The Black Country Dialect

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	"Ow We Spake" The Dialect of The Black Country The dialect of the area remains perhaps one of the last examples of early English still spoken today. The word endings with 'en' are still noticeable in conversation as in 'gooen' (going), callen (calling) and the vowel A is pronounced as O as in sond (sand), hond (hand) and mon (man).Other pronunciations are 'winder' for window, 'fer' for far, and 'loff' for laugh - exactly as Chaucer's English was spoken. This "dictionary" is Black Country in general and not particular to one area. Local dialect was (and probably still is to a lesser degree) quite distinctive between the different towns and villages of the Black Country. Older residents reckoned that they could tell which village that a person came from by the way they spoke. This has probably changed today due to the greater mobility of people.

Dialect word Meaning

Ackidock aqueduct

Agen again

Aks(axe) ask

Anunst against, next to, eg "The housen anunst hisen"

Ar Yes as in "Ar I am"

Ay or A haven't or isn't.

Dialect word Meaning

Babby baby

Barly a truce. Sometimes Arley-Barly is used. (Possibly a corruption from the French "Parlez" to talk?)

the Baggies West Bromwich Albion Football Club (not very good!)

Bai(bay) am not, eg "I bay gooin' ter tell yow agen"

Bamboozle puzzle, bemuse

Barmpot A silly person

Barmy Daft, silly

Bawk hinder or confuse

Beezum a broom of birch, also playfully used to refer to a pert young woman

Bibble A pebble

Bin been, have been, are, have I bin affirmative reply to question

Bist are, eg "how bist yow"

Blaberen to talk idly

Blart cry - from "the bleating of sheep"

Blether to talk nonsense or talk incessantly

Blobmouth blabbermouth eg "'Ers a right blobmouth. Tell 'er terday, the world knows tomorrer"

Blubren crying, eg "Ar kids blubren agen"

Bobhowlers Any large moth

Boffle hinder

Bonk bank or small hill

Bost broken or burst, past tense Bosted

Boster something big or possibly something good

Bostin literally "bursting" but actually "very good indeed" eg "We 'ad a bostin time" or "Ers a bostin wench"

Breffus breakfast

Brummagem Birmingham

Bunny-fire bonfire

Dialect word Meaning

Caggy or caghanded left-handed (all the best people are!)

Cag-mag gossip

Camplin gossiping

Catlick hasty wash

Caw(cor) cannot, eg "I cor goo the'er terday"

Chops mouth

Chimdy or chimly chimney

Chuffed pleased

Chuky or chooky chicken, fowl (children's word)

Chunter grumble under one's breath

Clack uvula, eg "Just stop yer clack"

Clarnet idiot, fool. "Yo' daft clarnet!"

Clane Clean

Clemmed or clammed starved

Clobber clothes or possibly to hit someone

Clomber climb

Codge a poor job, eg "He's made a right codge of it"

Cog-nogger or Cog-nocker Thick Sandwich (variation on Noggin)

Coddin joking, eg "Goo on, yum coddin me"

Coost could you ?, also negative "thee coosnt"

Coot coat

Cor or cort can't

cork-aiver or cog-winder a good punch

Cost can you ?, also negative "I cosn't" - I cannot

Crack fun, entertainment

Craw crop of a bird, as in "that sticks in my craw" - I cannot believe it

Croddle huddle together

Craunch crunch

Cuckoo Sweetie (affectionate term)

Cut canal

Dialect word Meaning

Dahb daub, smear

Day did not, eg "I day see 'im comin"

Desay dare say, very likely

Dishle cup of tea

Dock to stop or hold back wages

Doe do not, reply to question "I doe"

Dollop large quantity, usually of food

Donny hand (children's word) Possibly a corruption from the French "Donnez" to give?

Dowl down, soft hair on the face

Drap drop

Duck evade, dodge

Dun Do, as in "What dun yo want?"

Dialect word Meaning

'E he, pronoun used to describe the husband or household head

Dialect word Meaning

Fairce face

Faggots Black Country dish made from pig's organs, onion, sage, bread crumbs

Fai(r)ther father

Fettle excellent condition

Fittle food, victuals

Fizzog the face

Flen fleas

Flics cinema

Flirter catapult usually made from elastic (rubber) bands

Fode Fold or enclosure. A back yard to a house

Franzy irritable, particularly fretful children

Frit frightened, eg "doe be frit"

Frowtsy dishevelled

Fun found

Fust first

Dialect word Meaning

Gaffer master, employer, perhaps husband

Gammitin playing the fool

Gammy lame

Ganzy guernsey, jumper, cardigan

Gawby a simpleton

Gawk an ill dressed person, or to stare, eg "Who am yow gawkin' at ?"

Gawp(gorp) open mouthed, staring

Gleed A cinder.

Gob to spit, or the mouth itself, eg "Shut yer gob" or "'Er's got a right gob on 'er"

Goo go, eg "Am yow gooin' ter the flics ?"

Dialect word Meaning

Haiver something big, eg "It's a real haiver"

Hoss road The street. "Get out the hoss road!" = Get out of the way!

Dialect word Meaning

Ivver-ovver hesitate, eg "Stop yer ivverin' an' ovverin' an' get on wi'it"

Dialect word Meaning

Jeth(jed) death (dead)

Jiffy brief moment, eg "E woe be a jiffy"

Joobus suspicious, dubious

Dialect word Meaning

Kay-li Sherbet powder (confectionary)

Kaylied Drunk

Kay Key

Kell the lining around a faggot

Keckle Kettle

Ketch catch

Kissa the face

Dialect word Meaning

Lamp to beat or thrash, eg "Ee giv' 'im a right lampin'"

Larrupin' or larussin' Also to beat or thrash, eg "Ee giv' 'im a right larrupin'"

Lather ladder

Lezzer a meadow. From the old english leasowe

Lickle little

Lief as soon as

Loff laugh

Lommock (or lummock) clumsy, lumbering, eg "Yow big lommock"

Lover common term of endearment to children - m'lover

Lungeous play roughly, inclined to horseplay

Dialect word Meaning

Madden to make wild, annoy

Maitrum matron (of a hospital)

Maulers hands

Maunch to chew carefully (as with no teeth)

Miskin or Mixen Rubbish heap or dustbins (garbage bin)

Moach or mooch to idle about in a bored fashion or search

Mucker confusion, eg "All of a mucker" can also mean a mate as in "me old mucker"

Mun must

Myther to bother, to irritate, or be irritated by

Dialect word Meaning

Nairun none, not one

Naither neither

Natty tidy, neat

Niggle to find fault in insignificant things

Node known, eg "I've nowd 'im for 'ears"

Noggen yedded stupid

Noggin thick piece of bread or the head

Noo new

Nuss nurse, eg Nit Nuss (checked school children for head-lice)

Dialect word Meaning

Ockerd awkward

Ode old, eg "Th' ode lad" - the devil

Odge push, eg "Odge up" - move up a bit

'Ommer hammer

'Ond hand

Ood would

Ooman woman

Oot will you

Oss horse

Ote hold, eg "Ketch ote on it" - take hold of it

O'thatnin' in that way

O'thisnin' in this way

Ow how

Owern my husband, my son, my daughter, often used by women to denote member of family

Dialect word Meaning

Pie-can Silly, daft as in "Yo' pie-can"

Piece Slice of bread or a sandwich, often spread with jam or dripping

Pon Pan, as in saucepan

Poorly sick, ill. 'Ers proper poorly

Pus purse

Dialect word Meaning

Dialect word Meaning

Reasty Off, as in food gone bad or dirty as in "Your hands are reasty".

Riffy Dirty or unclean

Dialect word Meaning

Sad heavy, as in bread that does not rise.

Saft stupid, soft (in the head)

'Safta Shortened version of "this afternoon." eg. See ya this safta.

Saided sated, glutted remains left after rendering lard

Scratchings Black Country delicacy - pork rind deep fried

Scrumpin' pinching fruit (usually apples) from someone's orchard

Siden Out of perpendicular, crooked.

Skraze graze, scratch

Skrobble or scromble a tangle of wool, string, and the like

Spake speak

Splod flat-footed

Spockle to cover with drops of moisture

Spottle splash

Soople to soften, make supple

Steen stew jar or earthenware pot

Suff sewer or drain, eg "Up the suff" - down the drain

Suck Sweets, (candy to the Yanks, lollies to the Aussies)

Sup to sip, a sip, drink

Sustifikut certificate

Swelth swelling

Swilker to spill or splash

Swole swollen

Swopson a heavily built woman, used in a semi-humorous sense

Dialect word Meaning

Tack up improvement in the weather, eg "It'll tack up tonight"

Tacky-bonk or Tocky-bonk a pit mound

Taters potatoes

Tai(tay) tea, also "it isn't"

Tek take

Tek after to resemble, look like physically, mentally, or emotionally

Tewthree a few, two or three, always used as a noun preceded by "a"

Thaten that one

Thissen this one

Thrial group of three, used only in the card game of Cribbage

Thrope thrash

Tizzicky having an irritating dry cough

Tittle tickle

Tranklements small possessions, bits and pieces, paraphernalia

Trapes walking aimlessly about, eg "Trapesin' in an' ott like a dog at a fair"

Trussen to trust

Tummy a snack, especially a collier's mid-morning snack

Tunky a fat pig, eg "As fat as a tunky"

Dialect word Meaning

Unkyoothe uncouth

Dialect word Meaning

Volve valve

Dialect word Meaning

Wammel dog

Welly nearly, eg "Welly clemmed to jeth"

Wench girl, still commonly used by parents towards daughters

Werrit worry

Whimsey pit head winding gear

Wik week or weak

Woa won't, eg Yow woa

Wool whole, often of a brick : "A wooly 'un"

Wool will, eg Yow wool

Wurse or Wuss worse

Wum(whum) home. "I'm gooin' wum"

Dialect word Meaning

Yamp(e)y Useless, hopeless (as in "He's a yampy player)

Yawle or Yaup bawl, shout or cry loudly

Yed head

Yo(w) you

Dialect word Meaning

Zowk yelp, cry out

Zad the letter Z

Dialect word	Meaning
Ackidock	aqueduct
Agen	again
Aks(axe)	ask
Anunst	against, next to, eg "The housen anunst hisen"
Ar	Yes as in "Ar I am"
Ay or A	haven't or isn't.

Dialect word	Meaning
Babby	baby
Barly	a truce. Sometimes Arley-Barly is used. (Possibly a corruption from the French "Parlez" to talk?)
the Baggies	West Bromwich Albion Football Club (not very good!)
Bai(bay)	am not, eg "I bay gooin' ter tell yow agen"
Bamboozle	puzzle, bemuse
Barmpot	A silly person
Barmy	Daft, silly
Bawk	hinder or confuse
Beezum	a broom of birch, also playfully used to refer to a pert young woman
Bibble	A pebble
Bin	been, have been, are, have I bin affirmative reply to question
Bist	are, eg "how bist yow"
Blaberen	to talk idly
Blart	cry - from "the bleating of sheep"
Blether	to talk nonsense or talk incessantly
Blobmouth	blabbermouth eg "'Ers a right blobmouth. Tell 'er terday, the world knows tomorrer"
Blubren	crying, eg "Ar kids blubren agen"
Bobhowlers	Any large moth
Boffle	hinder
Bonk	bank or small hill
Bost	broken or burst, past tense Bosted
Boster	something big or possibly something good
Bostin	literally "bursting" but actually "very good indeed" eg "We 'ad a bostin time" or "Ers a bostin wench"
Breffus	breakfast
Brummagem	Birmingham
Bunny-fire	bonfire

