The Mid Sussex Dialect

In 1875, Farncombe & Co of Lewes published a ‘Dictionary Of The Sussex Dialect’ by the etymologist the Reverend W.D. Parish. He was the vicar of the church of Selmeston, a parish pronounced ‘Simpson’ and this sparked his interest in dialect. He began to jot down the words he heard that were peculiar to Sussex. The Sussex dialect is believed to have originated from Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, Welsh and English traders attempting to understand each other. The Sussex dialect had distinct East, West and Mid Sussex variations.

In Mid Sussex, Ammut-Castes meant ant hills. Ampery meant weak, unhealthy or beginning to decay and was commonly used to describe the freshness of cheese. To Arg was to argue or wangle and Belver was to make an angry disturbance which may have resulted in a banicking (beating). A Batfowler was a person with a large folding net on a long pole who caught birds at night, but a Blobtit (a tell-tale) might inform the Bozzler (constable) of their activities. Bait was afternoon refreshment with a strong beer in the hay field. After work a person might be Beazled meaning tired. After dinner they might tuck into a Blackeyed Susan which was a pudding with plums or raisins in it, or a Bolster (jam) pudding. To Byste, was to have a lie down in the daytime and an elderly parishioner apologised to the Reverend Parish when he visited them at home and found them Bysted because of rheumatism.

To Caterwise was to go diagonally and a traveller was Boffled (confused) when told “If you goos, caterwise across the field…” Clung was used as the term to stop the collection of mown grass after its exposure to wet weather. Coager was eleven o’clock lunch for farm labourers who ate a ration of a Coager Cake. It was a very plain cake and each one had to last a week. Dallop (like dollop) was a shapeless lump of anything played about with in the hands. A Dallop was also a parcel of tea packed for smuggling. Smugglers recruited a labourer who complained that he “Ain’t done a Dezzick (day’s work) for six months.” He was offered a Dozzle (small quantity) of food and a Downbed (bed on the floor).

A Fleed Cake was made with the fat of a pig instead of melting it into lard. To Grizzle meant to fret “I know the child ain’t well, because she’s been Grizzling all day.” To Gudge meant to probe. “The doctor vaccinated our baby yesterday; nasty man! He just did gudge his poor little arm about.” A doctor said of a child “I think she’s hatching the measles.” A man complained “the doctor’s ordered me to dink some of this here claret wine, but I shall never get to like it, it seems so hurr.”. (Rough-tasting)

Derived from the word Anglo Saxon Handsylen meaning giving into the hands Hansel was the money a market woman received from her first sale. The coin was kissed, spat on and placed in a separate pocket by itself for luck.

To Hob-up or Hobbing-up was to hand rear a pig. A parishioner complained that her husband objected to her Hobbing-up two piglets but revealed to the Reverend Parish she was taking them to bed with her. A Hob-lamb was a hand reared lamb and a Hogget a year old sheep. A hop-dog was a caterpillar found in hops and also a tool to draw hop-poles out of the ground. To Hover was to look cold and shivery but was also used to describe the soil or a person measuring hops into the basket. Jacketting and Journey meant a hard day’s work but Jacket was also to flog. Kelter meant condition.

Lidds was used to describe large open fields and a Long-Dog was a Greyhound.

Maxon meant a manure heap and derived from Meox, the Anglo-Saxon word for dung. Mixen was used for a mixed manure heap. A Meresman was the parish officer who attended to the upkeep of the roads, bridges and watercourses. Mizmaze was to cause confusion. Mommick or Mamick was to cut or carve awkwardly or unevenly “He mamocked it.” A Mum-Chance was a stupid, silent fellow “He’s a MumChance lived all his time don in the mush (Marsh) and never spoke to no one.” A Nabbler was a gossip who often Norated, which meant talking officiously and fussily about other people’s business. “Norman got Nabbling over it, so it very soon got Norated about all down the street.” A Rookery was to fuss and chatter. Scaddle derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Sceatha meaning robber or thief was used to describe a truant boy, or a cow that broken through a hedge, or a cat that stole. An expression used for the poor was “they eat Shorn-bugs (beetles) for dinner.” Thick-Milk was hot milk with spoonfuls of flour added and sugar to sweet it. Tommy was bread.

A parishioner said to the Reverend Parish “ I see there had been just rain enough to whiffle (gust) round the spire whiles we was in church.” Yeasty derived from the Anglo-Saxon Yst meaning storm. And finally to Yoyster was to play noisily.

Judy Upton

Source Dictionary Of The Sussex Dialect