大象传媒

Andrew from Buckfastleigh
I bought some fresh Brixham fish from the market in Buckfastleigh today and knowing that I like something different they're always on the look out for me. Todays catch was something (it's apparently like haddock) called 'plus fours' - has anybody ever heard of it before?

Mike from South Molton
My gran used to say to me when I was a child. cumin yer chiel tis getin dimity and shut snicker bind thee. meaning. COME INSIDE CHILD IT'S GETTING DARK AND CLOSE THE DOOR AFTER YOU My late father would say to me when I was a child. UZ BAY GWAIN TO BAREUM ON CHARABANG SAFANOON. MEANING. we are going to Barnstaple this afternoon on the bus

Jo Wilson originally from Plymouth
After 27 years in Plymouth Ive moved to Sussex (and miss Plymouth/Dartmoor everyday) My query is 'Chagford', how is this place name pronounced? My Plymouthian parents say 'Shagford' (which makes my kids giggle!!) Is this correct? Would appreciate anyones thoughts.

Rob from Stoke Canon
'Perp' meaning to sulk. My granfer use to say 'The buyz gon perp'if I was sulking upstairs over some perceived injustice.

Andy from Exmouth
ello there bays, you ave missed out Gert Bigguns

Bob from Crapstone
'Bullums' were/are a small blue berry which looked and tasted like a cross between a sloe and a plum. I think they may be what is known in South Devon as a Plymouth Pear. I used to pick them from bushes on the river bank above Appledore where the shipyard is now. They grew by the old railway track between the marsh and the river.

kevin from torquay
Topsham pronounced Tops Ham Topsham as one word Settle a rumbling family argument please

kenny, chesterfield
"Goosegogs" for gooseberries.

Elle-Australia
when I first went to Devon(from australia)I heard 2 "wimmin"talking about another on the bus. Oh hers got 5 maids and I thought""well she doesnt look that rich.later my youngest was always described as"arrh,she be a foine maid"

David - Exeter
My father would say to me, when we were in a hurry to go fishing. He'd say, We'm late, you clunk that drink down yer drot, I don't want tae be cratted fer fishin'.

Jennie from Exminster
When my late dad was asked if he would like to do something or go somewhere he would reply MITZ SE WELL meaning I might as well do it

Bart Appledore
Smeech (smokey)The kitchen is full of smeech.us is gwain picking bullums (sloes)

Ang from Calgary, Canada
Tis black out oer Weels mothers. Meaning the sky is very dark and its going to rain.

helen from teignmouth
my husband often comes out with the sayings 'ard as a dugs aid' (hard as a dogs head) and ' gone in like a baked dinner' ( drunk) he also call torquay torquack,exeter eggsecketer,ilfracome illfrackombee !

kenny, Chesterfield
Donat, Winkleigh: I think the word you mean is usually spelt "mush". It is in fact from Romany, the "gypsy" language, and means, quite simply, "man".

Louise from Plymouth
I don't know if this is Devonshire or Plymothian, but I hear lots of people adding 's' to words, like, I'm going down Tescos, or St Levan Road in Plymouth, which is always called St Levan's (Also without the word 'road' added). Loads of people are also addressed 'my ansum', or 'my luvver'.

Pete, Herefordshire
A Parcel of Ol'Crams As described by Jan Stewer in a book of the same name " a non-committal phrase which sums up and dismisses everything that the native a) cannot comprehend b) does not believe c) has no patience with or d) is entertained by but unwilling to praise eg Mrs A : What did you think of the lescher in the Ins'ichute last night, Nrs B. about the calipsis of the mune, and the yarn about the earth gettin in the light o' the zin and throwin' a shadow and makin' the mune go all black? Mrs B : A parcel of ol'crams Mrs A. Mrs a : My opinion, zac'ly, Mrs B.

Pete, Herefordshire
I ad an appledrain stinged me on the neddick. A wasp has stung me on the neck.

Ben Plymouth
I must admit that the one that amuses me more than any other is the one used when something or someone has done a mischief. "Bleddy Ell", Even my mum used to use that one.

Ben Patton from Whitleigh
Kripified (say: krip-if-ide) Means to knock over/into. Derived from cripple.

Pete, Herefordshire
Somebody has a "temper like a Torpoint chick" .This rare species is supposed to s**t in its nest and then stamp in it!

STEVE EXMOUTH
WHEN WE WUZ LITTLE WE AD TO PICK MILKYDASHOS FOR THE RABBIT TO EAT THIS IS WHAT DANDILION LEAVES WERE CALLED

Bruce Clarke
Here is a word still in use in Newton Ferrers/Noss Mayo: sitching - waves in a sheltered estuary or river. Usually used in the present particple form, as shown.

Thelma from Tasmania
'Giddom or gidhome" I always knew this as a saying that one wasa expressing disbelief about a statement in gossip with another

louise, plympton
what does "ow be nackin vore?" mean?

Reply from host: It means "How are you doing?"

Hana, Shaugh Prior
Does any one know what "oh arrrr" means? duno if thats how u spell it? i live on a farm and my parents say it alot, i ave asked them but they say their parents used to say it.

Steve From Exmouth
A thundery sky is always"as black as your hat"

STEVE, EXMOUTH
My mother is always" as tired as a fowl" and if anything is lost its alway"up grannies behind the wallpaper or in a bucket on the roof"

andy from brixham
vorrin parts - anywhere from bristol and eastwards

andy from brixham
proppa ansum bye - she likes the look of you!!!

Maria Moore
What about "gurt" as in "You gurt dollop"?

val from EXETER
shootings . aword my mother used to describe gutterings on the roof

Ann from Culm Valley
As a child living in Mid-Devon I can remember several related families having the same christian names so their trade or something peculiar to them was given i.e. Builder, Gander(owned geese)Carrier - was this something just confined to this area?

chrissie from tavistock
My husband from Dartmoor always says For Why? instead of Why - anyone else heard of this?

sid yelverton
extractor fan someone who used to like tractors but doesn't now!

Charles, Dartmouth
Chockle backed. Not sure if this is Deb'n er no, but I heard a Devon farmer refer to a fat cow as "chockle backed".

B from Teignmouth
It may sound rustic and make the grockles think we're all daft, but being from this end of the country does not make us soft or silly!! Here are some of the more interesting ones I know: Chitzak Day- Crab apple day, 29th March. Grockle- Tourist Tittybag- Potato sack Larry as in "larry coming down river"- Sea mist Med- Maid, lassie etc Jowder- Fish seller, usually feamle.

Peter (Plymouth, now exiled in Cambridge
Words I heard from my grandad in Axminster included a lot already mentioned, but also: Vuzz-peg (hedgehog - furze-pig) Evet (newt) Withywind (bindweed or convolvulus) Whortleberries (bilberries) Back-house (kitchen) Glass-house (conservatory) Mucky little toad (frequent description of my brother!)

BK frum Plimuff
Granfer, 'tis me grandad int it. Also, bugger, the universally asknowleged non-offensive curse word for Devonshire people,

Keith
Chitter To have a natter

Pete from Topsham
Buster - a streaming cold. Only realised this was a local phrase when I phoned in sick, stating I had a 'buster'. What the hell is that? came the reply. A term handed down by my mother, daughter of a Devon third generation (at least)thatcher/market gardener.

Roger (was from Salcombe)
My uncle used to use the phrase "montious gert things" (very big things).

Roger (was from Salcombe)
As a boy in Salcombe we often referred to things that were exciting, thrilling, as "hoowl!"

Liz from from Appledore
Here in Appledore the devon my handsome is further shorten to MeHans, and there lots of other words and sayings (sadly now dissapearing) which are quite unique to this villare. Please don't let the Devonshire way of talking everyf die out

Donat, Winkleigh
I moved from Poland, last November, and the first word I learned here was 'moosh', meaning 'mate'. I hope, I got it right/

Glen Winkleigh
My favourite Devon word is LINNEY meaning a shed ,when I was small we played hide and seekin the Linney among all the old garden tools and rubbish.

