Dialect Glossary

Cumbrian dialect words and phrases

This dictionary is compiled from suggestions from contributors (See below). We wish to avoid the temptation of simply copying from the books that are available. Please send your contributions to ldslouise@btinternet.com

There must be many terms that we do not yet have that we can include related to agriculture, Cumberland and Westmoreland wrestling, gurning, mining and other pursuits. For a comprehensive dialect dictionary see:

The Cumbrian Dictionary by William Rollinson

Listen to the spoken dialect on the CD - Lakeland Gems - see the Recordings page

A
Aback/adv, Behind
Abeun/adv Above
Addle,Aydle/v To earn
Ah/pron. I. Ah's me an Thoo 's thee, an thoo can dyer what thu likes wi thissen. We differ in our opinions and you can do as you please.
Anunder/adv Beneath

B
Babbylakins/n. Mayflower-bittercress
Barn,Bairn/n Child
Backend/n. Late autumn/early winter. Cum t’ backend, Ah’ll mebbe think a summat to deu. Perhaps by late in the year I shall have thought of something to do.
Bait/Bate/n. Sandwiches and the like - carried to work.
Beck/n Stream
Bedstead/n Victorian head-board or foot-board of a bed, usually iron or solid oak. Put to use mainly to stop up gaps in hedges or walls after the War (WWII).
Belfagan/n A problem. From Whitehaven. Also Women’s Morris dancing group. Ah’ll gi thi belfagen. I shall sort you out. Apparently a certain Ms. Belle Fagan caused a few problems a while ago in those parts.
Bellasis/n Bellows
Bell wedder/n. In former days some wether sheep were kept to a great age, to graze the highest pastures and to hold the flock to its heaf. They wore a bell so the whereabouts of the flock could be known. (Hence bellwether in modern usage – indicator)
Bensel- to beat, batter bray - soundly
Bessie dooker/n dipper, a water bird
Bield/n. A windbreak on the fells, usually a length of wall two sides of a square.
Binder twine/n String. In the early days made from hemp but now made from polyester. Used on farms for any purpose from rope making to wedding rings. Get the CD. Hear it all.
Black/v Scold
Bleaberry/n. bilberry
Blether/n gossip but more talking nonsense. See also kelter
Boddy/n Person. Owd boddy. An old woman - not an old man.
Bogie, boggle/n. a kind of ghost or apparition. A Boggle usually haunts out of doors. . Boggles abound in Cumbria. If thoo dussn't behave, t'bogie'll git the. If you don't behave you will be abducted by the bogie. Also dried up nasal mucus.
Boggle stean/n - typically a pebble with a natural hole right through it. They were hung in the byre to keep the cattle free of disease and in the house to bring good fortune to the occupiers [or to keep away evil spirits and cattle feed salesmen] .
Boggle wohl/n. Where t' boggles live
Booins/n ragwort or groundsel
Borran/n Foxhole, sometimes rabbit warren
Bowk/v To puke.
Braffam/n Horse collar. Used these days forgurningthrough.
Bray/v. fight/beat with fists -- If thu cus near oor Sheila, Ah'll bray the. Ah'll bray thi lugs in. If you approach my sister Sheila, I shall be inclined to assault you.
Brant/adj. steep -- Them steps is reet brant. Ah tummlt doon them yance. Those steps are very steep. I fell down them once.
Brat/n Apron
Bratted/adj A coarse apron or brat was tied onto the ewe in such a way as to prevent mating. This prevented lambs being born too early in the year.
Bread and cheese/n woodsorrel
Breek't/adj. Having the wool mixed with coarse, black.kempy, hair-like wool.
Brokken/v. A ewe which `breaks' has mated but has not conceived, She may conceive after "returning to the tup."
Brokken moothed/ adj. Deficient of a number of teeth so unable to exist on poor grazings.
Brossen/adj. Bursting. Thet was a reet good dinner. Ah’s fair brossen. Thank you for the meal. I have had an adequate sufficiency.
Brummel kite/n. Bramble
Bulistang/n. Dragonfly
Bummel/n. Humble bee
Butterballs or golden balls/n. Globe flower
Bullister/n. Fruit of bullace tree

C 
Cam/n Large stones placed on the top of walls to bind them and finish off neatly
Cample/v Argue
Cap/v To surprise. Usually - Ah wes fair capped when ........
Cat-haw/n. Fruit of the whitethorn
Caulkers/n Iron strips nailed to be bottom of wooden clogs. Clogs were the favoured form of footwear on farms, long before wellies. Very comfortable and warmer than 'beuts'
Cheg, Chig/v To chew with the teeth also to pull or jerk sharply
Chitty/n. Wren
Chang/n The cry of a pack of hounds; uproar; chatter - but of a not
unmusical nature
Choops/n. Fruit of wild rose. Wi used to git thripence a pund at skeul for gitten choops to mek rose hip syrup.
Chunter/v. Mutter incoherently.
Clippers/n (Often still pronounced ` tlippers') - sheep shears, or the shearers themselves.
Clag/v Stick (to something) here was a glue brand 'Claggum' so maybe not dialect
Clagger/n Determined person who also may be something of a nuisance
Clart/n. Sticky muck.
Clarty/adj. Sticky mucky. .
Cleg/n. Horse fly. A menace in the hay field.
Clemmed/adj Hungry or cold
Clink/n A blow, generally on the head; a jingling sound [as of coins; a fox-hole in rocks.
Clipping oot/vt. Removing dirty wool from round the tail, etc, Sometimes a clarty job.
Cloot/n. hit (Universally used N. of Milton Keynes) -- Ah clooted him roond't lugs anawll like. I also smacked him round the ears
Cloot/n cloth Nivver cast a cloot til May is oot.
Cobbed/adj Peculiar - usually of a person
Cock/n. A small cone shaped pile of hay in a hay field optimistically left in the rain to dry for some days. See pike.
Codge up/n The sort of thing that yer cowboy builder does. Cover up job. Bodge.
Coggs/n A build up of snow on the caulkers of your clogs
Coppy/n Small stool
Correct/adj. Satisfactory in all respects to the best of the owner's belief, but meaning the sheep or other animal is in good condition at a sale.
Cowp/v Upset or knock over. Wrestling term too.
Crack/n chat. General north of England. Ireland
Crag fast/adj When a sheep has got along a ledge on a crag and cannot get off.
Crammle/v. To crawl over something.
Crooned/adj Swaledale tups are tagged with a ` croon' when they are entered in the Breed Society's flock-book -Pedigree.
Crowdy/n. A kind of porridge for animals. Hen crowdy
Crow's foot/n. early-purple orchid
Cowie/n A thing - "pass us that cowie ower theere"( contribution from Carlisle!!)
Cuddy/n. Donkey
Cushat/n. Wood pigeon

D 
Dambcrow/n. Carrion crow

Dang/adj A mild oath = damn
Dawp/n. Carrion crow Lets gah oot wid t' gun an' shut a few dawps
Deek/v. Quick look
Dess/n or v Layer. Or thoo would dess oot t'top on a stack
DivventDo not.
Dobbie/n Ghost or apparition that hangs about in and around the house (see also boggle)
Dockin/n. dock plant. Will cure nettle stings; ‘dockin' ga in, nettle cum oot’
Dogging/v. To use dogs to drive another farmer's stock away onto different ground.
Doo,./n Social occasion. See also tedeuh.
Dook/v. swim. Its gae het tedae. Ah’s gaan dooken. Since it is quite hot today. I shall go for a swim.
Dookers/n. Swimming apparel
Dog-berry Guelder rose!

Dosser/ n. layabout or tramp,

Dossing-hanging about
Dowly/adj. Not very well. Ahs feelen a bit dowly this mornin. Worse than middlin.
Dotherin'dilly/dothergrass/n. quaking grass
Dozzle/ A small, undefined quantity
Drowt yow/n A draft ewe, one usually brokken moothed, that has reached 5 or 6 years of age on a fell farm and is sold to a farmer on better land.
Dub/n Pool in a stream
Dwoasin/n Dosing, drenching or giving medicine to a sheep, etc.
Dyke/n. hedge -- E was wid oor Sheila at 't back a t'dyke He was with my sister Sheila behind the hedge (what they were doing there is no one's business)
Dyken/vt. a lost art -- Weers t't billiuk, Ah's gaan dyken. Where is the hedging knife (bilhook), I am going to layer the hedge, not destroy it as they do nowadays.
Dyke-back/n Hedge bank
Dykie/n Sparrow (hedge sparrow)

