DIALECT AND WORD MEANINGS

[Stanley]

I agree Tiz, it's not just you. The only echo of the old programme is Jeremy, I miss Alan Coren......

[Stanley]

I note that Maz used the word 'manky' this morning. Nice! Such a good descriptive word. I first came across it when I was exposed to the lads from Birkenhead and Liverpool and I found myself serving Brenda in the Cheshires.....

[Tizer]

I noticed in an article in The Times about feeding wild birds it referred to `nyger seed'. I've always known this as `niger' seed. The plant comes originally from Ethiopia and its name refers to the black colour of the seed, although some say it it is after Nigeria, another country where it's grown. It's also known as `ramtil' which comes from a Sanskrit word for black. `Nyger' doesn't exist in my dictionaries and I suspect that people might be using this spelling because they're scared of associating `niger' with the word `nigger' (or even think that niger is pronounced the same as nigger). But it's more complicated than that. Apparently an organisation calling itself the `Wild Bird Feeding Industry' trademarked the name `Nyjer' in 1998 ` to clarify pronunciation'. So now we have niger, nyger and nyjer!

[Stanley]

This me out of an old shop in York. Amongst my clutter.....

[Tripps]

This man never ceases to amaze does he? Something quite interesting is mentioned out of the blue, and he has one in his junk box! Is it an ivory plate?

I heard someone say yesterday 'best worst option'. Surely you don't have a choice of worst options - there can only be one. A bit like 'parallel universe'.

[Tizer]

In a discussion of celibacy and the church this morning on Radio 4 the wife of a vicar who has gone over from Anglican to RC commented that marriage "doesn't necessarily mean rumbuntious sex". I've heard rumbuntious before but looked it up to get the exact meaning and the derivation. Collins doesn't have rumbuntious, only rumbustious which it says means `boisterous or unruly' (I'm trying to keep out of my mind any images of vicar and wife). It says the word is probably a variant of robustious (which I'd not heard before) and it gives similar meanings to that word. So if you're ever invited to a rumbuntious event in the church hall, you've been warned!

[Tripps]

She probably meant it's OK so long as you don't actually enjoy it.

I guess it was related to this news item. Saint Pope John Paul

The older one gets -the mores religions of all persuasions seem to be ridiculous.

Now back to the topic. I found rambunctiouswhich seems to fit my experience of the word.

[Tizer]

She probably meant it's OK so long as you don't actually enjoy it.
I guess it was related to this news item. Saint Pope John Paul
The older one gets -the mores religions of all persuasions seem to be ridiculous.
Now back to the topic. I found rambunctiouswhich seems to fit my experience of the word.

Rambunctious...judging by your link, if that's what the vicar's wife meant I'm glad I don't live next door to them! And maybe you're right, Saint Pope John Paul might have been a jolly rumbunctious chappie, spelt anyway you like.

[Tripps]

"spelt anyway you like."

I would spell it n - o - r - m - a - l

[Stanley]

Dave, yes it's an ivory nameplate. And yes, there are some strange things amongst my 'clutter'.
On the subject of spelling. If you look up the Maasai tribe of Kenya you'll find all sorts of alternative spellings. The way I have spelt it is how it is on a tee shirt made by the Maasai in Kenya that was given to me for my birthday so I think I'll go with that!

[Stanley]

We all recognise the meaning if someone is referred to as a slob. I accidentally came across the origin yesterday during an edition of the BBC programme Coast.
The origin is 18th century Anglo-Irish from 'slab' meaning mud or ooze. It is thought to be of Scandinavian origin as they use the same word 'slab'.

[chinatyke]

This was a new one on me: I was travelling on the train with a friend who comes from near Cheadle in Staffordshire and he said about the Chinese woman opposite "She's a right syruper". On closer inspection I could see she was wearing a wig. Not sure if 'Syruper' refers to the person or the toupee but I've never heard that term before.

[Stanley]

'Syrup of Figs' China? Rhyming slang?

[chinatyke]

'Syrup of Figs' China? Rhyming slang?

Good idea, I didn't think of that, quite possibly.

[Stanley]

I've never heard it used but it looks like a possible.... Figs and wigs.

[Tripps]

In case things like this worry you, here's a good short video to watch.

None

Sounds convincing - must admit I thought it was always singular. You live and learn.

Fancy us taking lessons in English grammar from an American.

PS - I bet Oliver Kamm knew all about it.

[Stanley]

'Spifflicated'.. Haven't heard that word for years..... (LINK)

[Tizer]

Thinking of Donald Trump...
Have a look at the dictionary definition of `trumpery', it's no wonder he's like he is!

[Stanley]

Tiz, I would add 'dangerous'. He is a metaphor for so many of the things that are wrong in America at the moment.
Every now and then word strikes me.... I was thinking about 'imaginative' and it struck me that its root is in 'image', obvious when you think about it...
Then there is 'brisk', a word that to me sounds like Scandinavian origin but all the sources I have looked at say it is uncertain origin.

[Stanley]

Another word claimed my attention, 'chaste'. I suspect the redundancy of this word has more to do with modern morals than anything else. Origin is from Latin 'castus' via Old French and into Middler English.

[Stanley]

A cow stall round here is usually called a boskin and it's in a byre. All these names have old Norse origins. The channel behind the boskin where, if the beast is stood up, its muck drops is always called the 'group'. I don't know the origin of that and can't find it. In Cheshire and further South the byre is called a shippon, some farmers round here use 'mistal'

[Tizer]

I saw a mention elsewhere on OG of a lady called Bunty. We heard recently from a man whose wife is called Binnie (Binney?). Is that a regular forename or is it a nickname?

[Stanley]

The only tenuous explanation I know of the name Bunty is that it is a pet name for a lamb which 'bunts' (butts) its dam's udder to get her to let milk down.

[Tizer]

But it's the name Binnie that I'm trying to clarify.

[Tripps]

Would this help - Binnie Barnes. Maybe even a relative?

The first car I ever bought, had this lady's name in the log book as the first owner. It was a Ford Squire, which was a sort of shooting brake version of the Prefect. That was about 1962. I had only vaguely heard of her, and pre - google never learned any more. Until today of course.

Two more minutes of research brings back more memories. Ford Squire