Phrases

Word or phrase	Meaning	Collected by	Any other information	Category	Date
A
A bag like a bucket	Describes a good dairy cow	52	St. Genny's	Farming	1940's
A backside like a camel	describing a slimmer	52	St. Genny's	Appearance	1940's
A belly like a wilkie	self explanatory. (Wilkie = Frog)	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
A ‘ead like a bladder o’ lard	Bald	20,	Newlyn dialect	Appearance
A firm gurt fella		20,	From a members husband 50 years ago?	Appearance	1959
A hatful of wind	No real wind	20,	Newlyn dialect	Weather
Ain’t seen ‘air nor ‘ide ov’en	S/he is lying low	20,	Newlyn dialect	General
As blunt as a dag	As blunt as a miner's axe	20,	?	Mining
As green as a lick	As green as a (lick = leek)	20,	?
As long as this week and next		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
As plum as a wont	Overweight	20,	?	Appearance
As poor as a coot.	Starved	43,	St Just in Penwith	General
As she’s lookin’ like a boutshego	Gipsy like	9	Recorders Neighbour	Appearance	1999
As smooth as a bull horn	Smarmy	20,	?	Behaviour
As wild as a fitcher	Out of control	20,	?	Behaviour
B
Bald as an egg	Self Explanatory	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Bald as a plate	Self Explanatory	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Belvin like a bull	Bellow	20,	?	Behaviour
Better fit I staid 'ome	It would have been better had I stayed at home	20,	?
Big as Bull's beef	self explanatory	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Black as a witch	very dark	52	St Genny's	?	1940's
Black as a turf rick toad	Dirty	20,	?	Appearance
Blind as a bat.	Person who can't find something	52	St Genny's / English	Behaviour	1940's
Blowed up like a quilkin.	Inflated. (quilkin = frog)	43	St Just in Penwith	Appearance
Blue as a niddle	very cold person (niddle = Needle)	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Bold as Brass	self explanatory	52	St. Gennt's / English	Behaviour	1940's
Bra cry in the camp	excessive reaction to misfortune.	20	Madron	Behaviour	2010
Buried as a witch	?	52	St Genny's	?	1940's
Busy as Betty	self explanatory	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Busy as a hen digging for daylight.		52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
C
Call 'ome	Remember	20	?	General
Can't abear 'en	Dislike	20	?	General
Can't abide 'n	Dislike	20	?	General
Can't take cats	Not used to very much so a bit big-headed	20	Possibly picked up from Mr Thomas (Douglas) 50 years ago	Behaviour	1959
Can't tell A from the back of a duck	Unintelligent	20	?	Behaviour
Carring too much sail	Living beyond one's means	20	?	Behaviour
Close hom	Shut the door	20	?	General
Close ome	Shut the door	20	?	General
Cold as a quilkin	description of a cold hearted person	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Come-by-chance	Illegitimate child	20	?	General
Comfortable as an old shoe.	applied to an easy going person.	52	St Genny's		1940's
Comin' to come	Starting to work out; getting there when turning cream to butter	20	?	Farming / Dairy
Could'n knock the skin off a rice puddin'		20	?	General
Couldn't fight 'is way out of a paper bag	Pretty wisht - weak, physically or mentally	20	?	Appearance
Crafty as a fox.	was a commendation	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Crooked as a dogs hind leg	Used to describe a person or article such as a bent piece of wood.	52	St Genny's	?	1930's
Cummis-zon	Come on	20	?	General
D
Daid as a ammer	self explanatory	52	St Genny's		1930's
Dark as a cows gut.	became, dim as a bovine's interior , in female company.	52.	St Genny's	General	1930's
Dark as a shaft	Very dark place.	20	?	General
Deaf as a haddock	Having hearing problems	20	?	General
Dear as saffron	Expensive	20 52	?	General	St. G. 1940's
Deef as a toadlick	Having hearing problems	20	?	General
Deef as an adder	Having hearing problems	52	St Genny's	General	1930's
Didn't knaw 'A' from a duck's track!"	Particularly stupid	49	?	General	2003
Dill as ditchwater	Might apply to a sermon.	52	St Genny's	General	1930's
Don't know nuff to know they don't know nawthin'	Ignorant	20	?	General
Dressed up like a Christmas Tree	Looking like a fop	52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Dribbling away like a barrel of snow.	?	52	St Genny's	?	1940's
Drunk as a hand cart	?	52, 54	St Genny's / Bude	?	1940's
E
E don’t naw ‘A’ from the track of a duck!!	Mallard tracks in the form of ‘A’	9	Goonhavern	General	1930's
Eat like a hoss	Hungry	52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Empty as a keg	Hungry	52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Enough for two and a dog.	description of a good meal.	52	St Genny's	General	1940
"'E's like a tawd under a 'arra"	usually said about some poor little man who was hen-pecked by his wife. ("he's like a toad under a harrow")	49	?	General	2003
