Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Back to reality

Well, after last week's flurry of media exposure, it's time to return to normality.

Thank you to everyone who read the article and listened to the radio interview! It is really great to see that we have some more followers and interested parties.

Speaking of which, we had some very interesting comments (in bold) on the "Your dialect words" page from an anonymous reader. I would like to comment on a few here.

Jiggered - exhausted

I also understand jiggered as meaning exhausted or very tired. However, some quick Google research revealed numerous meanings for the the word jigger. Have a look here.
I am inclined to assume that our use of the word jiggered probably has its roots in the alcoholic measure used for pouring spirits, and therefore quite possibly has a different meaning closer to (very) drunk.

Thrutch - to move along a seat without standing up

I was really pleased to see this word turn up because I have known about it for a long time, but never had cause to use it. Apparently, my grandmother often used the term thrutch in the phrase, "Where there's least room there's most thrutching". My Dad tells me that she would say it when there was a lot of people in a small space. He also says that he believes it is a mining term used by miners who would have to squeeze through tiny gaps in order to reach the coal face. The thrutching was the movement they would have to make to get through the gap.

It's great to know that thrutch is still in use. My grandmother was born in 1903, and must have heard the term when she was growing up. Over one hundred years on and it is still part of our vocabulary, albeit with a different meaning.

I have never heard thrutch used in the sense of moving along a seat without standing up. Personally, I would say shift.
Mention of the word slutch (ie sticky foul smelling mud) made me think about the origins of slutchers lane

I have also wondered about Slutchers Lane. Does anyone know the story behind the name?

1 comment:

  1. Hiya Wirelector. My mam and both my grandmothers used to use the phrase "Least room most pushing",but it meant something totally different than lack of space. If somebody was gossiping about or "calling" somebody and the gossiper was known to have done or said something similar in the past anyone hearing them who knew this would say quietly or otherwise "Least room most pushing".

    Its interesting that Jigger is also connected to alcohol and ships mast. I think "three sheets to the wind" is a nautical expression. Ive heard that many times to describe someone who is drunk.

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