DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS

[Cathy]

I think this one is an oldie.
'Don't be a duffer!' meaning telling someone kindly not to be an idiot.

[Stanley]

It is indeed Cathy! Webster says it is most likely from the old Scottish dialect word 'duffar', a dull or stupid person.

[Stanley]

I came across someone mocking the name Nutter. They shouldn't, it has a noble origin. The 'neatherds' were the men who worked in the Royal Forests (hunting grounds). Their job was to ensure that valuable game didn't stray outside the boundaries of the Forest.

[Stanley]

'Tata' and 'cheerio' as used when leaving someone.

[Cathy]

''ttfn' or 'oorou' or 'not if I see you first' (took me ages to work out that last one)

[Stanley]

TTFN was 'Tata for now' and first coined on Tommy Handley's hit radio program during the war. ITMA, It's That Man Again. Other phrases from ITMA. 'Can I do you now Sir?' 'Don't forget the diver', 'You like to buy feelthy postcard sir?'

[Tripps]

The current most popular greeting seems to be Hiya y'allright. Seems it's Jamaican in origin.

[Stanley]

The Barlick equivalent is 'All reight?'

[David Whipp]

Or, 'Aw reight?'

[Stanley]

[Cathy]

A greeting often used here is 'How ya doin' OK?'

[Stanley]

The strangest greeting I ever came across was when George Garnett of Skipton met his brother in the street one day, they hadn't spoken for twenty years. George said his brother's name and the brother said "George?" then they went on their way.

[LizG]

A greeting often used here is 'How ya doin' OK?'

Or 'How ya goin, OK?"

[Stanley]

'Hey Up!'

[David Whipp]

'Ow ista?'

[Cathy]

We would say How isya? (Ofcourse I wouldn't cause I speak proper.)

One of my old bosses corrected me one day when he asked how I was I said 'I'm good Thankyou'. He said that when asked how you are you should always answer "I'm well Thankyou'. Saying 'I'm good' could bring the reply 'Good at what?'

[Stanley]

He was a nit-picker Cathy. The meaning is clear and that is what counts in casual conversation and greetings. 'Goodbye' doesn't necessarily mean that you wish the person well. It's a contraction of 'God be with you' and is essentially benign.

[Cathy]

You're right Stanley he was a nit-picker. When answering the phone I wasn't allowed to say 'Can I help you?, I always had to say 'How can I help you?'
Typing quotes was the worst, he was very old school with his English and punctuation etc. And don't get me started about how to make his cup of tea ...
Mind you he was a self made man and it was his business which he (and his wife) had built up over many decades.

[Stanley]

That's no excuse Cathy! Your posts show you have a good grasp of grammar and syntax.....

[Stanley]

I used a word familiar to me while writing an article, 'rops' for animal intestines. I've always thought it stems from 'ropes'. Anyone else come across it?

[Bruff]

‘Hiya’ – common in Liverpool, particularly among young women and girls. Many a waitress or shop assistant or other service-sector employee’ll greet you thus.

I seem to recall a common greeting in Barlick was ‘Ow do?’

I have to admit to myself using ‘Na’ then’, or ‘Hey up’ Or if I want to come over all ‘Sheffield’: ‘Na then, ‘ah tha’ doin’ o’reet?’

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

Bore da in Welsh Wales......

[Stanley]

If you get frost burn I say 'chapped'. Is that common? Where does it originate?

[Cathy]

I don't know anything about frost burn but chapped to me means sore lips.

[Tizer]

I noticed the BBC this morning using the phrase `paled into significance' when they actually meant `paled into insignificance'! This type of mistake is becoming common as people write in soundbites rather than thinking about the meaning.