Ee's like a toad 'pon a red hot showl.	Unable to stand still. (Showl = Shovel).	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
E't was scat to tampin.	Broken in to fragments	43	St Just in Penwith	General
F
Face like a rusticock	Red-faced	20	Newlyn dialect	General
Face like a wet week.	Long and miserable	52	St Genny's	General	1940
Feedin’ yer face	Eating	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Fentonpyth	A surface well	42	St Ives	General
Fight like cats		52	St Genny's	Behavior	1940
Full as a tick	Eaten too much	20	?	General
Full as an egg	Replete	20, 54	Madron, Bude	General
Full as a Teek (Tick)		52	St Genny's	General	1940
Full of sauce and impertinence	Very cheeky	20	?	Behaviour
G
Gaping like a young rook	Yawning	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940
Give un Bill tink	Give him a good hiding	20	?	General
Glasing like a stat or chad	Staring	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940
Goin’ like clappers ov a mill	Rushing	20 52	Newlyn, St Genny's	Behaviour	1940
Goin’ nineteen to the dozen	Rushing	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Gone poor	Gone bad (of fruit and veg)	20	?	General
Grey as a badger	Hair colour	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940
Green as Rishes or a lick	Rushes	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940
Grizzlin like a badger.	Very annoyed, in a temper.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Grow like a wearn (fern)	said of a child	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940
Gruffing and grunting like a boar pig.	said of a pompous old autocrat.	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940
Gruffed up like a Hedgy-boar.	Compared to a Hedgehog	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
H
Hard as ire, or Hell's door		52	St Genny's	General	1940
Head like a turmot	Head like a turnip	20	?	Behaviour
He drove up in a car like a liner	Drove a large car	48	Edna Burden Collection
He sit's there with his mouth abroad	(mouth open)	54	Bude	Behaviour
He's am Angletich	(a person who cannot keep still.	54	Bude	Behaviour
He's a bit cakey	(bit soft or feeble)		Bude	Behaviour
He's clothes are hanging in lerrup's	(Torn clothes)	54	Bude
High up like Webb	Exalted (Sometimes tongue in cheek)	20	?	Behaviour
Hoity toity. I seen a white blackbird	Almost certainly Cornish and said by an old man who was trying to hold his own in a bragging competition. The white blackbird was a magpie.	20	AT’s father, Mr Pengelly., who came from Tywardreath	Behaviour
Honest as the sun	a great compliment	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
I
I would rather be up the craft (croft) picking up sticks.	If Edna's mother was asked if she would like to go to town she would say this.	48	Edna Burden Collection
If s/he cain’t drive they waint ride	Must be top dog/bossy	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
I'll ferrick around a bit	(look for something)	54	Bude
I'll have a nubbie	(a Bun)	54	Bude
I'm Brave	(feeling good)	54	Bude	Health
In'd 'urted	Is not damaged	20	?	General
"I've gotten the glad eye"	meaning I've been flirted with or had received admiring glances.	68	Constantine	Behaviour
J
Jiggery Pokery	(up to no good)	54	Bude
Johny fortnight	A travelling draper	20	?	General
Jumped like a mackerel	startled	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
K
Keepin’ out the road	Shamefaced	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Kick like a Hoss		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
L
Laiken like a basket	Leaking	20	?	Appearance
Lame as a duck or a dog		52	St Genny's	Appearance	1940's
Laughing like a pisky	(after someone has had a few drinks)	52, 54	St Genny's, Bude		1940's
Lick and a promise	Finish off quickly	20	?	General
Light as vanity		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Like a bundle of straw tied in the middle	Overweight	20	?	Appearance
Like a cat in a bonfire, don't know which way to turn.	A person in a dilema.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Like a cow with a musket	Awkward; clumsy	49. 52.	? and St Genny's	Behaviour	2003 & 1939
Like a dog in a fair	Scared	52	St Genny's		1940's
Like a duck geeking against thunder.	Looking very annoyed.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Like a hen with one chick	a monomaniac	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940
Like an owl peering out of an ivy bush.		52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Like a pig weth wan ear.	One sided.	43	St Just in Penwith	General
Like a thing	As it were; as you might say	20	?	General
Like a yard of pump water	Straight hair (person)	20	?	Appearance
Like Great Aunt Jane, don’t want nobody with ‘er and don’t want to be left alone		20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Like Lady Fan Todd dressed to death and killed with fashion.		52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Like Lanson (Launceston) gaol	If your home was badly cared for	49	?	Appearance	2003
Like Lavinia...... She's drying by faith I s'pose....else she wed't 'ave a line ov clothes out in a stream ov rain.	Self explanatory. Ed.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Like two hellens	Slapped together (very thin)	20	?	Appearance
Looking like a malkin"	If you went out looking untidy and unkempt.	49	?	Appearance	2003
M
Mad as a curly (Curlew)	implied scattiness	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Mad as a Scot,	implied in a rage	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Make out	Pretend	20	?	Behaviour
Maize as a brish	(stupid) or Brish is a Brush.	52, 54	St Genny's, Bude	Behaviour	1940's
Mazed as a urley	Stunned	20	?	Behaviour
Mazed as a curley	Dancing around in a temper.	20	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Milk like a fountain	Applied to a good cow.	52	St Genny's	Farming	1940's
More mouth than teeth	Too much to say	20	?	Behaviour
Must al'ays be afore pilcher.	Always to the front.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Must ave be'n mended weth a red hot needle a'n burning thread.	A mending job badly done.	43	St Just in Penwith	General
N
	? One for the website, perhaps?
Nawthen’ going nowhere and less comin’ home		20	Newlyn dialect
"Nothing tearing"	My mother used to say that, meaning "nothing special" as in "How are you feeling?" / "How was the concert?" / "What did you think of the tea treat this year?" ----- "Aw, nothin' tearin' " !	69	Troon,		circa 1960s.
Not very onions	Unfriendly	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Never try to teach a pig to sing. You won't succeed and will only upset the pig.		20	Madron	Advice	2010
O
Old as Digory		52,	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
P
Peert (pert) as a wheelbarrow	Used derisively	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Play like kittens	the ambition of every wagoner for his over fed horses.	52	St Genny's	Farming/ Transport	1940's
Plum as bun dough	Unintelligent	20	?	Behaviour
Poor as a coot	referred to physical conditon	52	St Genny's	Parsonal	1940's
Prinked out	Well dressed	20	AT's grandparents and used since childhood	Appearance
Proper bojock (Bawjack)	Rough, uncouth	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Proud as Lucifer		20, 52	Madron, St Gennys	Behaviour	1940's
Q
Quiet as an old sheep	meant docile	52	St Genny's	Farming	1940's
R
Red as a rat, or Lily or roost cock.	Said of someone who was angry	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Rin (run) like a stag or a long dog		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Rolled like a tetty after one fell		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Rotten as a pear		52,	St Genny's	General	1940's
Rough as rats	(a person who does not look well)	54	Bude
Rough as Roughtor or Egypt		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
S
S/he ‘ave got to be ‘ead an’ chief	Must be top dog/bossy	20, 43	Newlyn dialect St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
S/he d’know everything’ about everythin’ an’ a lot more besides		20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
S/he’s mouth out	All talk but not much else	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Shut your bal	(keep your mouth shut)	54	Bude
Scritching like a pig	(a baby crying or a singer)	54	Bude
Scritchen like a whitnick	Screaming like a weasel	20, 52	Madron, St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Screetchin like a whit-nick	A shrill cry compared to that of a stoat.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Sleep like a ringer	Like a bell ringer during the sermon.	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
`"Slipperier than a 'andful of ***holes"`	Self explanatory	50	Camborne	Behaviour	2003
Slipper than a snail	Self explanatory	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Sick as a shag or hound	Disappointed	20, 43, 52	Madron District St Genny's St Just in Penwith	Behaviour	1940's
So you're all se'day then?	So you are all set to go then?	42	St Ives		2010
Smoke like a dragon	said of a heavy smoker	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Some chase	A proper muddle; events/behaviour all jumbled up	20	Possibly picked up from Mr Thomas (Douglas) 50 years ago		1959
Some mussy toad	Grubby person and ways	20	Newlyn dialect	Appearance
Sounds like a ground zay.	The bass in the local band. (zay = sea)	52	St Genny's		1940
