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XIII Turns of Phrase
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.
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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.
Ken yersel and your neighbours’ll nut misken ye. ‘Know yourself and your neighbours won’t mis-know you.’ If one is sure of oneself, everybody else will be, as well.
Et hev a beann in yan’s leg. ‘To have a bone in one’s leg.’ Lazy people are often humorously said to fall over at the first sign of work, complaining of a ‘bone in their leg.’
Et smell iv t’tnife. ‘To smell of the knife.’ Implies food is cut very thinly, and smells more of the knife it was cut with than of the actual food.
There are live stock and dead stock. Another one from my grandfather.
His nwose wad split a hailstyan. ‘His nose would split a hailstone.’ Said of a person with sharp or defined features.
Fit et skin a paddock. ‘Fit to skin a toad.’ Said of a strong wind.
He’d be war if he ailed owt. Said of somebody suspected to be feigning sickness - ‘He’d be in a worse condition if he was actually ill.’
