Lingo Local

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Finedon Expressions and Local Sayings

It has been said, that at one time it was possible to note where a local hailed from (be that Irthlingborough, Burton Latimer or Finedon) from by listening to the particular terms and expressions he/she used whilst conversing, usually whilst out and about in the street.

In order to preserve and make some sort of list of these wonderful terms we list here some of those donated by current residents, I am sure that many more will come to light in due course and will of course be added to this Finedon dictionary of sorts.

They are listed in alphabetical order with some liberties taken where necessary. 

‘Air and ‘Ere (as in ‘air dad or ‘ere mum, used instead of our).

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‘Apenny on Himself/Herself’ (someone who thinks they’re better than someone else, a show-off).

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Benefit (as in take your coat off indoors or you won’t feel the benefit when you go outside).

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Black over Bill’s Mothers (denoting poor weather on the way).

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Bottom End or Top End (relating to the old part of Finedon close to the church, and the newer parts built after the war).

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Chelp (backchat or complaining verbally as ‘stop yer chelping’).

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Chopsin (talking, gassing or gossiping ie, using one’s mouth or ‘chops’).

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Doolalee (one of many localisms for acting daft or silly, of Indian origin brought back by returning army troops).

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Down Street (going out to local shops, no actual destination mentioned).

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Dunky’s Years (a considerable length of time).

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Ent Kent Shent Wunt and Ennagunoo (brilliant vernacular saying for a refusal to do something replacing the words isn’t, can’t, won’t and aren’t going to).

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Fur Coat no Knickers (can be used in a variety of ways often meaning, not all it appears to be or someone overdressed or acting above themselves).

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Frit (to be frightened).

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Gawping (having a ‘nose’ at something/someone or taking a very long look).

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Gone for a Burton (as in to denote something or someone has come to grief or crashed etc).

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Mardy Arse (having a strop or being overly cantankerous).

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Mullocks or Mullocky (a somewhat unsavoury state of affairs or dirty/untidy conditions).

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Old Boy (used to denote youth not old age, as in our young old boy),

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Peps (sweets often those sold loose in the old days, as in a quarter of peps).

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Shallata goo me duc (I will have to go now or I’ll be late).

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Skek ‘um up (as heard during a raffle, as in shake the bag of tickets up).

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Skewwiff (something or a piece of clothing not on straight or lying right).

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Spruce (any flavoured soft drink as in a bottle of Spruce).

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Tar (a colloquial thank you).

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The Glue Blot (colloquial reference to the Conservative Club).

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Tied up ugly (usually used to denote a scruffy or dishevelled person or thing, as in a sack of ‘cack’ tied up ugly).

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Here are some composite phrases

‘shent tek me coat off I ent goin fur’.

‘there cat run up ‘er entry’.

‘carry on bawling and oyl giv ya somat to bawl about’.

‘yer neither use nor ornament’.

‘d’year? leave me dug ubee’.

‘eat yer buppy an dawnt roar’.

‘gooin air gate for a holiday’.

‘gooin up the wooden Hill to Bedfordshire’.

‘gunna t’ek the dug for a walk’.

‘tizz en it’.

‘sonsin about like a kelly on a string’.

‘anybody’d think you’d got St Vitis Dance boy’.

‘use yer nassum boy’.

‘nip round Swannies and get me twenty fags and pay the papers’.

‘for Christ sake, act sharp’

‘What yer got there, a bag o’ mullocks’.

‘kent stop gassing, I’ve got summat on the stove’.

‘don’t be an ugg’.

‘gooing down the garden field’

‘wer you ent arf sharp’.

‘it dorn’t do to say too much’

‘kent wunder ad’it this bloody weather

‘om frit te death ov ‘im and ‘er.

‘dorn’t thro that away, I’ll av the noggy’.

‘I’ll goo to the foot of ‘ere stairs’.

“dunt matta what they call y me duck, as lung as they dunt call y too late fur yur dinna!”