Julia from Braunton
"Down over" anywhere inland on the other side of the Taw Torridge estuary,esp. Torrington area. Not applied to Bideford however, or other places on coast Doust/dousty. Dust/ dusty esp.dust from dry meal mixed with water and fed to pigs Coupies- laying hens. Difficult to spell, but widely used in my family Coupie coat- child's outdoor farm coat Little tacker- small child Er's a preddy liddle maid Milky dashles- green leaf plant fed to pet rabbit Chop with an 'andle - lamb chop, best end of neck, eaten with fingers Er's mazed- she's a bit mad Er's took bad- she's ill Drang- narrow alley ? Twadden him- it wasn't him

Julia from Braunton
"Giddom' aye" - meaning "Oh yes" This was sometimes combined with a sharp intake of breath & slight shake of head. As a little girl,when I asked my father what something was he would reply "Tis a wimwamber for a duck's foot." I've never heard anyone else use this expression.

yappfarmer from moreton
bant - not going to

Yappfarmer from Moreton
Thicky - those or that forrids - headlands teddies - spuds deeve tit - quarter with no milk rinning leery - running empty buggered - broken

Dot from Buckfastleigh
Scatting - a shower, just starting to rain. Goco - a bluebell

elaine from tiverton again
PITCH - as in will the snow SETTLE YER TIZ - here it is UZB-we are

Katie from nr Tiverton
Well, as a teenager me and my mates never seems to use many

Ali bideford/torrington now exmouth
'Ow be fairin maid?, yur in a proper jakes. Stop prattlin' on, what be tellin 'bout? Drey vore the fire 'tis gettin dimmit, us'll be gwain dreckly. Yur a proper chiel, i'm fair to middlin. How are you doing girl?, you're in a right mess. What are you talking about? Come forward to the fire, it's getting dark, we'll be going directly. You're a good girl, i'm ok. kickshaw - scruffy in a vake - in a mood vitty - right and proper my gran would also say chibbles, teddies and girt great, as in great big!

Sue from Crowthorne, Berkshire
When soap was rinsed from clothing or hair we in Plymouth used to say that we were streaming the soap out.

PETER PLYMOUTH
The number of times I received a clip around the ear for copying my Plymouth cousins when they said "Wots dooin Saftie then buoy". As father would say "What are you doing this afternoon" and "There is no need to add the word boy. Further more a buoy is what floats in the sea"!!

alan from plymouth
member = remember, goin for a nosebag = somit to eat, Extended use of r's and a's. e.g. arright m8,

Alan from Exeter
Re: Kara from Plymouth Chavs are people from Swilly...too true. In fact I'm an ex-Plymouthian now residing in Exeter, it's great. I was in Plymouth, (ASDAs), on Saturday, and unless it was open day for Swilly folk, all Plymouthians are chavs. What a shower! As for local phrases, "innem", for aren't they, is my favourite. Whenever I travel out of the West Country on business I'm greeted by lots of, "Aaarrgghhh's", it sounds a bit like the old sea captain on the Simpsons. Good fun though. Proper Job!

Phill , from Barnstaple, now in Kent
I have been in Kent twenty five of my thirty years but my mother, well she is different story - Swimbridge born and bred and listening to her and my aunt is like listeing to Tony Beard - but female!! The one word that stands out for me is "drackly" - which means later as in " I'll be doin at drackly"

Neil- Ottery
Upcountry or "opcun'ree"- anywhere East of Devon!

Tony from Newport Pagnell
Born and brought up in "Exegeter" I remember me Dad (Froj Newton Abbot) calling potatoes, "teddyoggies" and somebody a bit stupid is Maize

Monica from South Molton
When I first met my North Devonin husband he told me he'd been "Draying moots oot goyal" (Pulling tree roots out of a gulley) He also says "should ortsto" (Ought to)

kara from plymouth
swilly-means a chav innit-is a shortened phrase for isn't it innit baiz-is a shortened phrase for isn't boys ere bars- is just a shortened word for yeah boys

elaine from tiverton
Mizzel, a word for mist and drizzel used by a lot or varmers (farmers)in mid devon .

