larop To cover with (usually a thick substance)

Let dog say t'rabbit Make room.

Let's be raight Let us look at the situation truthfully.

M - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Manchester screwdriver Hammer

Mank abaht To mess about, fool around.

Manky Not working properly

Manny Bossy.

mardy Grumpy, sulky i.e. "She's a mardy one!"

mash To make a pot of tea

Meesen / yerrsen Myself / yourself

Mend t'fire Put some more coal on the fire

Mizzle Very fine rain - finer than drizzle!

N - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Namor No More. Ah've towd yuh, an' ah'll tell yuh

namor (I’ve told you, and I’ll tell you no more)

'Nen mate' Now then mate (Greeting)

nesh A weak person, or one who feels the cold

'Nah theen' Now then (Greeting)

Nowt Nothing

Nuke To microwave something

O - (Derbyshire Dialect)

oakie Ice cream (common in Leicestershire) see

Hokey cokey

'ollin it dahn! Pouring with rain.

on of "There woz two on em'" (There were two of

them).

Om Home

Ommocks Feet.

Orate How you doing? Also used to show concern -

Are You Orate?

Ormin To 'orm' is to 'doss'/hang around getting in the

way. (IE: 'Them children be ormin in't oss

again.

Oss House, sometimes pronounced ahs

Owd yer osses Wait a moment

Owd yer sweat Take it easy, calm down

Ower Over

Owt Anything (di ger owt from shops – Did you

find anything at the shops)

P - (Derbyshire Dialect)

paste To beat, he got a good pastin the other night,

piddle Falling liquid as rain or urine (i.e. "It's piddling

down with rain" or "A dog's just piddled on the

wall" or I gorra go fer a quick piddle)

Piggle To work away at something with the fingers.

(i.e. "Stop piggling that scab!")

poncher Perforated brass bowl on a broomstick, for

agitating washing in a dolly tub

Pop Fizzy drink

Pot A plaster cast

Pots Dishes ie "Ah'll goo n wesh t'pots."

puddled/puddle-drunk Intoxicated

Pumps Gym shoes

Put wood int th' ole Shut the door!

Puther To pour out uncontrollably. Usually of smoke,

steam or dust

R - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Raight as a cart Feeling fine

Rammel Worthless rubbish.

Reet Right/Alright. "Are you reet?”

Rayt Really

Rorrin Crying

Rumman Can mean a lot of things. It is used as a general

term. Someone wins a game "Ye rumman!"

Someone injures themselves "Ye silly

rumman.")

Rummon Cheeky child, eez a rayt rummon – He’s a

really cheeky boy)

S - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Scratin'/Scraitin' Crying

Scrat-up Shortage of money, as in: 'Ah maniged te gi'e

'em ther bus-fares, burrit wer a scrat-up' – I

managed to give them their bus fare but it

was a struggle.

Scrumpin Stealing fruit from someone’s garden

Shideradtara She would have had to have

shimmy Vest (Possibly from the French chemise?)

Shin tin She is not in

Shonsh To show off

skank Mean or unfair

Skanky Dirty, common

Skerret Lit bit of food (Ate every skerret)

sket A useless person.

Skets To hurry (get yer skets on).

Slops Cops/Policemen

Slorm To lounge around/To smear something

Sloshed Drunk

Smarmy Can mean either 'smug', or 'slimy'. "Ye

smarmy git!")

Smockravel(ed) Confuse(ed)

Snap Used to mean a miner's lunch but now a

general word for lunch.

snapin lunch/food, tekken ta werk, taken to work

Snap tin Lunchbox

snidered/snided/snied Covered/infested, (DH Lawrence used the word

'Snied' in a description of an infestation of mice

in Sons and Lovers.)

Soz Sorry

Spadge Sparrow.

Spidge Chewing gum/Bubble gum

Spidge Sparrow

Starnie Starling

Stodged Full up

Stodgin' yer 'odge Eating greedily.

sucker Iced lolly

Summat Something. Summat tait = something to eat

Supwiye? What's up with you?

Sustificate A certificate

Swilkerin' To drink tea from a saucer

T - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Tabs Ears

Tab 'anging Listening into someone else's conversation

Taitered Exhausted

Tat-ar An ordeal, a bad time, as in: 'Ah've ad a raight

tat-ar in them shops this mornin!

Tattis Potatoes

Tatered/Taitered Tired

Teggies Teeth, usually childrens.

Tek Take

tem tea how Pour the tea out

Terarr Good bye

Thez summat up wee im I think he may be ill. "There's something wrong

with him.

Throbby Song thrush

Throttle Strangle

Tret Treated, as in "I tret mesen terrer new frock". I

treated myself to new dress.

tuffees Sweets, confectionery. gis a tuffee Give me a

sweet

Yeh norra gerrin no tuffees! You aren't having any sweets!

Twave Microwave

twitchel Alleyway between gardens

U - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Up te press Up to now, up to present time

Utch up! Move a little, budge yourself

W - (Derbyshire Dialect)

Wabbie Wasp

Wang Throw

Wanky Weak

wazzerk/wassock Fool (used across the East & West Midlands)

Werrat A loud child

Wesh Wash (Ah'll ay te wesh mi cleck - I'll have to

wash my face.

Wittle Worry. Dunna wittle, Don’t worry.

Womit Go home!

Woppit Wasp

Wobbie Wasp

Woz Were

Y - (Derbyshire Dialect)

yack To throw up. yack me guts up

yerrsen/ Meesen Yourself / Myself

Yoth/Yothe/Youth Used in greetings. Has nothing to do with age

but with older men is usually only applied to

others of a similar age. Ay up yoth – Hello my

friend

We hope you have enjoyed our Derbyshire dialect. If you have any other Derbyshire dialect for us to add please send it via our contacts page.

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Derbyshire Dialect Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong int arm - an quick in t'ead..

Derbyshire Dialect
Derbyshire born, Derbyshire bred, strong int arm - an quick in t'ead..