The magic Words We Used
Let’s face it we are all of a certain age. Furthermore most of us grew up and went to school in a relatively close locale.
There are words, yes like our very own Chum(mer) that we have reclaimed that we all used as kids. These words have fallen from common usage amongst the young - quite rightly so; they have their own like we did.
I'm not talking about dialectic words like like 'gadgie' or 'paanii'. We used them sure but so did our parents, grandparents and even our kids - they are still used today. I mean the words that became fashionable for a few years -our school years; and they will be forgotten when our generation are gone.
Some were clearly made briefly popular because of TV shows or popular culture - words like "Magic!" courtesy of Bill Maynard's Selwyn Frogget which is still difficult to say out loud without holding two thumbs upwards and grinning inanely.
Others have a less certain history. Any teacher at my school who was useless inevitably earned the prefix 'divvy' Divvy Sp*dd*ng' for example. Why was that? And why did the word seem to fit so well?
They were words our parents hated and often didn't understand but we used because it gave us an identity that seperated us from them.
So over the past year I have been collecting as many of those words and phrases which I hope will bring back memories of being a Child of the 60/70's and even the 80's. The list is, of course, not definitive nor authoritative and probably some of the words WERE used before and since our generation.
It would be great if the list grew and was updated and if people would provide explanations or anecdotes to the one here already. E-mail the site, use the Chumments page with anything you think should be here. Please try to avoid words that are still popular today or that are simply Cumbrian dialect words like 'yock' 'chavva'. If you are unsure of the criteria for inclusion have a look at the ones that have made the list so far...
There are words, yes like our very own Chum(mer) that we have reclaimed that we all used as kids. These words have fallen from common usage amongst the young - quite rightly so; they have their own like we did.
I'm not talking about dialectic words like like 'gadgie' or 'paanii'. We used them sure but so did our parents, grandparents and even our kids - they are still used today. I mean the words that became fashionable for a few years -our school years; and they will be forgotten when our generation are gone.
Some were clearly made briefly popular because of TV shows or popular culture - words like "Magic!" courtesy of Bill Maynard's Selwyn Frogget which is still difficult to say out loud without holding two thumbs upwards and grinning inanely.
Others have a less certain history. Any teacher at my school who was useless inevitably earned the prefix 'divvy' Divvy Sp*dd*ng' for example. Why was that? And why did the word seem to fit so well?
They were words our parents hated and often didn't understand but we used because it gave us an identity that seperated us from them.
So over the past year I have been collecting as many of those words and phrases which I hope will bring back memories of being a Child of the 60/70's and even the 80's. The list is, of course, not definitive nor authoritative and probably some of the words WERE used before and since our generation.
It would be great if the list grew and was updated and if people would provide explanations or anecdotes to the one here already. E-mail the site, use the Chumments page with anything you think should be here. Please try to avoid words that are still popular today or that are simply Cumbrian dialect words like 'yock' 'chavva'. If you are unsure of the criteria for inclusion have a look at the ones that have made the list so far...
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The List
NOTE before you send a word for inclusion chweck here first thedialectdictionary. If it is in there then it probably won't be what we are after
A.
B.
'Banjaxed' - Today it seems to mean broken but I can remember it also being used to describe hitting someone very hard.
A 'bleb' - A spot or boil. I think Zit was responsible for the demise of its use. Incidentally most people think Jasper Carrot popularised Zitt in the UK but I can remember an American comedian called Kelly Monteith used to have a show on BBC2 and he used to use the word lots. He was responsible for inventing the sexual kink that was never fully explained- 'the Gymslip and the warm custard' Anyone else remember this??
A 'blutt' - woman's bits.
'Bollies' - ball-bearings. These were greatly prized as marbles.
A Bonk-on - An erection.
A 'Botter' - One who 'botts' - a bummer.
A 'Brainiac' - meaning very clever or a swot usually a description of or insult reserved for anyone in the 'top set' at school. The urban dictionary has the correct usage but doesn't explain where it came from. Anyone who watched the cartoon Superman shown in the 70's will know - Brainiac was a villain.
A 'Bum-chum' (chummer)- One who bums (his chums).
'Burton's Street corner' - Meaning a prostitute. I may be wrong but I think Burtons shop was near/above Woolworths in the 50's/60's and the ladies of the night were said to ply their trade on the street there. By the 70's they had gone (or I never saw them) but the phrase stuck. I used to think there was actually a place called Burton Street in Carlisle and as a hopeful youth, with my pocket-money in my hand, spent many a night looking for it:)
C.
