Buzz
In 1905, Oxford University Press released the sixth and final installment of The English Dialect Dictionary, a collection of regional British expressions from the 18th and 19th centuries. The EDD aimed to catalog words too rare or localized to be included in the Oxford English Dictionary, amassing over 70,000 entries from across Britain by its completion. The project was spearheaded by Joseph Wright, a self-made linguist and etymologist who rose from attending night classes while working in a textile mill to becoming a Professor of Philology at Oxford. While Wright authored several works, The English Dialect Dictionary remains his crowning achievement and is still celebrated as one of the most comprehensive dictionaries of its kind.
The 50 terms featured here are authentic entries from Wright’s English Dialect Dictionary, alongside selections from other remarkable regional glossaries such as John Jamieson’s Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language (1808), Francis Grose’s Glossary of Provincial and Local Words Used in England (1839), and John Ray’s Collection of South and East-Country Words (1691). From the peculiar to the practical, these words would be a delightful addition to anyone’s lexicon.
1. APTYCOCK: A sharp or clever young man. (SW England)
2. BANG-A-BONK: Despite its appearance, this term is a verb describing the act of lounging idly by a riverbank. (Gloucestershire)
3. BAUCHLE: A term for a worn-out shoe, especially one missing a heel, and metaphorically used to describe someone who is utterly useless. (Ireland)
4. CLIMB-TACK: A cat that enjoys strolling along high shelves or picture rails is called a climb-tack. (Yorkshire)
5. CLOMPH: To walk awkwardly in shoes that are too big for your feet. (Central England)
6. CRAMBO-CLINK: Also referred to as crambo-jink, this word describes poorly written poetry or, figuratively, a rambling and meaningless conversation. (Scots)
7. CRINKIE-WINKIE: An unfounded worry or a weak excuse for avoiding an action. (Scots)
8. CRUM-A-GRACKLE: Any tricky or challenging predicament. (SW England)
9. CRUMPSY: Easily annoyed and quick to anger, likely a regional twist on the word “grumpy.” (Central England)
10. CUDDLE-ME-BUFF: Why settle for calling it beer when you can refer to it as cuddle-me-buff? (Yorkshire)
11. CULF: The loose feathers that escape from a mattress or cushion, which, as Wright noted, “stick to the clothes of anyone who has rested on it.” (Cornwall)
12. CURECKITYCOO: To mimic the cooing of a dove—or, metaphorically, to engage in playful flirtation. (Scots)
13. DAUNCY: If someone appears visibly ill, they’re described as dauncy. Originating in Ireland and northern England, this term later entered American slang in the 1800s. (Ireland)
14. DOUP-SCUD: Wright defined this as “a hard fall onto one’s backside.” (NE Scots)
15. EEDLE-DODDLE: Someone who lacks decisiveness in a critical moment. It can also describe a person as careless or confused. (Scots)
16. FAUCHLE: Making errors or fumbling tasks due to exhaustion? That’s what fauchling is all about. (Scots)
17. FLENCH: When the weather teases improvement but never delivers, it’s said to be flenched. (Scots)
18. FLOBY-MOBLY: An ideal term for that sensation of not being sick, yet not feeling entirely well either. In Scots, a similar expression is atweesh-an-atween. (Central England)
19. HANSPER: The ache and stiffness in your legs after a lengthy trek. (Scots)
20. INISITIJITTY: A person who appears both absurd and utterly worthless. (Central England)
21. JEDDARTY-JIDDARTY: Also written as jiggerdy-jaggardy, this term describes something intricately twisted or tangled. (NW England)
22. LENNOCHMORE: A notably large infant. Derived from the Gaelic term leanabh mor, which translates to “big child.” (Scots)
23. LIMPSEY: Describes someone who is weak and drooping, typically just before collapsing. This term originated in the eastern regions of England and was adopted in the U.S. during the 19th century—used by notable authors like Walt Whitman and Harriet Beecher Stowe. (East England)
24. MUNDLE: When used as a verb, mundle refers to performing a task awkwardly or being obstructed while working. As a noun, it denotes a slice of cake or a wooden spatula—the phrase "to lick the mundle but burn your tongue" suggests indulging in pleasure despite potential repercussions. (Central England)
25. NAWPY: Refers to a freshly acquired pen. (Lincolnshire)
26. NIPPERKIN: A tiny sip or measure of a beverage, approximately one-eighth of a pint. (SW England)
27. OMPERLODGE: To oppose or challenge someone’s opinion. (Bedfordshire)
28. OUTSPECKLE: Someone or something that becomes the subject of ridicule. (Scots)
29. PADDY-NODDY: A drawn-out and monotonous tale. (Lincolnshire)
30. PARWHOBBLE: To dominate a discussion without allowing others to contribute. (SW England)
31. PEG-PUFF: A term describing a young woman who behaves in an old-fashioned or overly mature manner. (Northern England)
32. POLRUMPTIOUS: Loud, ill-mannered, and causing disturbance. (Kent)
33. QUAALTAGH: The initial individual you encounter upon stepping out of your home. Rooted in an ancient Celtic New Year custom, the quaaltagh seen or spoken to on January 1 was believed to foretell the fortunes of the coming year. (Isle of Man)
34. RAZZLE: To cook something unevenly, resulting in a charred exterior and undercooked interior. It can also mean warming oneself by a fire. (Yorkshire/East England)
35. SHACKBAGGERLY: Describes something arranged in a messy, untidy fashion. (Lincolnshire)
36. SHIVVINESS: The uneasy sensation of wearing brand-new undergarments. The term shiv historically refers to rough, heavy wool or linen. (Yorkshire)
37. SILLERLESS: Literally meaning “without silver,” this term describes someone who is entirely penniless. (Scots)
38. SLITHERUM: A person who moves at a sluggish, unhurried pace. (East England)
39. SLIVING: A slender piece of bread, meat, or a tiny fragment of wood. (Yorkshire)
40. SLOCHET: To walk in a manner where your shoes barely stay on, either because they’re loose, untied, or too large, resulting in a slow, dragging gait. (SW England)
41. SPINKIE-DEN: A picturesque clearing in the woods, abundant with blooming flowers. (Scots)
42. TEWLY-STOMACHED: The term tewly alone refers to being frail, unwell, or overly delicate. A tewly-stomached individual has a sensitive stomach or a generally weak physical condition. (East England)
43. THALTHAN: Also known as tholthan, a thalthan is a partially ruined or dilapidated structure. (Isle of Man)
44. TITTY-TOIT: To clean up or make something neat and presentable. (Yorkshire)
45. UNCHANCY: Can describe someone or something as mischievous, unlucky, or even hazardous. It also implies something that’s unsafe to interfere with. (Northern England)
46. VARGLE: To work in a disorderly or haphazard manner, or to carry out a task that’s particularly disagreeable. (Scots)
47. VARTIWELL: The small metal loop where a gate’s latch secures is called a vartiwell. The term likely originates from the Old French word vervelle, referring to a gate’s lower hinge. (Eastern England)
48. WEATHER-MOUTH: A weather-mouth is a bright, clear section of sky on the horizon, bordered by thick clouds on either side. (Scots)
49. YAWMAGORP: Combining yawm (a yawn) and gorp (a mouth), a yawmagorp refers to a lazy or idle person, often seen yawning and stretching lethargically. (Yorkshire)
50. ZWODDER: Defined in the English Dialect Dictionary as a state of drowsiness or mental fog. It’s thought to be linked to the word swadder, meaning to become tired from excessive drinking. (SW England)
This article first ran in 2014.
