David Foulkes Davies from Presteigne sent us these examples:
He made his brags (boasted)He was in doubles (shaking with laughter) He was put to bed in our house (he slept in our house) I'll come now just (just now) There's no heed to him (no telling what he is after, or may do.) To fetch a burying (to accompany the corpse to the grave) To call over a person (to give him a "dressing down")
Robin Ransome from Presteigne told us about some more Radnorshire dialect:
unty tump = mole hill chimook = chimney glat = hole in the hedge
There's more on local dialect and accents in our Voices Mini Site.
your comments
Rachel King from Chealse
"hold on me made" means waite my friend thats what my nan used to say
Sun Dec 6 14:05:14 2009
Bob Henderson, Lessingham, Norfolk
As a Knighton boy born and bred, but who's lived in Norfolk more than 40 years, I've been very interested to read all the words and sayings which were very much part of my youth. Incidentally, I think you'll find that Radnorshire dialect words are often shared with the neighbouring parts of Shropshire and Herefordshire. I went to Presteigne County School from 1946 to 1952 and got to know many people from Presteigne as well as from the New Radnor/Old Radnor area.Does anyone know of the whereabouts of Bill Millichamp and Tony Knowles? There are lots of other Presteigne names, Enid Crowe, Jean Thomas, Jimmy Jones, Stanley Condon, Olwyn Layton plus many others I'd be interested to hear of. Sadly, I know that many people I knew from Presteigne School have died.I feel this site would be of great interest to those of us who have left the area if we could find out more about the people we used to know.
Thu Aug 27 09:58:04 2009
Llandod
Come by yer - over hereers a good un - she/it's a good oneWell ah - I agreeWhenever my mum had her hair coloured auburn, my dad always said she had been "off raddlin"
Fri Mar 13 16:44:52 2009
David Gayther Gloucestershire
I've remembered another word which was "stanked". It meant "dammed up". So to make a washingpool to wash the sheep, we would stank the river. It also applied to cows that had not been milked which were "stanked up"
Fri Feb 27 14:50:35 2009
David Gayther, Gloucestershire
I grew up on a farm in Llanbister in the 1950's.I still remember some of the words we used "anunt" meant opposite "jonnock" was the equivalent of the Australian word "dinkcum" i.e. honestly we called rough grass "feg" a ram was a "tup" Somebody mentioned cowbanging which was looking after cattle (obviously) When we called the cattle to come in we always shouted "hope". To call sheep we shouted "baa hope" to call turkeys we shouted "purrey purrey" and to call chickens we shouted "chuckey chuckey. God knows why but very quaint.
Sun Jan 18 18:08:21 2009
David Gayther, Gloucestershire
Mostly, we used the word "thee" for you in conversation and a mate would be called "surry". So we would say "ow bist the ald surry" as a greeting. We had a lot of Germanic words which I also found in Africaans. I recently visited a town in South Africa called "Wainhuiscraans" which is "wagon shed cave" in English. We always called the tractor shed the wainhouse. We also called a farm a "place" which is the same as the Africaans "plaas" meaning f! arm. Somebody mentioned "raddle" for lipstick. Raddle was actually the bright coloured paint that we used to stick on sheep wit! h our own mark to identify them as ours. "Clemmed" meant starved or very cold. "couse" was an interesting word. It meant to chase somebody elses sheep off your bit of common. Another good one was "pooned" meaning beat somebody up. For example "ald Glyn was messing about with Mrs Smith til er usband caught im and pooned im a patch." You didn't just get pooned, you got pooned a patch. "Ald Larence" was a lazy person who induced others to laziness. If I was supposed to be doing a job but slacked, my father would say "Ald Larence as been ere"
Sun Jan 18 18:08:15 2009
Sarah Leaman, New Zealand
Believe it or not....'Cow banging' bringing in the cows for milking.'tush of trouse' armful of hedging material.
Tue Feb 19 11:44:21 2008
Rhoda Hodnett-- Llangunllo
Ow Be Yew?How Be You?
Wed Oct 24 10:10:14 2007
Tony Price, USA (originally Presteigne)
How Be Ya (How are you)
Fri Mar 9 09:45:45 2007
Bridget Ashley, Bedworth, Warks
Glat- Hole in the hedge.
Frail- Bag made of straw
Hacker- A short handled wide bladed cutting tool with a slightly curved hooked end.
Bannut- walnut.
Fri Aug 4 09:11:21 2006
John Lewis & Family from Llangunllo
My Grand-dad used to say "I da' knah no aim" means i have no idea!
Puck - picked
'anna 'alf raddled their chops!- plastered lipstick on thickly
'theest na boy' - you understand what i mean?
slike - slippery
thrahin' on it in some form - exerting all his/her strength
Mon Feb 6 19:48:48 2006
Glyn Roberts-Knighton.
Upununt. Next, or close to.
Mon Aug 22 21:16:09 2005
Ryan Davies - Llangunllo
The good old favourite is "how bist thee?", How are you! And there are a few people who still say "seh" after a sentance - as in 'do you see what I mean?'
Thu Aug 4 16:36:01 2005
John Charlton, USA
Ah he's plying in the brook (He is down at the river). He be alright him (he's a good lad). Watcha got there boy (what do you have in you hand). I originate from Presteigne - I always get asked if I'm from the West Country.
Tue Jun 28 21:54:36 2005
Lisa from Presteigne
Slow up - makes no sense whatsoever!
Thu Mar 10 15:12:30 2005
Ginny Battson from Clyro
My Nana (age 104) from Newtown used to say, "have you kiddled"? This meant, "have you dripped food down your front"?
Sun Jan 23 18:26:38 2005
Anne Jones from Cilmery
Her's in a cank! (she is in a bad mood).
There could a rat get in! (a rat may get in).
In the fild feeding the ship (feeding the sheep in the field).
Mon May 31 14:37:25 2004
Do you use any sayings or phrases particular to your part of Mid Wales? Use these to boxes to add your examples of local dialect:
