Words and phrases Welsh people didn’t realise were only used in Wales (with special guest Jean)

When I’ve visited various parts of England on holiday, I’ve often had conversations with local people. The conversation will be going great and then all of a sudden I will say an English word or phrase that the person I’m speaking to has never heard before. It surprises me, as the word I’m using is a well known word in Wales. So often used, that I just assumed it was a word that everybody in the UK used. But there are quite a few English language words used in Wales that are not used outside of our country.
In this video I’m going to look at some of the English words and phrases that only used in Wales and I’m going to discuss them with my special guest Jean, or as I know her, Mam (which means mother in Welsh). If you can think of any other English words only used in this country, then why not pop them down in the comments below.
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[@davehopkin9502]

Growing up in Birmingham (with Welsh parents) we certainly had tip-tops (long thin frozen fruit juice) and Jublies but they were pyramid shaped frozen juice things, wrapped in a sort of waxed paper

[@frankmitchell3594]

Family from the East Midlands, Leicester - Nottingham area. Christmas decorations were referred to as 'Trimmings'. 'Tamping' is pressing loose material down by tapping or lightly hammering it .

[@samsweirdworld3719]

In German our word for Welsh tip-tops literally translates as "water ice". If somebody in German is "bekifft" he is under the influence of drugs. To have a scram is very similiar to the German word "Schramme" which translated means the same. I really enjoy your videos. Diolch for keeping up the good work. I like that you don't just upload videos to learn Welsh but also to learn Welsh-English. Perfect for Do-it-yourself learners with no native speakers available.🙂

[@reggy_h]

Daps I think comes from the acronym "Dunlop Athletic Playing Shoes". My mother tried to buy a pair of daps in Great Yarmouth and the assistant looked at her like she had two heads.😂 There's an expression that I haven't heard for a long time which is similar to "moidered" which is moiddered or moithered. It is usually means that someone is upset and confused. For example "You've got me all moithered now" Potch. To potch means to mess about with or tinker. "What are you potching with by there?" . Got to keep the "by" in there. Potch can also mean mash made with potatoes and swede at least here in the Rhondda Valley. I'm not sure about this one but if someone is getting annoyed they are "Getting their hair off". Tamping is normally used when flattening a piece ground generally but your examples I think are only used in Wales. Tamping a ball may be as well. I don't think you mentioned that. Now jest is a versatile one. "It happened now jest (in the past). Or I'll do it now jest (in the future). Not to be confused with Just now. I've enjoyed your videos a lot.👍

[@debbie6710]

I have heard of all except kift growing up in Merthyr Tydfil bringing back memories after living in Australia for the last 50 years

[@geoffowens7311]

I lived in Pembrokeshire for many years and kift was a very popular word. Also the word caffled meaning tangled

[@reggy_h]

I just thought of some more words that we use around here at least. Gambo. A sort of simple "vehicle" made from parts of an old pram and a plank of wood. Some people call a soap box cart. Jibbons (probably spelled with 'sh' in the beginning) . Spring onions.😁

[@olly5764]

I Knew a lot of those, about a quarter of them are used in the midlands, but then we do have a large Welsh population, and aren't that far from you, so maybe thats why!

[@cenninbach]

I originally come from North Wales. Only recognised 'tamping' from this list but that mainly round Aberystwyth where I moved to in my late teens.

[@christineperez7562]

I am an American with Welsh and German ancestry. My family uses a lot of these words. I am guilty of using the word Never and trimming the tree. I just notice when I get strange looks from my friends. Lol

[@kimwilsonowen]

How cool to have your mother on the video. She's very stylish. Hello Jason's Mum!

[@gwilwilliams5831]

I can remember being told to scram or scarper. A childhood in Wales and NW England. We always seemed to be running away from some minor mishap or other.

[@AbrahamLure]

My father is Welsh, and I was born in Australia. There's a lot of phrases I've picked up from him. I'm teaching myself the language currently and I'm picking up on all the things I do that are quite Welsh, such as enunciating the second last syllable in sentences. Combine that with the Australian lilt, and I'm sure I have a very annoying accent!! We have rissoles in Australia, they're solid meat usually

[@PedrSion]

The only ones I recognised by their usage in Flintshire were Tip Top, scrubber, moider( a derivative of mither, to aggravate), half and half and rissole. Daps were plimsolls or pumps. A couple was always two. A few was more than two.

