As I Was Saying ....Yorkshire Words of the Week

From: Astrid White, Southfield Fold, Horbury, Wakefield.

My friend (resident in North Derbyshire-Sheffield borders) had a delightful nanny who frequently drew the children’s attention to “poppo” in the fields surrounding our houses.

I had never heard this before, neither had my friend (although she did originate from the wilds of west London). Then I remembered my own grandmother used to sing “Ride a Pop Horse” rather than the more usual “Ride a cock horse” and she was raised in Normanton, although her own parents were from Nottinghamshire.

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My mother used the expression “keeping the band in’t nick” which I understood to mean keeping on good terms with someone.The colloquialisms she used were so many and varied, we frequently suspected her of “mekkin’ it up” (apologies to Alan Bennett).

From: Elaine Schofield, Acomb, York.

MY father used “poppo” to me as a small child when talking about horses. He was born and brought up in Birkby, Huddersfield and had nothing to do with pit ponies.

We also used the expression “faffin”, usually with “fiddlin” as well, meaning not getting on with the job.

From: John Thickitt, Osborne Drive, Todwick, Sheffield.

I was brought up in Dinnington where mothers used the word “pop-oh” meaning horse or pony, to young children. This, or its alternative “bob-oh” applied to any horse, pit ponies only being present on the surface for two weeks of the year. During the early 1980s, while perusing my options in Dinnington job centre, I spotted a vacancy at a local pit for a “bobo driver”,’ ie, to drive an underground locomotive?

From: Norman Mellor, Meltham.

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Surely Billy band refers to the Spinning Billy, forerunner to the Spinning Jenny?

The spindles had a whorl attached which was a groved circular disc that drove the spindle via a drum and endless band, (Billy band).

Later we called it spindle band. It was bought in balls about the size of a football, made of cotton. Then endless rubber bands came in which gave an even tension to all the spindles, but the old cotton was kept for the odd rubber ones that might break.

If the band did come out of the groove the spindle ran at a faster speed causing problems in the weaving. Hence keeping the band in the nick.

“Poppo” and “Cush Cush” are words that are still used in this part of Huddersfield.

What about “Tallakin”, meaning someone who is very tall and thin?