E 
Ebben anenseopposite, on the other side of
Eeeh Ah sae!Expression of surprise and mild disapproval
Ennyrwoad/adv Anyway, anyhow. Often ennyrwoad up.
Etlins/n Earnings
Ewer/n Cow's udder - see mastitis

F 
Fash/v. Bother. General N. of England. Dun’t fash thisel. Don’t bother.
Fell/n. Moor or Lakeland mountain
Fettle/n. health -- Hoos thi fettle tedae. How are you today
Fettle/v. usually mend, but could be break, or remove problems -- Ah fair fettled car when Ah run inter't tree, but Ah got it fettled at t' garridge. 'E wen'ter see oor Sheila so Ah fettled im. I damaged the car badly when I crashed into the tree but I had it mended at the garage. He went to see my sister Sheila, so I beat him.
Firtle/v mess about, waste time. What's t' firtlen aboot at?
Fit/adj Attractive - when applied to a young ladyFlarch/v Someone or something displaying cupboard love "tha needent come flarchin aboot now thes seen theres cake ont table"
FlateorFlayte/adj Ah’s flate to see thi Sheila. Thi brother ses 'ill bray us (fettle me). I am afraid that I cannot see you Sheila. Your brother can become quite aggressive.
Fluked/adj Affected by the liver-fluke. To fluke sheep means to dose them against fluke.
Force/n Waterfall as in Aira Force
Fothering/Fodderingv. Hand feeding.
Fogg/n New growth of grass after hay has been cut. When cows first feed on it, the milk smells reet funny.
Foulmart/n. PolecatFrae/Frev adv From. Is that meat Fray Bentos. Nay its frae t' grocer's
Fuzz bo's/n Fungus. Puff balls were gathered, and when dry were used to sharpen razors

G 
Ga’bai/ dog language. When issued with this order, the dog understands that it must take off at high speed to find some sheep somewhere that only the farmer/shepherd can see in the distance . When (s)he finds them, s(he) must then surround them from behind and herd them back to the farmer/shepherd. The farmer/shepherd will then say ’kep’.
Gae/adj. quite - not 'very' -- 'Er bruther is a gae big feller. Her brother is quite well built
Gaely/adj Somewhere between very and extremely
Garrak/v/n. Awkward, stupid or an awkward stupid person.
Garth/n. Small field near the farmhouse.
Galluses/n Braces. Things that hold your trousers up
Ganzy/n Pullover or sweater. Guernsey. General usage North of British Isles.
Geld yow/n. A yow that has failed to produce a lamb.
Gether/v. To gather the sheep from the fells, for clipping, dipping, etc.
Gimmer/n.adj. youngfemale sheep . Ah's bin putt’n tup t't yows. Ah hope we git a few mare gimmer lambs next yeer. I have been introducing the ram to the ewes in the hope of obtaining more female lambs next year.
Girt–gert/adj. With a hard 'g'. emphasises or strengthens an adjective. Thu's nobbut a girt soft lass. You are very soft hearted. (To a male person). Her bruther's a girt big feller. Her brother is extremely well built.Gitten Gaan-to get oneself moving
Grapple/v Tickle trout see also guddle
Gripe/n Agricultural fork with sharp tines. Like a garden fork but more vicious.
Ground(greund)/n. - piece of pasture, hence new grund, their awn grund, etc.
Gowk/n Apple core.see alsoscrunt.
Also Cuckoo.
Also an uncouth, educationally challenged person see howk
Guddle/v. tickle fish, (probably Scots - not dialect) an illegal and probably now forgotten pastime now that the streams have dried up. Ah was guddlen troot when a tummlt in 't stank. I was tickling trout when I fell into the weir.
Gulpen straps/n String or bands to tie up trousers round legs when working. See also Yuks
Gurn/ Girn/v. To pull hideous faces while looking through a horse's collar (braffan). There is an annual Gurning competition in Egremont Crab Fair. Pipe smoking, Cumberland wrestling, Morris dancing and a ferret show are among other attractions at the fair that which attracts about 10,000 visitorshttp://www.cumbria.uk.com/cumbria/fun/gurn.htm

