Monday, December 06, 2010

Striddlin', stowch and nap

Three great words came up in conversation with my mother yesterday - striddlin is the half-bent-over, jumping from foot to foot, stance that somebody makes when they're busting for the toilet. When you nap your toe you stub it and lift a bit of skin off it, and stowch (with a hard -ch sound like in German) is the heavy greasy bluish atmosphere that's left behind after frying. All part of a Sunday afternoon conversation among Ards Peninsula folk. Let the experts concern themselves with the significance of etymologies - let the normal folk enjoy the words they grew up with, and pass them on with all their simple glory.

0 comments: