Turns of Phrase. The following are some Cumbrian expressions, most of them from Prevost and Dickson-Brown, but some from older members of my family. Auld keall ur seuner warm’t ner new’uns meade. ‘Old kale is sooner warmed up than new kale is made.’ An old relationship or courtship more easily re-appears than a new one spontaneously appears. Feckless fwok are aye fain. ‘Stupid people are always happy.’ Seldom cu’ t’better. ‘Seldom comes the better.' Implies that change is rarely an improvement to the current situation. Let that yar sit. Yar meaning 'hare' - said when somebody is criticising somebody else or telling an unkind story about them. The ‘hare’ is the victim. Better a la’al buss nor nea bield. ‘Better a small bush than no shelter.’ Sheep are either dead, or trying to die. I heard this one from my granda. Implies that sheep are not very good at keeping themselves alive. It’s a dree rwoad ‘at hes nivver a turn. ‘It’s a dry road that never has a turn.’ Whooar t’lamb sucks, there it will be. ‘Where the lamb sucks, there it will be.’ Refers to Herdwick lambs, who remain heftit to the place they were raised.
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