[@northwalesmod]

We always put the trimmings on the tree at Christmas in my youth & l was brought up in Holywell !!

[@msbeaverhausen7226]

I loved this video!!! I wonder if kift is slang for skewiff? My Cardiff born Dad always called Plimsolls daps and when I asked why, he said it was because they made the sound "dap, dap, dap, dap, dap" when you wore them 🤣🤣🤣

[@seeyouanon2931]

Southeast here: a couple = 2, a few = 3 (or more. ) I have never heard of "trimming up" but we do say" would you like all the trimmings ( if you have a roast dinner or meal) the trimmings is everything on offer with the meal. Scram=scarper (leave quickly) I have never heard of "tip tops", we would call them "ice pops." Scrubber = a woman who is promiscuous, who puts it about alot ( I was trying to be polite) but if we say " scrubber woman" then that is a "charwoman " someone who cleans. I have heard of "rissoles" here and have bought them here, very delicious. "Half and half" we also say here, offered to those who can't make up their mind if they want chips or rice , we would then say you can have half and half. I have heard of "daps" but I don't think it is something we would say (especially around my neck of the woods) we would call them "plimsolls " or "pumps" we would say someone looked "dapper " smart, sharp dressed.

[@residentoftherealm]

Tip tops 🌟 finally I feel validated 😂 my partner from Nottingham calls them ice poles... 😐 Putting the trimmings up 🎄 My mum actually bought me new daps the other day 🏅😂 Scrubber, tamping, half and half 😛 I love chips and rice myself with curry lol, omg my dear old Nan used to make beef Rissoles...memories... Never heard moider before though or kift

[@davehopkin9502]

DAPS were issued by the Army until the 1990s (and called that) supposed to have come from the "Dunlop Athletic Plymsole"

[@LearnWelshPodcast]

There is another theory for the name daps. I’m going to talk about it in an up coming video.

[@seeyouanon2931]

I thought "daps" was a "fishing fly" when dapping? 🤔 But I just recently found out that daps is also used to describe a nontraditional handshake used by black American soldiers during Vietnam war.

[@hariowen3840]

Mam-gu, more South Wales possibly? - we usually say Nain for grandmother in North Wales.

[@LearnWelshPodcast]

Yes it’s a South Wales word. You don’t hear Nain very often here.

[@elizabethmaybrown6715]

Trimming the tree, as in Christmas tree, Daps and the exclamation of Never I have heard this side of the Bristol Channel too so Somerset people aren't that far distant from the Welsh as some may think

[@cadifan]

We have rissoles in New Zealand, breadcrumbed meat patties.

[@LearnWelshPodcast]

They sound a bit different to Welsh rissoles. They also sound delicious.

[@slartybartfasy]

My Nain would say “ stop moidering me. “ Which I understood as , stop hassling me.

[@robbpatterson6796]

"A couple doesn't mean 2 in Wales" been trying to explain this for years!!!

[@pembsbear]

Kift used in Pembrokeshire ....A person who cannot grasp what you are are trying to explain to them, we say....he'she are kift.

[@northwalesmod]

Couple not 2 ??? !n Wales were ???

[@christineperez7562]

I am an American but my family has German and Welsh ancestry. My family uses a lot of these phrases. Like trimming the tree, scram, NEVER, (I am guilty of that one). We call people a bottom scrubber, or bottom feeder it could be either sex, meant for a user or bum. We use tamping mad, we eat Rissoles they are so good. Yes a couple for us does not mean just 2. I just know when people look at me funny because most people do not use these words anymore in America. I never thought where it came from though.

[@northwalesmod]

Wales is not just South Wales so get your fact right do your research !!

[@LearnWelshPodcast]

This is a conversation you need to have with the author of the article we were reacting to. And our reactions can only be based on our own experiences. I would love to make videos with people from North Wales, Mid Wales etc to get their point of view.