'Chordey' - Stolen. To chore is still used but I haven't heard chordey in a long time. It usually was placed with goods 'chordey goods' and could also mean knock-off too
Chummer - One of my favourite lost words of the 70's and close to the hearts of all Chums. A chummer was a truncation of a bum-chum and like most expressions here was used as an insult rather than an literal description. Batty-boy I suppose is the modern equivalent
A 'chow' - A hair cut. This was one of the most embarrasing things that could happen to you at school (still is for some of us) and provided a good week's worth ammunition for taunting by your friends. A REAL friend would be sympathetic and simply not mention it pretending it had never happened.
'Chowie' - a love-bite.
'Clemmies' - your goolies
'Cowie' - a thing, or used as thingy. Again this is still used today but I remember the cane at school was called the Cowie too.
D.
'd's - This was used to describe the number of pennies you had (usually when you were gambling at school) and was used as an alternative for 'p's. "I lost 20 d's at break time". I can clearly remember Ewan and me using it circa 1978 which is odd as decimalisation should have stamped it out by then.
'Divvi' - useless or figure of ridicule. Invariably applied as a prefix to a teacher's name who did not have the respect of his students or could control his class.
'Dolly bird' - My dad used this a lot, worryingly I found myself using it too. It is difficult to put into words exactly what it describes but certainly a glamorous, woman who is quite high maintenance who may just put out if you were very lucky. A Bimbo is a close modern equivalent.
E.
F.
'Fooshty' - Smelly, mouldy but more particularly gone off. Still used today and still a great word.
G.
A Gaylord - A term of abuse. Usually someone who was weak, posh, effeminate or generally 'a bit wet'.
Gowdy bleb! - An exclamation of surprise or disbelief - I have no idea where this comes from or what this means the bleb bit I understand but the 'gowdy' bit is a mystery - any ideas Chums?
H.
'Harrished' or ''arrished'-not being bothered . You usually 'couldn't be harrished' Today it would be 'I can't be arsed'.
''ave a battle' - to fight somebody usually one-on-one, often pre-arranged and if so then invariably with spectators.
I.
J.
Jai-eyed - cockle-eyed. It particularly meant a single eye problem rather than being cross eyed. There was a kid at our school who was called this and he even answered to It.
Jammy - Lucky or privileged, usually followed by git.
A 'Joey' - Again an insult taken from Joey Deacon from Blue Peter. BP hoped to highlight spina-bifida but kids simply adopted it as an insult. Kids can be cruel...
Jowsie - Lucky or privileged.
K.
Kiylo (?) money. I remember this specifically as school dinner money or bus fare.
L.
Lowpin'/Lowpen - Meaning dirty or smelly. It also meant alive with fleas or nits which, as lowp means to jump something that was lowpin' was jumping with infestation.
Luer/Lewer - Money.
M.
'Mongy' or 'Mong-ey' or 'Mongiod' - An insult presumably a diminution of Mongol. The 70's were politically very incorrect.
A muckie (The Muckie Hill) - Not strictly a phrase but a landmark. This was any pile of earth piled from excavating housing foundations. They were often huge, un-fenced off which wouldn't be allowed today. They were magnets to small boys and were traditionally the site of muckie battles - team events with flexible rules that involved throwing dry, sun baked lumps of soil at each other. Some bad lads would cheat by throwing lumps that had a high stone-to-soil content and this was considered very bad form if you were caught doing it.
N.
Nash on - to hurry up. I know nash is still used but the phrase itself seems to have become uncommon. Although Someone in caldewgate only a few years ago, upon seeing a man crossing the road in a hurry, was was heard to say "Ay deeks him, deeing the nash"
a Nevvie - a term of abuse from north of the border applied to those kids who were intellectually challenged like those who would 'eat stuff dropped on the ground'.
O.
P.
To 'Pagger' - another fighting term virtually similar to 'aving a battle'.
Q.
R.
S.
'Shant' or 'shanned' In Scotland and the NE this means unfair but when we were young it meant great embarrassment or shame.
'Shrinky-dinks' - when it was so cold your nuts contracted right up into your body you ended up with your testicles right up inside your body.
'Skelped' - Still used in Scotland to mean drunk but I can remember it being used to describe being beaten up (he was given a good skelping)
'Skinshes' (?) Difficult to define as it seemed to mean a few things. It allowed you to 'opt out' of some games usually by crossing your fingers or be absolved from any blame if you got caught doing something wrong. Needs more input please.
'Skudding' aka a skuddin' - Again used to describe being beaten up.
'Spawnie' Lucky or privileged.
'Spazz' or 'Spazmo' - An insult presumably a diminution of Spastic, also a Spacker. The 70's were politically very, very incorrect.
'Stotting' - Traditionally means raining hard but we used it to mean livid or incandescent with rage.
T.
A 'tuss' - again woman's bits.
U.
V.
W.
The 'Watchie - A security guard or night watchman. Invariably an old gadgie. The one near us was known as Watchie Bill.
'Welted' - Yet another word for hitting someone. Our childhoods were obviously dangerouse places.
X.
Y.
Z.
