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Quiz about Some Samples Of English Dialect

Some Samples Of English Dialect Quiz

Dialectal words are often totally incomprehensible to outsiders. In this quiz you find some 'local words' which might not be totally unintelligible to other English-speakers.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
66,674

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
2494

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. With French and Spanish in the back of your mind, the Southwest English 'chibolles' cannot be too difficult to identify. It means:___________? Hint

parsley

chicken

spring-onions

cloves of garlic

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which of these four options is a possible meaning of dialectal 'push' as used in the Eastern Counties? Hint

a bicycle

a pussycat

a pimple or a boil

a shoot of a plant

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Question 3 of 10

3. What they might YACK at you in Leicestershire, might be PELTED at you in Lincolnshire. Which of these is a correct Standard English version of the verb YACK? Hint

to kick

to aim

to shoot

to throw

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Question 4 of 10

4. In Nottingham, 'ears' can be called 'tabs'. In East Anglia and in East Yorkshire the term for 'ears' is a monosyllabic word too. Which of these is it? Hint

lugs

slugs

plugs

tugs

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Question 5 of 10

5. In some South Western areas of England they use the word 'fall' for autumn. How must this be explained? Hint

USA import

Cornwall and Devon never were conquered by William of Normandy

relic of the original Celtic language

large distance from the French-speaking English court

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Question 6 of 10

6. Northern dialects took over a number of words from Norwegian which never made it to English. Which of these Northern-English words means 'child'? Hint

lop

nieve

lake

bairn

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Question 7 of 10

7. What do they mean by a 'brig' in Yorkshire? Hint

a kind of vehicle

a rowing-boat

a bridge

a brick

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which of these dialectal words was borrowed from Yiddish? Hint

thirl for hungry

pal for friend

nosh for food

bannock for cake

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Question 9 of 10

9. There are many dialectal words for 'candy' or 'sweets'. Which of these is not? Hint

lollies

goodies

chitlings

sucks

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Question 10 of 10

10. What does a Northerner from Newcastle or Carlisle mean by his 'oxters'? Hint

kids

cattle

potatoes

armpits

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. With French and Spanish in the back of your mind, the Southwest English 'chibolles' cannot be too difficult to identify. It means:___________?

Answer: spring-onions

Cebolla albaranna is onion. Cebolleta is spring-onion or chives. French has ciboule and ciboulette for chives. Parsley is different altogether both as a plant and in its etymology: petroselinum means rock-plant.

2. Which of these four options is a possible meaning of dialectal 'push' as used in the Eastern Counties?

Answer: a pimple or a boil

A pushbike is neither a moped nor a motorbike. French 'une pousse' is indeed a shoot of a plant. Puss-in-boots is a famous cat. But the push as used by English speakers in some of the Eastern Counties is simply what their Dutch brethren across the sea might call: een puist or puistje: small raised spot on the skin which is temporary and may contain some 'pus'.

3. What they might YACK at you in Leicestershire, might be PELTED at you in Lincolnshire. Which of these is a correct Standard English version of the verb YACK?

Answer: to throw

Pelt as a substantive is the skin and fur of a dead animal as in Latin 'pellis'. To pelt is related to Latin 'pellere', to drive, and 'pultare', its iterative. Compare 'propulsare' and 'expellere', to throw out. In the views of the New Shorter Oxford Dictionary, yack (also) suggests a snapping sound.

4. In Nottingham, 'ears' can be called 'tabs'. In East Anglia and in East Yorkshire the term for 'ears' is a monosyllabic word too. Which of these is it?

Answer: lugs

In the Middle Ages lopping off ears was a popular practice when it came to punishing people. Lugs not only makes a nice alliteration with the verb to lop but there can have been a subconscious link with something broad and flat hinged or attached on one side only: a flap, another word with an expressive L-sound. (Cp. lughole)

5. In some South Western areas of England they use the word 'fall' for autumn. How must this be explained?

Answer: large distance from the French-speaking English court

Fall is the original Anglo-Saxon word, not a Celtic relic at all, and the word fall was used locally long before the sailing of the Mayflower. William the Conqueror plays no role in this, as the introduction of autumn from automme happened much later in 14th century when, gradually, English was born from the centuries-old co-existence of Norman-French and Anglo-Saxon.

6. Northern dialects took over a number of words from Norwegian which never made it to English. Which of these Northern-English words means 'child'?

Answer: bairn

"Nieve" is not related to any word for snow, such as Nevada. Nor is it related to nephew. "Nieve" is related to "neve", which means 'hand' in Norwegian. "Lake" is a close cousin to Norwegian "leike" and means to play. "Lop" has no link with 'lopping off' but derives from Norwegian loppe - a flea. "Bairn" is linked to "bairan" to bear, to give birth. "Bairn" also occurs in Scottish.

The Norwegian word is "barn".

7. What do they mean by a 'brig' in Yorkshire?

Answer: a bridge

Brig can be a ship, a brigantine. But then the word refers to a sailing-ship, not a rowing-boat. It can also be a ship-prison. But, as all readers of Tam-o-Shanter will know, the Brig of Doon was a bridge.

8. Which of these dialectal words was borrowed from Yiddish?

Answer: nosh for food

Thirl is Cornish. In Devon they might say leery. And in Stoke-and-Trent one is clemmed when one is hungry. Bannock is one of the many Celtic words that were taken over by English. Other examples: tor for a peak; combe for a valley; croust for a snack. Pal is from Romany. In gypsy language palis = brother.

9. There are many dialectal words for 'candy' or 'sweets'. Which of these is not?

Answer: chitlings

Chitlings or chitterlings are the smaller intestines of pigs especially when cooked as food.

10. What does a Northerner from Newcastle or Carlisle mean by his 'oxters'?

Answer: armpits

Another dialectical word for armpits is armhole. Oaxters occurs in Scottish too.

Source: Author flem-ish

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