Jeannette from Barnstaple (again)
A few more that i've found as I was wandering through Barnstaple market on Friday. zumat=something, me dug =my dog, smidgen = a little bit, zamzawd = overcooked or stewed tea, muky dashles = milk thistles, traipsin = travelling/walking, whas zee bout = what are you doing, git voir yer = come over here, skritchin= crying, chiel =child, snickin = a tapping type of noise. These are all words used in my home especially muky dashles as the tame rabbits luv um.

Kelly Phillips colchester
Now I live in essex, people laugh when I say 'ere as in here, and also 'me lover'. I am proud to be a plymouthian and the way I speak.

Jan from East Devon
'ees maise, I'm maise, an' e'bn you's a bit maise! I.e. He's daft, I'm daft, and even you're a bit daft.

Allie - originally from Cullompton
"Dimpsy" is the word that always reminds me of home. It's used to describe that time of the evening in the summer when the sun is just going down and the sky has that goregeous hazy glow. My friend's mum used to say it all the time - that is when summers seemed to last more than a few days!

Laura - Exmoor
Fraggle - white person with dreadlocks and ethnicy clothes and generally a bit scraggy. I only hear it from North Devon people and it makes me feel at home. From Fraggle rock, kids TV show.

Melissa from Hartland
My favourite Devon word is Greynus. It describes a very dry patch (esp. the earth which is ready to crack).

Swigsy from Pymouth
Reeeet Meht - hello old bean Gow'n dewn Densitys innet - We're off to a night club for a fight

minniepeake appledore
me anceother wise know as my handsome,the guy from new foundland was talking and i have heard that one of my family was buried there years ago name of short but dont know his first name how do i find out where he is buried?

Charlie from Plymouth
My favourite word which I am told is traditionally Devonian is 'Maid'. It's an affectionate word for females, as in 'Don't you worry about it, maid.' i think it's used more than people think because it often sounds like 'mate'. It's a nice word, and when properly used, is always meant well.

Derek Way, Canada
hi my name is derek way from newfoundland, canada..my ancesters came from devon.the one who came here was a philip way born in 1750 in devon.thats all i know for now.as far as devon accent goes,john germon ought to come visit newfoundland and descover a million devon words that left with the immagrants.americans,mainland canadians,australians etc,have devon heritage,but the accents and culture have been eroded away in alot of cases.if a person from devon came here,they would "immediatly",understand everything that was being said,in my opinion.thats not bad considering the fact that when i left newfoundland for alberta,canada.still in the country of my birth mind ya,and i bet people in devon understand me better,than people here.i had to repeat myself a million times over before they caught on to what i was saying.please pass this on to the john germon email,please.have a few questions for him,if hes the time. ps; da newfie brogue,idin any azier ta understand dan de,debin talk.i'se been a right true newf all me livin loife,and i'se never 'afore,'eard anyone talk,much like we.es a strange ting,idinit.mind ya sends me a reply now.so long.lol p.s;i hope you can decifer that. a old newf expression,you can cut yer teeth on is,i'se gots a swale bone,in me kincairn,and cana gluch.lol take care.

Merv,Axminster, East De'm
"Tidden like twaz you, izzit?" As my gran would say when comparing a bygone era with the new. And with a typically De'mshire suck of breath and saddened shake of the head would add, " Well,there tiz and caint be no tizzer." Or as one might say today, "Thats the way things are, and cannot be any different." Yer you, tiz true innit?

Merv,Axminster,Beer boy.
When Mrs Hoskins brung they 'ot cross buns down over beach 'ill, er addem on a tray with a cloth over um, and er ollers out,"Mind they ot cross buns bay, they be erd ot you, erd ot." They bally well wuz to. Way back-a-long me granny used to gi' us a bob and tell us to urn up street to get zummit fir tai. I didden mind, you, cuz er'd gi'us drep'umce fir doing shopping.