H 
Happen Perhaps/maybe, also happen like and mappen. See like.
Haying/v. Feeding with hay.
Heavy/adj. Heavy in lamb, probably carrying twins.
Havver/n. oats
Heaf/n. A portion of fell which by custom it always grazes.
Heafed/adj. A flock that knows its own heaf, or portion of fell which by custom it always grazes. Resident stock.
Heronsue/n. heron
Hesta Must. Thu hesta cum.
Hipe/v/n Lift high. Wrestling term
Hlaup/n, Coagulated milk. First milk after calving.
Hoggest/n. Corruption of hoggus or hogg-house, where young sheep were formerly sheltered in severe weather during their first winter,
Hogg/n. Young sheep between weaning and its first shearing (5-14 months of age).
Hoggwhol/n see 'smoot'
Hollow/adj. Used of a poorly lamb that has not had its fill of milk, or of any animal that appears so.
Horn-burn/n. Most horned sheep have initials, etc., burnt onto the horn as means of identification.
Hooista, hoosta gaan on. Also How doo. Greeting How are you. Reply. Nay Ah’s nobbut middlin! I am as well as can be expected
Horse-hops/n Knapweed
Howk/v. Prise or dig things out of somewhere. Ah’s bin howken taties. I have been digging potatoes. Also uneducated person. Thoos nobbut a daft farm howk - see also gowk.
Hull/n. Shed, as in calf shed.

I
Inside sheep/n. Stock kept on inside land, i.e. not on the fell, such as half-breds

J 
Jack Tup/n. A tup allowed to run with the ewes after the normal mating period to `catch' any which have brokken.
Jannick/n Proper, right; fair dealing
Jiggered/adj Tired, worn out, 'Eeeh Ah's fair jiggered.
Jinny hoolet/n. Owl
Jaik/v knock
Jinny spinner/n Daddy longlegs
Jye/adj Bent, off centre. 'Thoos put t' waa paper up jye wiff. Tek it doon.'

K 
Kaisty/adj. Fussy about food, finnicky, squeamish, dainty.
Kalied/adj. drunk. Lets gaa an git kalied t’neet? Shall we meet tonight for a small tincture?
Kaymt/v Ill-didposed, contradictious, crooked
Keave/v Kick around
Kelter/n Superfluous nonsense. Cut thi kelter! Stop blethering!
Kesh/n. Cow-parsley, common white umbelliferous plant in spring - not a popular plant so often cut down. Stems are hollow and make excellent (pea) shooters for haw berries.
Kemp/n Coarse dark hair often found among a sheep's wool in hill breeds.
Ken/v. know -- Dusta ken John Peel. Do you know John Peel. Deerkenjohn Peel was a famous Cumbrian. Cu frae Trootbeck yance on a dae. In fact he came from Caldbeck and his coat was gray, not gay. This song has been badly mangled for the benefit of Southerners
Kenspecked/adj. kenspeckl't branded, marked, conspicuous
Kent-faced/adj. well-known face
Keowl/n. small piece of wood or bone which was used to measure the mesh when making fishing nets (South Cumbria)
Kep/v. to catch while falling.See also scop
Kep/v. Dog language. When instructed to ‘kep!’ the dog understands. ‘A’h muhn hod these sheep while t’old lad gaas fer a pint. I must hold these sheep in this position while the boss rests.
Keps/n Fishing tackle consisting of a lead weight and two curved wires, from the end of which dangle strings and hooks and bait
Kern supper/n. to celebrate the end of the harvest (from 'corn')
Kersmas sheaf/n. Sheaf of corn given to each cow or horse on Christmas morning. Presumably they starved to death for the rest of winter!
Keslop kaesir/n. Rennet. Calf's fourth stomach used for curdling milk.
Kessen/v. Often, before clipping time, a sheep with a lot of wool gets onto its back and is unable to rise. It is then said to be kessen' (cast). It may die of exhaustion if not put onto its feet.
Ket/n. carrion, Offal, filth
Ket-kite/adj. Derogatory term indicating a person of mean actions
Ketlock/n. Wild mustard
Ketmar/n. Tern (bird)
Kettelt/adj. Kettled, ie under the influence of alcohol (cf addled,tluz'd,in liquor,kalied,tight)
Keys/adj childrens' truce word (cfskinch– Westmoreland)
Kingcup/n. marsh marigold
Kins, Keens/n or keen cuts cracks in ones hands, caused by the combined effect of tough skin, moisture and frost.
Kitle/n.thin jacket -- Its gae cawd tedae. Put thi kitle on. It is quite cold today. Put on your thin jacket. If it was very cold, one would put on one's 'gert cooat.'
Kyeak'n/v them Feeding them with `cake' or concentrate food prior to and after lambing to encourage the milk flow.
Kype/n Die or joke

