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 Amble Glossary

by R.K. Bailes
This glossary features words and phrases which I knew in Amble in the forties and fifties, when I was young. The list was prepared after an interval of about 60 years so may contain omissions and errors.
Word Or Phrase   Translation Example
aheight a on high up aheight = up on high
ahint a behind ahint the bike sheds!
baaks n baulks (roosting timber slats in a hen house or cree) I was on the baaks = I was frightened
bagey (pl bageys) n swede  
bairn (pl bairns or bairens) n baby, child wor bairn
bait n snack (portable)  
beroo n bureau, a press or davenport  
bested a beaten  
bleazer n blazer, metal plate put in front of a domestic fire to "blaze up " a dying fire.  
bogey n a low flat tipping cart for transporting pikes(of hay)  
boiley n meal for invalids - bread and hot milk  
bool v to bowl b a hoop or b an easter egg
bottle n a tied bundle of threshed straw (prior to bales and baling machines)  
bowley hole n a small high-level door giving filling access to a coalhouse  
box n toilet I was on the box = I was ill!
bray v smack; punch Aa'l bray ee = I'll punch you!
breck v to break  
breeks n trousers  
brocken a broken; see breck  
broon n Brown Ale  
broth n thick, mainly vegetable, soup plural noun - eat them up
bubble v to cry a bubbly bairn, divent bubble
bubbly-jock n turkey-cock  
bull n a steam whistle  
bullet n sweet, usually a black bullet, but could be any sweet  
buzzem n besom, a broom made from twigs  
byeuts n boots  
caad a cold  
cadge v to borrow; to sponge on one  
cadger n one who would cadge  
canny (1) a shrewd, cautious, careful the bank manager is canny
canny (2) a lovely, loveable the baby (or the lass-) is canny
canny (3) a rather sweet (applied to an old lady or gent) He (she ) is canny
canny (4) a a lot; much a canny few
canny (5) a quite well I am canny the day (today) = I am in good health
canny (6) a very good A surprisingly canny drop of beer today
canny (7) a gently gaa canny = go easily
canny crack n a good conversation or a good conversationalist  
chuck v to throw (out)  
claggy a sticky claggy bullet - a sticky sweet
clarts also see glar;clarty n mud You have clarts on your beuts; this way is clarty
clim v to climb  
clocker n a broody hen  
cloot n cloth a clooty pudding - a pudding boiled in a cloth
coals (to get your coals put in)  to be roundly beaten Sunderland got their coals put in =Newcastle: 6, Sunderland: Nil
cowp v to tip c. Your creels = turn a sumersault
craa n crow  
crack n conversation a canny crack
crastric harn n Craster Kippers Street cry of a fish wife(eg Kipper Lizzie)
cree n hen-house or pigeon ducket  
creel n fish basket  
crowdie n a breakfast dish made from oatmeal, mutton fat and boiling water  
cuddy n a (young) horse or donkey  
cushet n wood pigeon  
dad v to strike or punch Ah'l dad yer jaa = I will punch you on the chin
dee v to do Ah dee = I do; Ah dee not = I do not
divent v don't Ah divent knaa = I don't know
dort n dirt  
dottle n the unburned waste from a tobacco pipe; sheeps dung (small) cf glar divent drop your dottle on the proggy mat
ducket ( see cree) n dovecote; a pigeon loft  
duff n coal dust  
dunch n collision; shoulder charge  
dutchman n a hard case; a fool; a mischievious person (usually a child)  
dyke n a hedge  
ee a you ee can gan nee mair= you can go no more
fadge n a flat round loaf  
fettle n condition; mood What fettle the day?
fire-back n a brick shelf behind the fire in a grate containing coal for later burning  
for-by  as well as He had two or three others for-by.
fother n fodder ( for horses)  
gaa, gan v go gaa canny = go easily
gallesses n braces  
gannens on n proceedings; happenings  
ganzey n pullover  
garner n a barn  
gee  verbal command for a horse- go right (see heck)  
gee, gey a very It is gee caad the day
geen n sloes  
geordie n one who lives on Tyneside  
getten away; he has g. away v he has died  
gill n volumetric measure ( was 1/3 pint in Northumberland; school milk!)  
gin-gan n farm building containing a horse and a gin for mechanisation.  
girdle; gordle n gridle plate for cooking scones on a fire  
give ower v stop it! Give over!  
glaiked, glaikey a Idiotic; stupid  
glar n mud; a large lump of sheeps dung ( cf dottle)  
gliff n a fright  
glim n faint light  
goozer; goose gog n gooseberry  
gowk n an apple core Give us your gowk
grape n a garden fork  
guff n pig  
gully n a large knife; a carving knife  
had away v go on  
had on v hold on; wait a while  
hanted a sheep established on a hill from which they will not wander  
hap v to cover up Potatoes are happed (earthed) up in a garden
hawway v come on; go on  
harn n herrings  
heck v verbal command to a horse - go left (see gee)  
hemel n A remote three sided roofed cattle shelter with one open side This pub smells like a hemel tonight
hen n hinny, darling, term of affection (see hinny  
het a hot  
hinny n hen; darling; term of affection (see hen)  
hoolet n owlet  
hopper n an engineless barge with false bottom supplementing the Amble dredger  
hoppins n The fair on the Town Moor in Race Week  
howk v to dig (potatoes)  
hoy v to throw ; to throw out Hoy oot! ( cry of boys, seeking money, outside a wedding)
hunkers n haunches to sit on your hunkers
hyem n home  
in bye n in the direction of the coal face  
jaa n jaw  
jaak n jackdaw  
jaap v Easter egg breaking competition by end to end tapping  
jowl v knock on a mine roof for soundness  
keep n feed quality of grass search for some keep; the keep is good
kep v to catch (a ball)  
kern; kern supper n harvest home celebration  
kist n chest for bedding or valuables  
kittle v to tickle My Nancy kittled my fancy......
kye; kine n cows  
kyle n small heap of hay  
lass; wor lass n wife wor lass = my wife
lonnen n unmade rural road or track  
loup;lowp v to jump over ( a gate or ditch)  
louse; lowz v to unyoke a horse; to end the shift  
lug n ear  
mangle n a machine for dewatering washed clothes  
marra; marrow n workmate or close friend  
mazer n an amazing one  
mell n a large iron-headed hammer  
moont v to mount Moont the cuddy = playground game at Dovecote Street school
muck-midden n farm muck-heap  
nae;nee a no nee mair = no more
naen; nen n none naen at aal =none at all
nettie n a (usually outside) earth closet  
nowt n nothing  
oonce n ounce  
oot bye n away from the coal-face, back to the shaft  
ower a over, too much ower the waal = over the wall
owt n anything owt l' dee = anything will do
pace eggs n decorated Easter eggs  
pant n a water trough for animals, usually decorative  
penker n a marble  
pike n a hay cock  
ploat v to pluck (a chicken)  
plodge v to paddle in the water or mud  
poke n bag; sack  
pomer n a VERY large one  
poss v to wash clothes in a tub using a poss-stick ( or dolly)  
press n a large wooden cabinet with drawers and shelves originally for linen  
pund n pound  
puther; pooder n gunpowder The puther hoose at Seahouses
sair a sorely;severely Sair fyeld, Hinney
sark n shirt  
scadden a scalden hot scadden het
scotch n scotch ale  
sel; mesel n self; myself  
shart; short n shirt  
singin hinney n a girdle scone  
sskelp v to smack I'll skelp yor arse
sneck n the hooked lever of a door latch  
spelk n a splinter] sometimes a very thin person  
spoot n a spout  
sport n sport  
sport n a spurt  
spuggy n a sparrow  
steeths n staithes; wooden structures to elevate coal trucks for ship-loading  
starn n bottom (anatomy) I'll yark your starn = I'll smack your bottom
stook n sheaves of corn leaned together in the field for wind-drying  
stot v to bounce (a ball)  
stottycake n a thick lardy cake cooked in a frying pan  
syke n a ditch  
tab n a cigarette  
tash n a moustache  
the day n today  
the reccly a directly I'll be there the reccly
thivel n wooden spoon  
the Toon n Newcastle upon Tyne  
torns n events; activities; tasks Feuls and bairns shouldn't see half-done torns
trow n trough  
tyehble n table  
varry a very varry caad = very cold
warned v to warrant Ah warned it will rain again.
weel a well (done)  
wey  well wey no; wey aye
what cheer  a greeting; how are you  
whins n gorse bushes  
wor a our wor bairn
wrang a wrong; I will get wrang = I will be chastised
yark v to smack I'll yark your starn = I'll smack your bottom
yoke; yoke up v to set a horse to work in the shafts; to dress it in its harness  
     
     
© RKBailes 15 June 2013