|
THE
VERNACULAR
The
following are a few examples of Norfolk dialect in use, as
well as the dry sense of humour:
“Whoa
there, Wi’let, whoa, Gypsy, s’dockey time, here’s
yar nosebags tergethar. Now then you fules, wait till I git
yar bits out. Come on, Bob, let’s knock a blairze on
an’ we’ll het. Thass suffun cold terdear, blowe’d
if i’ tearnt. Le’s see what th’ old woaman
’a put up forrus in the dinner bag. Cor blast, bread
an’ pullet an’ no thumbit. Thass a rummun thar-iss
nowt on an’ nowt tut. I’ll hev suffun, gimme thar
ole rat, he’ll do. Whass a marrer meart, carnt yer eat
yars? Doant trow it awear bor, I can eart it, fat an’
all. Give us hold onnut if it’s gorn a meark yer sick.
You young’uns er too finnicky nowadears.”
 |
|
| PHOTO:
BY P.H.T. KING |
|
NORFOLK
DINNER TIME
Knock
a blairze on is, of course, to make a fire, but bread
an’ pullet an’ no thumbit, meaning dry bread
and no fat on it, requires some further explanation.
A
thumbit is an inverted pyramid of bread taken out of
a half loaf to hold margarine or dripping. The piece of bread
removed is put between the dirty thumb and the meat on top
of the half loaf. This can be held comfortably in the left
hand, while the right holds a pocket-knife to cut the loaf,
meat, cheese, onion, etc., and also to spread the fat. With
practise one can cut round the thumbit and eat almost all
the half loaf without shifting the thumb.
I
played a similar trick when quite a boy, while bird-scaring.
I met a neighbouring scarer for lunch in an old lane and we
made a bonfire. His brother brought him a hot meal from home.
As my family were ‘on the parish’, I had nothing;
so I put a dead mouse on his plate. He promptly lost his appetite
and his temper, and I had his lunch.
Men
in Norfolk have been known to carry a brick in their side-bag
to make it look as if it contained something to eat.
Does
anyone know the story behind the picture? It would be nice
to credit the photographer.
IN
REPLY TO THE ABOVE REQUEST...
Dear
Mr Webmaster Bor,
Never
throw nothin’ out. Specially not books!
Although
I’m an exiled Fenman from Cambridgeshire (We’d say
B’ not Bor) I was tidy pleased to find your website.
The point of all this is I’ve got some old East
Anglian Magazines
my parents used to take and your picture [above]
is
in the March 1960 issue. It just calls it ‘Dinner Time’
but does have a photographer’s name: P.H.T. King, which
you said you’d like.
Hoping
that’s helpful,
Christopher
Rule
[11/01/2010:
Most helpful indeed, Christopher, many thanks for your help!]
RUM
OLE NEARMES
Moost
counties hev nearmes searm as Norfolk
Whot never sound quite loike they spell.
So, because I’m a trew Norfolk dumplin’
I fare ter know some onnem well.
Now,
why should Wy-mond-ham be Windham?
And Happ-is-burgh’s Haisboro, yew see,
And Haut-bois....well, thass known as Hobbies.
They reckun thass French - dunt arsk me!
There’s
By-laugh whot lay close ter Dereham,
Called Belaw, at least so they say,
And Gar-bold-is-ham-well, jist leave out the middle
Then Garblesham’s the trew Norfolk way.
There’s
Colney, well, thass known as Coney,
An’ Cost-ess-ey thas Cossey fer sure.
Hindol-vest-on is well know as Hilderstun,
But please dunt arsk me what for!
The
old folk at Wive-ton say Wiffen,
An’ the neartives of Cley will say Clay,
While Glandford’s referred to as Glanfer,
Thass torkin’ the trew Norfolk way.
The
Norfolk for Salt-house is Saltus,
An’ Morston - just leave out the T.
While Stody is allus called Study,
That dew seem a rum’un ter me.
There’s
Stiffkey what locals call Stukey
An’ their cockles are called Stukey Blews.
Thow, o’ course, the village med headlines
When the parson wuz well in the news.
This
list ent complete I assure yew,
But these few are a proof jist ter show
Thass roight trew whot the rhyme say o’ Norfolk....
We allus dew diffrunt, yer know!
LISTEN
TO A SOUND FILE
Lazy
Wind by John Kett
Please
sign our guestbook
as we would love to hear from you – or,
if you prefer, email:
|