LBack to top
Laal/adj Small
Lait/v. Fetch or look for. Gis t’kettle. Ah’s gaan to lait t’milk. Please give me a container. I am going to fetch the milk.
Ladged/adj. Embarrassed (Penrith)
Ladgeful/adj. Embarrassing
Laik/v. play -- Dusta want t' cum and laik wid us.? Do you wish play with us?
Lamb laikin/n. plaintain
Lantit/adj defeated, disappointed [often in sense of 'got what they deserved' ]
Lapp/v. To lapp, or wrap up the fleeces after clipping, is a job for lads.
Lash/adj. Plenty o' lash' - good, well grown wool, easily parted.
Ley/v Cut a field with a sythe (lay)
Lig/v. Lie. The’s a hogg liggenaback at waa’ near t’smoot. There is young sheep lying behind the wall near the hole in the wall deliberately made to enable the sheep to pass..
Like — see happen
Lish/adj Fit, agile Musta bin a gae lish coo er a lauw yat. It must have been a very agile cow or a low gate. It is popularly believed that this is the correct reply to the question, ‘can a cuddy lowp a yat?’ Lore has it that it is used to identify Cumbrians exiled in foreign parts, in a similar manner to the way that Masons identify each other through use of esoteric phrases.
Lockings/n. material removed when clipping out, or dirty wool and scraps at clipplng.
Lockity gowan/n. marigolds
Lok/adj A lot, Many
Lonnin/n. Lane
Lowsed/v. adj. When the tup is lowsed or turned loose, the mating season has begun. Some lowse their tups on lst November, others at Martinmas. Earlier on inside land!
Lowp/v. jump. Seeyat
Lug/n. Ear 'E got is lugs clooted. He was smacked on the ears. Thoos aw lugs. You are very inquisitive.
Lugs doon/adj. A lamb which hangs its ears is not doing well. A bitdowly.
Lug mark/n. A distinguishing mark is often clipped or punched in the animal's ear.

MBack to top
Maffled/v Confused
Main/adj Most, majority
Mangle/n A clothes wringer - before spin driers
Marra/n. Chum. Friend. West Cumberland
MassE. CumbriaMashalsoMask. Brew tea.
Mawkflee/n Blow fly,' or afflicted with the maggots of the blow-fly.
Mell/n A [often large, wooden ] mallet. [could be a post-hamma else a sledge-hamma]. Can be used to encourage uncooperative farm machinery. Ah brayed 't tines on t'tedderwid t' mell till the cum straight.
Mell or Mail/adj Bare (land) Dunmail, Cartmel
Mew/n. A section in a barn where hay is stacked. (c.f. Mews – London)
Mezzled/adj. Confused
Middin/n. Midden. Repository for animal waste, dead calves and other rubbish. Now very much out of fashion. This emblem of the farmer's prosperity that used to decorate and dominate the yards of most farms has been replaced by a great ugly slurry tank.
Michael//n hemp cord for tying sheaves. See binder twine.
Middlin/adj. Only a fair to average
Midge/n. House fly
Miller's thumb/n. Willow wren
Mowdy-(warp)/n. Mole

Mowdy-tump/n Mole-hill
Muhn/aux.v. Must

N 
Neb/n nose, beak The Helm wind has been known to blow ‘t’ nebs off t’ geese and caulkers of t'clogs’.Blow the beaks off geese and ......
Nebber/n Very nosey person.
Nippers/n Tools used for castration of various animals, others being het iron an' clamps, rubber rings, knife, an' yance on, t' shipperd's teeth!
Nithered/adj Cold and frozen
Nobbut/adj. Only. Nothing but.. ...
Non-alcoholic cider. Cider served in the fields to slake the thirst of the workers. A fair number of the farmers in the North Westmoreland were strictly teetotal. There is not, and never was such a drink as non-alcoholic cider!

O 
Oor/pron. Our. When applied to a person, it means a close relative, as in Oor Sheila, or oor lad.
Oppen feacet/adj Having a good clean open face.
Ower/adv. Very. Too much
Owerblawn/adj. Buried in a snowdrift.
Owershot/adj Having a short lower jaw, the upper is owershot.]
Ower theer/ Over there
Oxter/n Armpit

P 
Paddick, Puddock/n. Puddick. Frog
Paddick stuels/n. Toad stools
Parlish/adj Wonderful
Pash/n A downpour " it drips and damps and dozzles and does, but nivver cuz any girt pash
Pickle/n. To be in a pickel. To have problems. If Ah dun’t git yam sean, Ah’ll be in a reet pickle. If I do not go home soon, my wife will be quite cross.
Picking lamb/vt. A ewe which loses its lamb prematurely by abortion 'picks lamb.'
Piet/n. Magpie
Pike/n. Conical object. As in Dufton Pike. A fairly large organised pile in the hay field (before balers). Smaller than a stack. A stack is another thing. See also cock.
Pwoke/n. A portion of loose skin under the chin.

RBack to top
Raddle/n. Also Rud. Paint for marking the ram's chest. T'owd tup's bin busy. E's worn aw't raddle off. The ram has been very active servicing the ewe's and has worn all the paint off his chest. The paint having been transferred to the ewes' bottoms.
Radge and Radgie/n Daft, foolish
Raise/n pile of stones "Nowt good comes o'er t'Raise". See http://www.parklife.co.uk/lakes/towns/grasmere/grasmere.htm
Ramps/n. Broad-leaved garlic. If cows eat ramps the milk is spoiled.
Rattlebelly/n. A disease of Iambs. They rattle when shaken.
Reklin/n Runt of the litter
Rise/n. The rise is the new wool which grows underneath the old fleece. About an inch of rise is needed before one can shear easily. Hard to clip wi nea rise.
Rowky/adj Misty. A rowky mornin' is usually sign of a fine day
Rudded/adj. At mating time the tup is liberally rudded, marked with colour on his breast so that the shepherd can tell which ewes have been mated by the rud which has been transferred to their backs.

S 
Sair ewer/n. Mastitis in cows. Also hard quarter Sore udder. Gaa 'n fetch penicillin. This coos gitten sair ewer.
Sarrer/v. feed young animals -- Ah's bin sarreren t' calves. I have been giving the calves a pail of milk
Sauved/v. Salved. Until about l00 years ago sheep were 'sauved' with a salve of tar and butter to discourage flies and parasites. Nowadays they are dipped.
Scale/v Spread around. As in scaling muck from the midden.

Scop/v catch
Scrow/n. Untidy mess - usually made by children. Clean up thi scrow thoo messy laal thing. Darling, would you please clean up this mess
Scowment/n Constituents of a scrow, an untidy mess
Scoppie/n. Chaffinch.
ScraffelSearch by scratching about. to scramble, be very industrious
Scran/n Food taken to the field by workers. (Scots - piece)
Scrunt/n Apple core see also gowk
Scuid/v. Scrub.
Sec/pron. such Hi-Cup Tea. Sec a laal bit does. Hi-cup Tea. Such a little is enough (A trade slogan referring to Hicup Nick – Pennines)
Set a-lambing/adj. A ewe that is unable to give birth to the lamb without help. Abnormal presentations include 'leg back,' `heed back,' ` tail furst,' etc.
Shearling/n. Sheep that has been clipped once, over about 15 months of age.
Shotts/n. The poorer end of a group of lambs, usually sold separately.
Sile/v. Sieve or filter. Milk used to be siled to remove muck, grass, cigarette ends, and hlaup
Sind/v Rinse; drink immediately after eating [sind it doon]
SistaLook. Occassionally 'luksta'.Lukstamay be a more aggressive. Noo luksta here!
Skelp/v Slap
Skinch/n Childrens truce word.
Slape/adj. Slippery.
Slather/v. Spread copiously - as spread large quantities of jam (jello) on bread.

Slopst'ne/n Kitchen sink.
Shuttlegrained/adj. Same as `owershot,' also called 'swinegrained'
Slyped/adj. Having lost part of its fleece, coming off in patches. Could be caused by illness or mites, or just have missed being clipped
Smitmark/n An identifying mark in colour on the wool.
Smit beeak/n The ` Shepherd's Guide,' where allsmitmarks, horn burns, lug marks, etc. are listed.
Smoot/n A hole through a stone wall just large enough for a sheep, usually closed by a big flat stone, with astee[stile] for the shepherd nearby.
Snag/v.To dig out crops – e.g. turnips
Snaffle/v. Borrow permanently, also part of a horse’s harness.
Sneck/n. Door or gate latch.
Sneck posset/n/v Refusal.
Snig/v To drag
Snirtle/v Snigger
Snod/adj Smooth
Snoddy/adj (of the fleece) - tight coated,wid nea lash!
Soldier's button/n. Cinquefoil
Sookin/v. Sucking - "Gah an' see if them lambs 'essookt!" ...... got a fill of milk.
Soordockin/n. Common sorrel
Sowty/adj Unthrifty sheep, as if pining away with drought.
Speeaned/adj. Weaned.
Spinner/n. Daddy long-legs
Spinkle/n. Yellowhammer
Spuggy/n. Common house sparrow
StekWon't budge. Mihoss is tekken stek. My horse will not move.
Stee/n Ladder
Steel/n. Stile
Staggers/n. A disease, caused by some metabolic disturbance and mineral deficiency.
Stank/n. weir or floodgate. A'h 'd got mi Sunder clogs wet when a tummlt int stank I got my best clogs wet when I fell in the weir

Stiddy/n anvil If thoo gaz ta Gretna thoo can git weddit ower a stiddy
Stirk/n Young bovine animal. Older than a calf.
Stook/n. a stack of eight or ten sheaves of corn (oats usually), before combine harvesters.
Stooken/v. Stacking sheaves in the field, an unpleasant task when the sheaves are wet. But usually accompanied by the copious consumption of non-alcoholic cider
Stoop/n A post as in yat stoop
Stored/adj. Bored
Stower/n Post in a hedge. Also gate post as stoop - probably!
Steeyul/n. Stool. "T' auld chaps 'at used ta clip t' fell sheep wid t' hand, used ta clip on acoppyorsteul
Sturdy/n A disease caused by a cyst pressing on the sheep's brain that makes it walk round and round and hold its head to one side. See also Te Deu Wid Sheep
Syke/n Small stream - Ah clooted oor Sheila efter Ah kicked him inter t't syke an' efter Ah'd braed im. After I beat my sister Sheila, and after I had beaten him, I kicked him into the ditch
Sype/v To drain or leak. Leave t'dishes to sype. He hit 'im ont snoot and it wes sypen bleead reet grand, like.
Swattle/n. Swallow as in 'A've just mast tea. Noo yer can hev a good swattle. I have just brewed the tea, now you can have a good drink. (Heard in Kendal May 2000)
Swinways/adj Sideways
Switch/n Small branch of a tree. Hezzel meks t' best uns.

T 
T't - indicates a semi-glottal stop and is used indiscriminately like ‘like‘, like.
Tail bunged/adj A condition in newly born lambs, unable to pass droppings. Usually relieved by bathing.
TaiIing/v. Really de-tailing, removing part of the tail.
Tedeuh/n. Hubbub. Disruption. Uproar. The’ wes sec a tedeuth when’t fox got in t’t henhoose. There was chaos when the fox broke into the hen house
Tekken/v. Extremely interested. Ah think 'es fair tekken wid oor Sheila. He likes my sister. Also become, or decided to become .........

