As I was saying... Yorkshire words of the week

If someone wanted a bunk up to get over a wall, or such like, they would say to one of the others, “give us a cog up”. And lastly, if a lift on a bicycle crossbar was wanted, the request would be to, “give us a cog” or “cog us up”. My father was a one for sayings, and one I recall, mainly for the disappointment that followed, came when I wished for something and he’d say: “Well wish in one hand and spit in’t other, and see which gets full first.”

From: Alan G Dean, Hove Edge, Brighouse.

On a visit to Bridlington we were sitting at the harbour, watching all the colourful visitors. My sister-in- law, spotting a woman who was obviously overdressed for the location, remarked: “She looks like a broken down toff, I’ll bet she cuts herself a right piece of cake. She has more edge than t’causey”. All probably from our hometown, Huddersfield. Her final comment: “She’s a right plaster” has me puzzled, unless it refers to make-up?

From: Elaine Merlin, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield.

In reply to Beth Wildsmith, my family are Yorkshire born and bred and both my mother and granny would “cree” rice for a pudding but we did it in a pan on the hob before making the pudding in a dish in the oven. I have not heard of “nett” used (Beth suggests it may be of French origin) but my granny used to say she was “in her disabills” by which she meant her morning working clothes. She then changed after lunch, or dinner as she called it, into her afternoon dress. I think the word “disabills” would be a corruption of the French “dishabille” but why a Yorkshire lass would use a French word I don’t know unless these came into use when our soldiers returned from the First World War.

From: Pat Kellett, Aspin Oval, Knaresborough.

Re Beth Wildsmith’s inquiry about “cree” (Country Week, January 29), I was brought up in Wibsey, near Bradford, and in our house it was taken for granted that when making a rice pudding the rice had to be “creed” in the oven first, before adding milk and sugar.

In the Yorkshire Dictionary (by Arnold Kellett) it states: “Cree, to simmer; to partly cook grain or rice (esp. in oven).” It was also sprinkled with grated nutmeg. It was a favourite for Sunday dinner.