Dialect word	Meaning
Caggy or caghanded	left-handed (all the best people are!)
Cag-mag	gossip
Camplin	gossiping
Catlick	hasty wash
Caw(cor)	cannot, eg "I cor goo the'er terday"
Chops	mouth
Chimdy or chimly	chimney
Chuffed	pleased
Chuky or chooky	chicken, fowl (children's word)
Chunter	grumble under one's breath
Clack	uvula, eg "Just stop yer clack"
Clarnet	idiot, fool. "Yo' daft clarnet!"
Clane	Clean
Clemmed or clammed	starved
Clobber	clothes or possibly to hit someone
Clomber	climb
Codge	a poor job, eg "He's made a right codge of it"
Cog-nogger or Cog-nocker	Thick Sandwich (variation on Noggin)
Coddin	joking, eg "Goo on, yum coddin me"
Coost	could you ?, also negative "thee coosnt"
Coot	coat
Cor or cort	can't
cork-aiver or cog-winder	a good punch
Cost	can you ?, also negative "I cosn't" - I cannot
Crack	fun, entertainment
Craw	crop of a bird, as in "that sticks in my craw" - I cannot believe it
Croddle	huddle together
Craunch	crunch
Cuckoo	Sweetie (affectionate term)
Cut	canal

Dialect word	Meaning
Dahb	daub, smear
Day	did not, eg "I day see 'im comin"
Desay	dare say, very likely
Dishle	cup of tea
Dock	to stop or hold back wages
Doe	do not, reply to question "I doe"
Dollop	large quantity, usually of food
Donny	hand (children's word) Possibly a corruption from the French "Donnez" to give?
Dowl	down, soft hair on the face
Drap	drop
Duck	evade, dodge
Dun	Do, as in "What dun yo want?"

Dialect word	Meaning
'E	he, pronoun used to describe the husband or household head

Dialect word	Meaning
Fairce	face
Faggots	Black Country dish made from pig's organs, onion, sage, bread crumbs
Fai(r)ther	father
Fettle	excellent condition
Fittle	food, victuals
Fizzog	the face
Flen	fleas
Flics	cinema
Flirter	catapult usually made from elastic (rubber) bands
Fode	Fold or enclosure. A back yard to a house
Franzy	irritable, particularly fretful children
Frit	frightened, eg "doe be frit"
Frowtsy	dishevelled
Fun	found
Fust	first

Dialect word	Meaning
Gaffer	master, employer, perhaps husband
Gammitin	playing the fool
Gammy	lame
Ganzy	guernsey, jumper, cardigan
Gawby	a simpleton
Gawk	an ill dressed person, or to stare, eg "Who am yow gawkin' at ?"
Gawp(gorp)	open mouthed, staring
Gleed	A cinder.
Gob	to spit, or the mouth itself, eg "Shut yer gob" or "'Er's got a right gob on 'er"
Goo	go, eg "Am yow gooin' ter the flics ?"

Dialect word	Meaning
Haiver	something big, eg "It's a real haiver"
Hoss road	The street. "Get out the hoss road!" = Get out of the way!

Dialect word	Meaning
Ivver-ovver	hesitate, eg "Stop yer ivverin' an' ovverin' an' get on wi'it"

Dialect word	Meaning
Jeth(jed)	death (dead)
Jiffy	brief moment, eg "E woe be a jiffy"
Joobus	suspicious, dubious

Dialect word	Meaning
Kay-li	Sherbet powder (confectionary)
Kaylied	Drunk
Kay	Key
Kell	the lining around a faggot
Keckle	Kettle
Ketch	catch
Kissa	the face

Dialect word	Meaning
Lamp	to beat or thrash, eg "Ee giv' 'im a right lampin'"
Larrupin' or larussin'	Also to beat or thrash, eg "Ee giv' 'im a right larrupin'"
Lather	ladder
Lezzer	a meadow. From the old english leasowe
Lickle	little
Lief	as soon as
Loff	laugh
Lommock (or lummock)	clumsy, lumbering, eg "Yow big lommock"
Lover	common term of endearment to children - m'lover
Lungeous	play roughly, inclined to horseplay

Dialect word	Meaning
Madden	to make wild, annoy
Maitrum	matron (of a hospital)
Maulers	hands
Maunch	to chew carefully (as with no teeth)
Miskin or Mixen	Rubbish heap or dustbins (garbage bin)
Moach or mooch	to idle about in a bored fashion or search
Mucker	confusion, eg "All of a mucker" can also mean a mate as in "me old mucker"
Mun	must
Myther	to bother, to irritate, or be irritated by