Clare from Honiton
'Where's that to?' - when I asked this on the London Underground a couple of years ago I got a very confused look, of course it made perfect sense to me, it means 'Where is it?' In addition another thing I have heard is 'Bays' and 'Maids' referring to boys and girls and also 'Maize as a brush' which I believe would be a Devonian version of 'Daft as a brush'. I also tend to say 'Ay' a lot instead of pardon, which I believe is also Devonian.

Adrian from Exeter
As a resident "grockel" of almost thirty years I'm aware of the considerable range of differences in the 'Deb'nshyer' accents and "local" dialects. There is (or at least there was), for instance, a great deal of difference in accent and phrasing between people born - or raised - in Exeter and those born, or raised, in Tedburn St. Mary, a distance of about 7 miles. I suspect that this difference is slowly being eroded as outside influences and easier travel are increasingly involved in the evolution of language, vocabulary and dialect. Still "Where'll ee be to?" (where is he?) and "enn-um?" (aren't they) seem to remain re-assuringly common, at least in rural areas.

Michael from Yorkshire
We call our mates our swenis.sounds silly, but true

Claire from Paignton
'Be'ern-you' is hadn't you. EG 'You had better go now, be'ern-you?' 'Be'ern-I' is hadn't I. EG 'I had better go now, be'ern-I?'

mandy plymouth
we call ice lollys ice blocks or is this just peculiar to my family all Plymouth born and bred?.My nan always called spring onions Chibbels.

EDDIE, EXMOUTH
I GREW UP IN SOMERSET AND A SMALL SCRPER FOR THE PLOUGH SHEAR WAS CALLED A ZOOL OR ZOOL STAFF

Jeannette from Barnstaple
the word for left handed is kack handed, and lots of smoke is spelt smitch not smeech, twilight is dimity and rottenwood is dattity.Many say that oh arr is devonian but it is really oh ie as oh arr is from Somerset. One that confused my friends is tiffles for all the little bits of thread and dust like bits that fall off pieces of material, tullin is talking,brimles is brambles,vour is over(eg git vour there means go over there)and gwain to town was reserved for going into Barnstaple for market day on a Friday.

Del from Dartmouth
"Gendownlungbee?" Spoken many times by my Nan, (Brixham born and bred) used as one word, broken up as "going down along be ee? - are you going down to the town?! Similarly:- "Genzay?"- Are you going to sea today?

Joan from the North
My mother-in-law, a Devonian from Paignton, called people who lived on Dartmoor "Devon dumplings", meaning their accent was very broad, and the people a bit stupid.

Del from Dartmouth
"Cause"- Stay on the cause, meaning don't wander into the road, stay on the pavement. Used a lot by my Nan when I was a small boy.

Mike from Newton Abbot
Flat as a dab- when the sea is really calm. A dab is a flat fish, with the latin name Limanda limanda.

Nicky - Kennford
Umberjig - Umbrella

Merv, Axminster, East De'm.
Tiz snow = It is, you know. Working on farms around Beer and Branscombe in east Devon years ago I heard this a lot. Wherezun gone to, you?= where is he gone? Thee cassant zee fir lookin cast.= You cannot see for looking, can you. E got a bally girt gut on en you.= He is fat. The word "snow" meaning you know, was used a lot at the end of sentences when I was a boy growing up in Beer village, in Devon. "Thee cassant", meaning you cannot was used much when I was young. "Thee cast", meaning you can.

merv, from axminster, in east De'm
Demshire talk? There's nort wrong wi' it atall you.Nort that I can yer of anyway.

Kim Landers, Brentor
when I was at school in Tavistock in the 50s, being left-handed was called click- or clicky-handed, rather than coochy-handed.

Paul in Barnstaple
Dimpsy = getting dark or badly lighted. pick the washing =get the washing in offthe line

E-Chaddlewood
You baint from round ere' be you...... Which means "You are not from around here are you".

grockle
a tourist

Bob - Barnstaple
Anyone know where the word 'deads' came from. it's a term used in the building trade for the waste material dug out of a foundation, also known as subsoil.