Sussex Slang and Dialect

[perseus]

What is a sea frog, an applejack, a bunting, a moak, really depending if you fish out of Newhaven or Shoreham. Or Worthing or Littlehampton. And the fishermen mostly have kept their East Anglian (Essex) accents anyway ?

 

[goldstone]

Sussex farming folk in the 50s used to talk about the time being five and twenty past four rather than twenty five past four.

 

[glosterseagul]

also in Des Lynams famous words "they pronounce it Brioghton down there" when he was interviewed about the city (well town back then). Say it out loud....do you say "BrIghton" or BriOghton"

My ex wife was always asked....

"where do you come from london?"

"Naaa BrwiOghton"

of course I added..

"Hove actually!"

 

[Yorkie]

I pronounce 'Uncle as Oncle and that was picked up by someone who lives away as being the same as another person they knew from this area.


The 'i' sound in Sussex is more 'oi' as in Broighton

 

[glosterseagul]

I pronounce 'Uncle as Oncle and that was picked up by someone who lives away as being the same as another person they knew from this area.


The 'i' sound in Sussex is more 'oi' as in Broighton

My ex went into a newsagent in Gloucester and asked if they had any Oncle Cards?

They didn't have clue so she had to say you know arnty oncle?

she told that story to her freinds back in bwioghton and they couldn't understand why it was so funny as they thought she was saying Uncle

 

[Yorkie]

Ok so Glosterseagul was the person I was talking about

(didn't see you online pal )

 

[daveyboybhafc2]

I used to have to walk up a twitten in Haywards Heath on my way to school (St. Wilfreds 1980-81), it was always full of dead slugs which one of my classmates had jumped on.

Great!!!

 

[just_bhafc]

Definitely agree with 'binner' and 'ank' - remind me of my old Stringer days!

What about 'skiv' meaning someone who's a bit pikey or a sponger?

 

[perseus]

Englishmen in a foreign land

Best to use sign language when venturing north of Henfield because of the uninelligible language of the locals, and yokels.

Completely foreign Brummy accent from a Police officer in Hereford. One of the passengers nearly got arrested, but he was completely unable to understand a single word the Officer was saying. I could not understand a word he was saying either, but he he seemed to be pointing and getting angry.

Actually ....

 

[perseus]

Somebody mentioned that non-seasiders did not know what a "groyne" was. I have found this out as well.

Imagine, how ignorant, and this includes Councillors as well, they are about the tides!? Because Councillors are so arrogant at times and think they know everything, this crass and asinine stupidity on their part, I treat as an insult (the their usual bullshit enhanced).

I mean to say, I did attempt to mentioned as matter of fact that the low spring tides occur at dusk and dawn (in Sussex, they occur at midday in Cornwall), and that their superplan to enhance the water to be impounded really wasn't any use at all. But they would not have it all, they said that the very low spring tides occur at all times of the day. I mean, sometimes it is no point in talking to inlanders.

Seaside Air.

 

[London Calling]

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS UP NORTH, PHONING WEST YORKS METRO FOR BUS TIMES.

"Wot bas goes to xxxxx"

"What"

"bas goes to xxxxx"

"What, where?"

"this is Metro/"

"Yes"

"Bas to xxxx"

"What"

"Bas!"

My friends were in total hysterics and had to phone up for me.

It still amuses them as they will remind me when we play them later this year.

 

[patchamsmostwanted]

How about 'pellet' as rubbish or small as in 'that's pellet'?

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

"Kiddie" is a very Sussex thing to say as in " this kiddie I know" - meaning this bloke a know.

Never heard it anywhere else.

Also, saying " Sundee" or Saturdee" is very Sussex.

I , however, insist on saying SunDAY or SaturDAY as it should be pronounced.

 

[METALMICKY]

Get out into rural East Sussex and you'll find lots of idiosyncratic ways of speaking.

Here's a simple test.

How do you pronounce 'Newhaven' ?

New'AVEn (emphasis on "ave") - you're a local.

NEWhaven (emphasis on "new") - you're not.

BEDDing'm or BeddingHAM - another key way to tell the difference. (It's BeddingHAM to the locals).

And I've known kids round here who say "broccoleye" for broccoli - as in Ardingly.

Don't forget the snob factor and whether you are a resident of their area:

SEAFORD- locals say SEE-FORD , others say SEEFURD
Herstmonceaux- locals say HERST-MON-SO, Others say HERST-MON-ZOO


HASTINGS- Pronounced as "dirty drug riddled shit hole with a shabby seafront that needs bombing"- By EVERYONE!

 

[London Calling]

Don't forget the snob factor and whether you are a resident of their area:

SEAFORD- locals say SEE-FORD , others say SEEFURD
Herstmonceaux- locals say HERST-MON-SO, Others say HERST-MON-ZOO


HASTINGS- Pronounced as "dirty drug riddled shit hole with a shabby seafront that needs bombing"- By EVERYONE!

 

[perseus]

I suppose everybody knows the old Sussex saying about the walnut tree (as good a saying today as it ever was?)

"Just dogs and wives, the more you beat the walnut tree the better they are"

 

[chips and gravy]

"Kiddie" is a very Sussex thing to say as in " this kiddie I know" - meaning this bloke a know.

Never heard it anywhere else.

Also, saying " Sundee" or Saturdee" is very Sussex.

I , however, insist on saying SunDAY or SaturDAY as it should be pronounced.

My old Gran, who is Sussex through and through says Satdee!

She also says goo instead of go, a phrase I also caught one of the guys who sits behind me at Withdean saying

 

[zefarelly]

bum, i was gonna say twitten!

i'd say it was a little passageway rather than a street though...

my old cottage was on a twitten and until 30 or so years ago was Known as No2 the Twitten, Church street, Shoreham . . . . I'd say it was more of a thoroughfare, its too wide for a passageway at 7' and too narrow for a road or lane, although it would have made a handy extension to my Garden

 

[Sonic]

Did anyone else ever refer to someone at school as being "loppy", i.e. meaning they were a sleepy, dull, slow on the uptake? The person in question could then in turn be called a "lop".

A straw poll in the office (well, three people) suggests no-one else has heard of it. Could just be a Sussex thing.

Definitely remember 'loppy' and 'lop' from school. For some reason, I remember people being called a 'lop pot' as well. Don't ask me why.

Another local pronunciation which I don't recall seeing in this thread yet (although I could be wrong) is Chiddister - Sussex pronunciation of Chichester.
My Grandad used to call it that, and I'm finding more and more people saying it these days. I think it started as a deep Sussex pronunciation favoured by the older generation, but has now come down to the younger age group.

 

[Hungry Joe.]

Sussex farming folk in the 50s used to talk about the time being five and twenty past four rather than twenty five past four.

My Dad still does that. He was a Gas worker from Mitcham though, so I guess he picked it up on moving down to Sussex or from his parents who retired here from London in the 60's.