Yorkshire Words Of The Week

Further to the story of the Slawit Moin Rakers and the reference to leet geen, there are many tales of T’Slawit moin rakers in various stages of inebriation, but the one that may have a vestige of truth is that contraband had been placed in t’cut to avoid detection by customs men. Alas, when fishing it out they were caught and so, acting drunk, they told a tale of trying to rake moin out o’t’cut.

With regard to the term leet geen I always understood it to mean older men making unwelcome advances to young women and thus gaining the reputation of being leet geen – a derogatory term.

From: Thomas Howard Campion, Wheldrake, York.

I WAS very interested to read Sarah Wilson’s letter regarding Massey Harris, black bright and slape. In the Malton area, bailer twine (Massey Harris) was usually referred to as Massey Tag.

Slape was used in connection with slippery surfaces but the word was also employed when talking of ordinary draught bitter beer as against best bitter.

I had never heard the expression black bright until I went to Leeds as a student in 1959. A language problem did present itself when I first asked for “one of each” at a fish and chip shop. It required an explanation on my behalf that all I really wanted was fish and chips (once).

From: Ken Ewbank, The Meads, Ripon.

Folk who remember all these old sayings are getting rarer. I am in my 90th year.

When a day began with very bright sunshine it would be described as being “owen glilshy” and would not last, “owen bright”.

The term “up ter t’naff” would be used on the land in extremely wet conditions. The naff was the hub of the wheel (nave) so as the wheels sank they would be said to be “up ter t’naff”.

A customer in the supermarket with a heavily laden trolley was hailed by one of his friends with: “Thoo can’t get any more on thool want shelvings”.

Shelvings referred to a wooden frame fitted to a camp cart to extend its carrying capacity for hay, straw and corn sheaves.

From: Caroline Pearson (nee Raw) Red House, Flaxton, York.

When I was going out and complained that I did not know what to put on, my father, Ken, used the phrase: “ Black lead yourself and wear a brooch!” Has anyone else heard this expression?

I was brought up in the Northallerton area, my father’s family came originally from the Dales.