Dialect word	Meaning
Nairun	none, not one
Naither	neither
Natty	tidy, neat
Niggle	to find fault in insignificant things
Node	known, eg "I've nowd 'im for 'ears"
Noggen yedded	stupid
Noggin	thick piece of bread or the head
Noo	new
Nuss	nurse, eg Nit Nuss (checked school children for head-lice)

Dialect word	Meaning
Ockerd	awkward
Ode	old, eg "Th' ode lad" - the devil
Odge	push, eg "Odge up" - move up a bit
'Ommer	hammer
'Ond	hand
Ood	would
Ooman	woman
Oot	will you
Oss	horse
Ote	hold, eg "Ketch ote on it" - take hold of it
O'thatnin'	in that way
O'thisnin'	in this way
Ow	how
Owern	my husband, my son, my daughter, often used by women to denote member of family

Dialect word	Meaning
Pie-can	Silly, daft as in "Yo' pie-can"
Piece	Slice of bread or a sandwich, often spread with jam or dripping
Pon	Pan, as in saucepan
Poorly	sick, ill. 'Ers proper poorly
Pus	purse

Dialect word	Meaning
Reasty	Off, as in food gone bad or dirty as in "Your hands are reasty".
Riffy	Dirty or unclean

Dialect word	Meaning
Sad	heavy, as in bread that does not rise.
Saft	stupid, soft (in the head)
'Safta	Shortened version of "this afternoon." eg. See ya this safta.
Saided	sated, glutted remains left after rendering lard
Scratchings	Black Country delicacy - pork rind deep fried
Scrumpin'	pinching fruit (usually apples) from someone's orchard
Siden	Out of perpendicular, crooked.
Skraze	graze, scratch
Skrobble or scromble	a tangle of wool, string, and the like
Spake	speak
Splod	flat-footed
Spockle	to cover with drops of moisture
Spottle	splash
Soople	to soften, make supple
Steen	stew jar or earthenware pot
Suff	sewer or drain, eg "Up the suff" - down the drain
Suck	Sweets, (candy to the Yanks, lollies to the Aussies)
Sup	to sip, a sip, drink
Sustifikut	certificate
Swelth	swelling
Swilker	to spill or splash
Swole	swollen
Swopson	a heavily built woman, used in a semi-humorous sense

Dialect word	Meaning
Tack up	improvement in the weather, eg "It'll tack up tonight"
Tacky-bonk or Tocky-bonk	a pit mound
Taters	potatoes
Tai(tay)	tea, also "it isn't"
Tek	take
Tek after	to resemble, look like physically, mentally, or emotionally
Tewthree	a few, two or three, always used as a noun preceded by "a"
Thaten	that one
Thissen	this one
Thrial	group of three, used only in the card game of Cribbage
Thrope	thrash
Tizzicky	having an irritating dry cough
Tittle	tickle
Tranklements	small possessions, bits and pieces, paraphernalia
Trapes	walking aimlessly about, eg "Trapesin' in an' ott like a dog at a fair"
Trussen	to trust
Tummy	a snack, especially a collier's mid-morning snack
Tunky	a fat pig, eg "As fat as a tunky"

Dialect word	Meaning
Wammel	dog
Welly	nearly, eg "Welly clemmed to jeth"
Wench	girl, still commonly used by parents towards daughters
Werrit	worry
Whimsey	pit head winding gear
Wik	week or weak
Woa	won't, eg Yow woa
Wool	whole, often of a brick : "A wooly 'un"
Wool	will, eg Yow wool
Wurse or Wuss	worse
Wum(whum)	home. "I'm gooin' wum"

The Dialect of The Black Country

Dialect word	Meaning
Yamp(e)y	Useless, hopeless (as in "He's a yampy player)
Yawle or Yaup	bawl, shout or cry loudly
Yed	head
Yo(w)	you