Sour as a rig.	Rigs are large cattle warts	52	St Genny's	Farming	1940's
Spall to un	Hit it hard	20	AT's grandparents and used since childhood	Mining / General
Standin in es own light.	Failing to grasp the situation.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Stankin' on the planchen	Walking on a wooden floor	20	AT's grandparents and used since childhood	General
Stare'en like a stuck't pig	To glare, to look surprised.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Stiff as a gate or a crutch		52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Stink like a fitchy	fitchy = ferret	52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Straight as a gun or die.	usually said of someone with high moral standards	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Streamed our washing not rinsed		48	Edna Burden Collection	Household
Stop hollerin’ and ollerin’ an’ kickin’ up a carousel (pronounced karowsal)	Granfer keeping order in Sunday school accompanied by loud ringing of fish bell	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Sun crackin’ the ‘edges	A very hot day	20	Newlyn dialect	Weather
Swear like a toostore	possibly a tooth drawer (dentist)	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Sweat like a beetbarrow.	Backalong ground was prepared for arable by skimming the clat and drawing it into rows, which were burnt, producing much moist heat. These rows were beet burrows. The process was called Demshuring.	52	St Genny's	Farming	1940's
Sweating like a poultice	self explanatory Ed.	20	?	Appearance
T
Taisy as the pigs or a vuzz emmet.	self explanatory Ed.	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Talk like a lawyer or a cheapjack	self explanatory Ed.	52	St Genny's	Behaviour	1940's
Talk the hind leg ov a dunkey off.	A very talkative person	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Tarred with the same brush	Regarded in the same light (of a person)	20	?	Behaviour
Tearin long like Betty Kemp in the brembles.	In great haste.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour
Tearin' long like a man goin' to wreck.	Walking very quickly.	43	?	Behaviour
Teasy as a snake	as bad-tempered and irritable as a snake	49	?	Behaviour	2003
Temper like a fiend	self explanatory Ed.	52	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Tender as my eye.	said of food	52	St Genny's	Household	1940's
That's to they	nothing to do with me	20	Madron	General	2010
Th'a's like a Marvah Downs.	Rough, bad workmanship.	43	St Just in Penwith	General
The stones are geaving	before wet weather stones look wet	20.	Newlyn	Weather
The weather is close	It's humid	20	?	Weather
They that caint skemy must louster.	Those unable to do the scheming must do the labouring	43	St Just in Penwith	General
They’re ‘eavin’	Anyone dirty or smelly	20	Newlyn dialect	Appearance
Thick as a hedge	refers to visibility	52	St Genny's	Weather	1940's
Thin as a griddle		20	?	Appearance
Time to go up tembern hill	Bed time	20	?	General
Tired as a tramp or fox.	self explanatory Ed.	52	St Genny's	General	1940's
Tis a new fang	(something new)	54	Bude
Trumpeter dead?	Sarcastically/putting someone down	20	Newlyn dialect	Query
U

V

`W`
"whatever"	anything like "whatever". 'It rained like whatever'. 'He was rich like whatever.'	52	St Genny's		1940's
`Weak as a ranny (Wren)`	someone feeling ill	52	St Genny's	Health	1940's
`"We belong to go that way".`	`'Belong' was used instead of should,`	51	?	General	2000
Wet ass an’ no fish		20	Newlyn dialect	Fishing
Wet as a scrubber		52,	St Genny's	General	1940's
Wet leakin	Very wet	20	?	Appearance
What ‘ee goin’ do day boy? Goin’ down hay field bit. Reckon pook un do ‘ee?	What you going to do today boy? I'm going down the hayfield.. Do you hope to get the pooks done?	9	Recorders Cousin	Farming	1999
What a smitch	(a room filled with smoke)	54	Bude
Wild as a hawk		52,	St Genny's		1940's
Wild as an Urn.	Urn is a dialect word for an heron	48	Edna Burden Collection	Behaviour
Wise as an Old Owl	self explanatory Ed.	52,	St Genny's	Personal	1940's
Work like a fool		52,	St Genny's		1940's
Wot a life says Alfick, gi’us a chaw (of tobacco)	Fed up but resigned	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
Wot was a like? Raw milk my dear, raw milk.	Referring to a first encounter after a row	20	Newlyn dialect	Behaviour
X

Y
Yellow as a guinea	self explanatory Ed.	52,	St Genny's	General	1940's
You look chuff's a maggot	(looking miserable)	54	Bude
You don't need that mor'n a toad needs side pockets	You don't need it.	20	?	General
Your clothes are a bit rory tory	(bright clothes)	54	Bude
Z
Zac an' Zac like Tom Rowe's mouth.	Always correct.	43	St Just in Penwith	Behaviour

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