Yorkshire Words of the Week

From: Jean Rothery, Norristhorpe, near Mirfield.

Every week I read with interest Words of the Week. I have yet to read of “bulling”. When people used leaf tea and teapots, my mother, after all the family had their first cup poured, re-filled the pot with boiling water and said she had “bulled” it.

The second cup was just as tasty and it also was a saving on tea, although I don’t think economy was the thinking behind it.

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My grandmother also practised this habit, only she used a pint pot as she lived alone and mashed her tea straight into the pot.

We were born and lived in Bradford. My husband was born in Cleckheaton and he also remembers his mother doing the same and we still do it now, although it is with tea bags in mugs.

From: Edward Ward, Sycamore, Bawtry.

I READ your letters about dialect and I am carried back to my youth and my father’s influence. He was born in 1903 and he used to drive a charabanc and a bus from Belle Isle, in Wakefield, called a Bulldog. All had solid tyres.

When I was driving and there were potholes in the road, I was usually in trouble. He used to say: “Thaas itten evry pot oil so far. If thaad a been driving a chara or Bulldog, tha would a brocken’t axel and that a be end o that. No future for thee as a driver!”

From: Barbara Gatford, Grange Park Road, Ripon.

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My mother a dressmaker. I remember she often said when clients/friends came to the door unexpectedly and she was still wearing her working clothes: “You’ve caught me deshabillee I’m afraid.”

I assumed it was French for slightly underdressed.

From: Dawn Kneen, Dewsbury.

In response to As I Was Saying letters, may I say: If tha calls at my ’ouse you will see me in mi disabills (disheveled) that’s cos ’ave biests. If tha sends me a bob, I cud buy some Whitsuns (new clothes bought at Whitsuntide).

“Any roads, if tha’s keen ’ ont Yorks dialect, tha can get thissen off to Dewsbury tarn ’all on Fridays 2pm-4pm for lessens.

“Hitch a charabang to get thassen there!”

From: Mrs Pat Kellett, Aspin Oval,Knaresborough.

In reply to Mrs Gawthorpe’s query about farm utensils “demicks” and “sippet”, according to my Yorkshire Dictionary (Arnold Kellett) the West Riding term demmock is a diseased spot on vegetables. A sippet is an East Riding term for a wooden shovel used for grain.

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