Tek hod/v. To take a grip of hands over the opponent's shoulders - see wrestling page
Tight-heeded/adj. Nut oppen feaced!
The or T’/pron You.

The/pron. They.

Thee/pron. You. Aw't worlds daft except me an thee, and Ah'm nut ower sure aboot thee. I am the only sane person in the world.

Thoo/pron You

Thu/pron. Contraction ofThoo.

Thi/prn. Your. Thoo hesta putthiSunder clogs on ifthu's gaan oott'tdance. You should put on your best clogs if you are going dancing.
ThissennYourself
Thrang/adj Busy. Ahs bin gaely thrang tedae. I have been very busy today.
Three-shear/n Sheep over three years old, clipped three times!
Thriplets/n. Triplets.
Thunder flower/n. Red campion
Tops/n. top pen The best lambs from a group, usually sold separately. Tops also means stock making top prices at a sale.
Trailpike/adj. Wanderer-probably - Weers 't bin, thoo girt daft trailpike. Where have you been you gadabout?
Traipse/v. wander around aimlessly

Trod/n Path
Tummle/v. Fall
Tup, tip/n. The ram or male sheep. 'Tup'is general,'tip'around Patterdale,'teeap' around Shap, `tcheup' in East Westmoreland and `tupe' in Fell End.
Turdom/n Uproar, disturbance'
Twang/n. Language, accent, dialect.
Twine/v. To moan and complain about something.
Twinter/n. Nearly two years old, having seen two winters.

U
Urchin/n Hedgehog

V 
Vanner, vanneer/adv. Almost, very nearly.

W
Wankle/adj Weak, feeble [seame as 'waffy'] can be used of a person, piece of furniture, roof or even of tea or similar drinks.
Wangs/n Boot laces, also yuks
Watter-moose/n. Water vole
Wedder/n. wether Castrated male.
Wemble/v To fall over
Weshen/n. Sheep were formerly washed before shearing, "the' used ta demm t' beck up ta mek a girt dub ta wesh t' sheep in. At one time they made a dam in the river to form a large pool in which they washed the sheep.
Whaop/n. Curlew
Wick'd Wick/adj. or alive with maggots, see mawked.

Wick/ adj Lively. E’s a gae wick owd lad for is age. He is very fit for his age.
Willylilt/n Sandpiper
Woo-baw/n Often a ball of wool forms in a lamb's stomach, having been swallowed. It may grow to a large size, or may cause no obvious ill effects.

YBack to top
Yam/n Home
Yan/adj. number – one --As in yan, tan tethera, pethera, pimp. 1,2,3,4,5 See counting sheep.
Yance on a dae or Yance on.. At some time prior to this occasion.
Yat/Yet/Yeat/n. gate -- Can a cuddy lowp a five bar yat? Can a donkey jump over a five bar gate? If thoo doesn't shut yon yat, aw t' sheep 'll git oot. If you do not close that gate, all the sheep will escape. (You cannot have a t 'pimp' bar gate?Pimp is for counting sheep only)
Yon/pron. That over there Yon's a gae fit lass. She (over there) is a very attractive lady
Yow/n. Fairly elderly female sheep. Usually prefixed by t’owd.
Yuks/n Laces round the trouser leg just below the knee to keep rats, or ferrets from running up trouser legs

Contributors
Ted Relph - England,
Malcolm McGregor - China,
John Greasley - An oil rig somewhere off Scotland
Bill Dalton - Australia
P.O. Johnson - Probably UK
Ken Daivis - Australia
Ian Dingle-Hall - England
John Cooper Holmes - England
Jane Williamson - ex Ennerdale
Kevin Blackburn - England
Graham Shorrocks - Newfoundland
David Huddart <dave@love-lane.freeserve.co.uk>http://www.love-lane.freeserve.co.uk/genuki/WES/
Chris Buckle - ex Shap and environs - now Canada
Bernard Couvrette <izzy@auracom.com> probably Belgium
Richard Patrick (ex-Kendal, now Ingelheim, Germany
Dr. Phil Hendry (Lancaster)
B.Stewart, Carlisle