D
Dai-cap
The flat
cap much favoured by colliers in days gone by and still popular locally.
Dab
(a)
Creature or thing, as in "Pooer dab, she do 'ave a lot to put up with
'im... " or
(b) "He's won the Bingo again - lucky dab!"
Dab-hand/ Dab 'and
Excelling
at something; "She's a dab-(h)and with 'er Welsh cakes!"
Dad-cu/Tad-cu
Usually
mutated to dadcu with accent on the second syllable; the South Wales
word for Grandfather. North Welsh people say 'taid'
Danted/Daunted
At the end
of one's tether; "When you think what she gorrw put up with, it's no
wonder she do get danted...!"
Dap it down
To place
thoughtlessly; "A course you carn find youer glasses - youer always
dappin(g) them down without thinkin(g)
Dap
(a) The
same size and shape as "He's the same dap as his father exactly!"
(b) An article of footwear for games and P.E.
(c) The right thing; "Just my dap, this is!"
Daro
probably an
euphamism for 'damn'; "Daro, I've just about had all I can take of
this... !"
Deep
Difficult
to understand; "The ministers a nice man, but I find his sermons very
deep."
Depends (no...)
Reliability,
as in; "Goodness knows when he'll turn up - there's no depends on 'im
at all!"
Deuce/Diws/Dukes
An
expletive term, a corruption of and euphamism for, 'Duw', the Welsh for
'God'; "Oh deuce, I've gone and lost it again!"
Didoreth
A Welsh
word for which the dictionary offers only the quite inadequate
'feckless' as a meaning. It remains the worst thing that may be said
about any local housewife since it means "There's no shape on 'er round
the 'ouse.... there's no grain on 'er washing - and 'er 'usband, pooer
dab, do afto shift for 'imself!""
Diflas/as diflas as pechod
As
miserable as sin; a truly splendid example of mixed translation from
Welsh,
Dock
To deduct;
"They docked 'im half a turn for being late."
Dodges
Tricks,
ploys, as in "He's the one to ask about that - he knows all the dodges
for sure... "
Done in/Done up
Tired out
c.f.
wanged-out
Done up
(a)
Improved, 'tarted-up'; "It looks lovely with them now, they've had the
whole (whool) place done up!"
(b) Dressed to kill; "Off she went on 'er date - all done up to the
nines!"
Don't say stories!
Wenglish
for "Don't tell lies".
Dose
(a) An
attack of an illness, similar to 'bout; "She've 'ad a nasty dose of
flu'/bronchitis/ etc., etc., "
(b) To take precautions, as in "I'd better dose myself up - I've got a
nasty cold coming on I think..."
Dowt
Extinguish
a candle/fire etc - a good example of an English dialect word found in
Wenglish
Dragged up
c.f.
brought
up under a tub
Dravers
Long
underwear
Dribs and
Drabs
A little at
a time, as in"That's the trouble with them in that shop - only in dribs
and drabs they get things in!"
Silicosis - the miner's dreaded disease.