A Selection of Isle of Wight Words

A selection of my favourite Isle of Wight words, I really hope you enjoy these fun words.
ALL OF A HOOGH (the hoogh guttural). Out of shape, or place; all on one side.
“That ere wut rick is all of a hoogh.” - That oat rick is out of shape, or all on one
side.
AUVERDROW. To overthrow, to upset.
“He auverdrode the waggon gwyne down the shoot.” - He upset the waggon going
down the hill.
BALLYRAG. To abuse or vituperate, to use scurrilous language.
“Dedn’t the wold dooman gimme a ballyraggen!” - Didn’t the old woman abuse
or scold me!
BONNYGOO. Lively or spirited.
“That’s a bonnygoo hoss o’yourn, varmer.” - Thats a spirited horse you have,
farmer.
BUGLE (Lat. buculus). A young or wild bull. A common sign of inns in the Island,
and seldom to be seen elsewhere. The bugle, or wild bull, was the supporter to the
arms of Henry Beauchamp, Duke of Warwick, crowned King of the Isle of Wight by
Henry VI. in 1443; and this probably was the cause of its adoption as a sign by the
local vintners. At present, in most of the signs the bull’s horn, or bugle, is substituted
for the bull.
BWOYLEN, THE WHOLE BWOYLEN. The whole lot or number, all of anything.
“The hool bwoylen lot on ’em vlow out o’doors.” - The whole of them ran or
rushed out of doors.
CAGMAG. Bad or stinking meat; also, coarse, uncultivated, mongrel bred.
“I wouldn’t hay sich cagmag in a gift.” - I would not have such bad meat if given
to me. “’Tes a gurt cagmag sort o’hoss.” - ’Tis a great mongrel bred kind of horse.
CAMMICKY CHEESE. Cheese made from milk flavoured with rest-harrow, giving it
a strong, rank taste.
CAT’S CRAADLE (sometimes SCRATCH CRADLE). A game played with string
by children.
CHINE (A.S. cyne, a chink). A cleft or ravine in the cliff, formed by the action of
running water; as at Shanklin, Blackgang, Brooke, and other places in the Island.
CHIZZLE. To cheat or swindle.
CHOCK-DOG. Isle of Wight cheese; or any eatable, very hard or tough. Isle of Wight
cheese - sometimes called “Isle of Wight Rock”
CLAA. To seize or take hold of anything.
DESPURD. Very, exceedingly
DEVIL’S DANCEN HOURS. Midnight.
DICK. A game of touch-and-run among children.
Dugout -- Round cakes, the size of cricket balls and "boiled" in lard.
DRYTHE. Thirst, drought.
DUCKSTOOAN. A game played by boys, in which a small stone is placed on a
larger, to be thrown at; and the first that knocks the stone off its support cries
“duck,” and is considered winner for that time.
DUMBLEDORE. A large bumble bee.
FOGO. A disagreeable smell, a stink.
GALLY. To scare or frighten, to drive away.
GALLY-BAGGER. A scarecrow, a figure set up in a field to scare away the birds.
HEELTAPS. Liquor left in the bottoms of glasses after drinking.
“Don’t leave noo heeltaps.” - Empty your glasses.
HO (A.S. hogian) To long for, to be anxious
JACK-A-LANTERN. - Will o’the wisp, the ignis fatuus.
LARBETS (testiculi agnorum). Larbets fried or in a pie, are, by some, considered a
delicacy.
LEEF or LIEF. Soon
LIBBETS. Rags, tatters
MAAMOUTH. A silly talking, stupid person.
MUMMICK. To cut or carve food awkwardly or unevenly.
MUMPOCKER. A bogey, a term used to frighten or quiet children.
“If you don’t gee off squinnyen, wold mumpoker ’ill come aater ye.”
NAMMET. Refreshment taken in the hay or harvest field at four in the afternoon,
consisting of bread and cheese and a pint of strong beer; the “nammet beer” being
older and stronger than any supplied at other times of the day.
NUTTEN. A donkey.
OVERNER, or OVERUN FELLER. A person whose home is over the water, on the main land; not a native of the Island.
PECKY AND MIMFY. Delicate, out of sorts
PISS-A-BED. The dandelion (leontodon taraxacum), so named from its diuretic
qualities.
PRID NEAR. Very nearly.
PUSSIKEY. A little, short, self-important, or conceited person.
QUEAL IN. To go to bed.
RAABIT. A mild kind of oath.
DESPURD-RAABIT. A Very deep and binding oath
RAMSONS. Wild garlic, Allium ursinum.
RENYARD. A fox
RIMEY. Hazy, slightly foggy.
RATHE / RATHE RIPE. Early; too soon
SCUD. A slight, or passing, shower.
SHELTEN IN. The shortening of the days; the dusk or twilight.
SHOOT. A steep hill in a road or lane; also, a young growing pig.
SHROVEN. Children going from house to house and singing for cakes, on Shrove
Tuesday. The children were called “Shrovers,” and the cakes given them “Shrove
cakes.”
SKEEATHY, or SCATHY. Thievish, sneaking
SLACKUMTRANCE. A slovenly or dirty woman
SLAMMAKIN. Untidy, careless, slovenly.
SOMEWHEN. At some time or other.
STEAN. To line or lay with stones.
SWAAILEN. Walking in a rolling and lazy manner.
TEMBER BRITCHES. Timber breeches - a coffin.

[@Amber28000]

Im from the isle of wight but dont even know any of the words, i moved over to kent at a very young age

[@TheSilverKnight]

Nammer = Lunch Nipper = Child

[@wihtlore]

indeed

[@knightsoftheredorderthequests]

I used to play 'cats cradle' as a child; was one of my favourite string games and could get quite complicated. I still remember the sequences!

[@wihtlore]

THE PRIORY CAMBRIDGE it sounded familiar to me, it’s a game I want to learn about. I don’t know anything about it yet. Thank you so much for sharing; you’ll have to tell me more about it.

[@knightsoftheredorderthequests]

Well its kind of like weaving on ones fingers, but the trick is for the next person to remove the weaving from your fingers and then transfer it on to their own without dropping any stiches, it then goes back and forth between the participants with the design changing each time. There is aso a solo version and the different designs have names - takes me back to my childhood!

[@wihtlore]

Oh yes, now it is coming to me. I don't think I have ever played it, but I have seen it being played. I am going to have to find someone near by who might know how to do it and have a go at it I think. Thank you.

[@alanrackett2962]

As a native caulkhead, some of those did sound a bit funny with your accent but you weren’t far off, my grandfather still speaks the dialect fluently

[@christopherthewreckerthats2295]

Hampshire hog here keep the Hampshire and Isle of Wight accents alive.