S
Salty
Expensive;
"I was after one of those videos but it was too salty for me, so I had
to leave it where it was!"
Samwidge
Wenglish
for 'sandwich'.
Sent
Local word
for 'perfume'
Scholarship
The name by
which the 11-plus selective exam was once known.
See is she in
See if she
is in; "Knock the door and see is she in?"
Send on
See off ;"I
couldn't send her on the bus, but I sent her a bit of the way."
Scrammed
Wenglish
for 'scratched'
Screch
Screech.
Another surviving Welsh word. It is also used to denote a disagreeable
person; "A proper ol' scretch she is!"
Screw
(a) Wages,
salary. It used to be said that someone was getting a 'good screw' for
his work. For obvious reasons it cannot be used today without being
quite misunderstood.
(b) Pronounced in the Welsh manner with an open sound to the 'e' (as in
'egg'). It mean a sharp-tongues woman, a shrew; "Real old screw she is
- nothing good to say about anyone."
Serchus
Not used to
mean 'pleasant' or 'agreeable' as this Welsh word really suggests, but
in a sarcastic manner to denote a miserable person; "Look out, here
comes old serchus!"
Shame, for...
As in
standard English, but always accompanied by 'for'; "For shame on you,
carrying on like that!"
Shandivang/Shandibang
In a
dreadful mess; "When he had finished wilmuntin in my chest of drawers,
it was all shandivang!"
Shape
(a) System
or fashion; "There's no shape on 'er round the 'house." or "It was hard
work, but I managed it some shape.", or "I tried my best, but it was
the same shape it was when I finished!"
(b) Stir, bestir; "Shape yourself will you - we're off now in a minute!"
Sharp
(a)
Sternly, as in "If 'e don't take no notice, I'll affto speak to him
sharp!".
(b) Cold, as in "It's a sharp one this morning!"
(c) 'On the ball', clever; "You carn fool 'im - 'e's a sharp one."
(d) Cheat; one who cheats at cards is a 'card-sharp'
Shook rigid
Greatly
surprised, shocked; It shook him rigid when they gave him his cards for
being late!"
Siop/Shop popeth
A Welsh
expression for a general store, a shop that sells 'everything'.
Sinking
Longing
for; "When we got back after taking the dog out, I was sinking for a
cup of tea."
Sinking fast
Spoken in
hushed tones when I was young, It showed the final abandonment of hope
in a serious illness; "Poor dab, there's no 'ope for 'im now - 'e's
sinking fast."
Sharpish
Quickly, as
in "They'll be here before long now, I better make some cake
sharpish...!"
Sioni/Shwni Dai
One who's
dress left much to be desired, as in "Haven't you got something tidy to
wear? - you look a proper Sioni Dai in them old things."
Shift
Manage, as
in "She's 'opless 'round the 'ouse and 'er kids do afto shift for
themselves!"
Skew-whiff/wiff
Awry,
askew, as in "You haven't hung that picture straight - it's all
skew-wiff with you.... "
Skulkin(g)
Surreptitious,
and illicit visits to, e.g. the pantry.
Slap it off
Wear too
often, as in "Take youer new coat off - mustn't slap it off, you need
something for best!"
Sledge
(a) A
measurement of daftness, as in "I don't know what to make of him - he's
a twp as a sledge these days!"
(b) Stupidly; "I don't know what comes over her sometimes - there's
times she do talk like a sledge!"
Sleish/Sly-sh
A small
shovel used for caol, cinders etc.
Slouch hat
Wenglish
for 'trilby'.
Slummocky
Not as bad
as didoreth - but almost!; "She've always been slummocky - there's not
much shape on her!"
Smack
An
accident, particularly in the pit.
Smack in front
Directly,
as in "When you get there, you'll see the shop youer after - smack in
front of you!"
Smack in the chops
A
disappointment, as in "... she didn't get it after all - real smack in
the chops it was!"
Small small
The Welsh
habit of using a double adjective is echoed in Wenglish so that one
hears, "Oh it was small small - you could 'ardly see it!". One also
hears about "a small little man", or a "big 'uge factory."
Small beer
A herbal
drink remembered with great affection from childhood - does anyone make
this 'nectar' nowadays?
Soc, in a...
Unconscious,
as in ""She's not taking any notice, that girl behind the counter -
must be in a soc or something!"
Sorry (in) his/her heart
Extremely
sorry for, as in "When 'e told 'er about all the bother, 'e'd been in,
she was sorry (in) 'er 'eart for 'im."
So there for you
That's it!;
"That's all you're getting so there for you!"
Sparkin(g)
Local word
for 'courting'
Spec, on...
In hopeful
anticipation, as in "... only went there on spec, we did...!"
Spell
A period of
time, as in "... and after being on the line, I had a spell down the
pit..."
Spiteful
Unwilling,
as in "Sorry the fires slow coming - being spiteful it is!"
Spouting
Talking;
"Where's 'e off spouting tonight then?"
Spragged
Tripped;
"'E spragged 'imself when 'e trood (trod) on 'is own coat, bending down
..." A sprag was used in the colliery; it was a bar (cog-stick)
inserted into a dram (tram) wheels to stop them running backwards. This
led to another local expression, "I soon put a sprag in that!" (I soon
put a stop to that!).
Sprateus
Anotehr
word for a sharp tongued person.
Sprottin(g)/Sprwtin
Prying and
interfering (of Welsh origin possible?)
Spreathed
Chapped by
cold weather
Spuds
Holes in
stockings
Square
Deal with;
"... any more of 'is nonsense and I'll square 'im I will!"
Star turn
A comical
or whimsical person; "... the things 'e comes out with - 'e's a star
turn!"
Stick
Person;
"You never know where you are with 'im, funny ol' stick he is!"
Stitch, every whip...
With
monotonous regularity; "I don't like to pass remarks but there's no
peace to be 'ad - he's 'round 'ere every whip stich!"
Stoptap
When the
pubs and clubs close
Straight
In a direct
manner; "I've had just about as much as I can take, and I told 'er
straight!"
Stroke
Anything at
all; "... 'elp 'er? - 'e don't do a stroke, if 'e can 'elp it!"
Stroke, alter...
Improve;
"You'll afto alter youer stroke, my lady, when you start that new job!"
Struck
Impressed,
as in "I went to the sales as usual, but I wasn;t struck with anything
there."
Stump
The core of
an apple; "Mingy he is - he didn't even leave me the stump!"
Suck-in
Disappointment;
"He had a real suck-in with that = he thought he was going to walk it!"
Swanky
An example
of a word which is now an endangered 'species'. Thirty years ago, a
local person, impressed by something said, would almost certainly have
said "Oh there's swanky!". Nowadays, the response will surely be "Oh
there's posh!". The word 'swank' is still to be heard.
Swansea
A much
enjoyed local loaf of bread.
Swill
(a) Empty
and rinse the teapot
(b) Have a quick wash, as in "You better swill youer hands in the bosh
before youer dinner."