Yuzzen, Smitsmats and Bumscuddy - Devon dialect 1 Quiz

Answer: Snails

Mmmmm...Snails, nice! Snails are also known as snarly-gigs or snarly-horns. Slugs are commonly referred to as dew snails. Hermit crabs and woodlice are both crustaceans and hermit crabs are known here as counterfeits. Woodlice have literally dozens of names here in Deb'n that vary from village to village, includin rabberdasters, granfer griggs and cheese bugs. Just as a footnote here, we do eat fries here in Deb'n, although you'd not find them on the menu at McDonalds.

Not many would want to eat our 'fries' as the dish consists of lambs testicles! Mmmmmm, but not quite a Big Mac.

Answer: Bibble-bugs

I could write an entire quiz covering the different names that woodlice are known by here in Deb'n, but you'd all soon get bored with scoring tens! As mentioned in the last question, they include rabberdasters, granfer griggs and cheese bugs, as well as bibble-bugs.

Hum-scritch is a name given to bluebottles. Yammets is a name given to ants in Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, although the spelling can vary from area to area. Macrobies is a term used to describe any creature which might fall within the category of creepy-crawly.

Answer: Bickety-rug

Yes, an awkward child is known in these parts as a bickety-rug. Alkitotle is a word used to describe a silly and mischievous elf, an'yel is a term for angel (which my niece is anything but!) although, if she were bigger in stature, some might describe her as a girlop - a big lout!

Answer: Chestlecrumbs

Everybody loves a dormouse, so cute and cuddly and, surprisingly, very good to eat! Nowadays it would be a brave person who ate dormice. Here in the UK a special license is needed just to handle them.

Some people may be very fond of a hogminny who is a flirt or a young girl who possesses a certain 'reputation'. Jackie-twoad is an ancient name given to Will 'o the wisp, those balls of marsh gas sometimes seen emanating from marshes and mires like those found here on Dartmoor. A yaffer is a name given to a heifer around Deb'n.

Answer: Hurd or Hurdy

Yes, virtually the entire county of Deb'n is formed from red sandstone. This beautiful deep reddish-brown stone can be seen along the Jurassic coast of southern England between Lyme Regis and Exmouth. Ruby Reds, as they are known, are an ancient breed of cattle originally from the north of the county. The cattle turn paler and are more yellowish in colour as you head south. However, they both taste equally as good!

Rory-tory is a phrase used to describe something gaudy and/or multi-coloured. The word dugged is not actually used to describe a specific colour but is used to describe something that is muddy. Dandy-go-risset may be used in some localities to describe a reddish hue but is more accurately used to describe a rust-like colour.

Answer: The tendency to flog minor felons rather than send them to jail

It seems that the people of Whipshire were very conservative. I'm sure that some would like to return to the good old days as well! Tiverton is also known as Twyford from 'Two-fords' as it stands at the confluence of the rivers Exe and Lowman.

There are still a few local craftsmen in the area that produce equestrian leather goods and, because of its rural nature, there are a large number of liveries and stud farms within Deb'n. I need say no more regarding cream and Deb'n as we are world famous for our cream teas!

Answer: Grockles

Zawks is a name applied to those silly people that live amongst us, but the term could never be used to refer to anyone wise enough to want to, or to have visited glorious Deb'n. Urzells is ourselves, we're fortunate enough to live here anyway. A slotter-pooch is someone who dribbles (a lot), not a name that should used to describe you lovely people who come to visit us here! A lot of the shops in Deb'n that cater, almost exclusively, to the holiday industry are often described as being stocked with Grockle-bait - trinkets, gifts etc that visitors might be expected or 'kindiddled' (enticed) to buy!

Answer: That her bum looked very large

I'm afraid that the question asked was "Does my bum look big in this?" Without thinking I'd replied that her bum looked huge in that! She told me that my comment was baggerin, this led to a bobbery and I've now found myself in hospital after a clipper on the nappercase!
(In other words, what happened was that she said that my comment was greatly irritating; this led to a massive row which resulted in her giving me a good knock on the head!).

Answer: Baggabones

Baggabones describes the outward appearance of those 'gentlemen of the road' usually known as tramps and vagrants. A ditty-guy is a member of the gypsy people as opposed to members of the general travelling community who are often referred to currently as 'Pikey's'... a derogatory term.

Olford is a name that goes back hundreds of years to describe an orphan and a drest-all is a name used to describe a scarecrow. Scarecrows are also known in Deb'n as a 'scaramouche' or a 'mommet'.

Answer: Akket

The Black-Headed Gull is neither as noisy, or as aggressive as the far larger and much more common Herring Gull. It is thought that the name akket comes from the call that this bird makes when in a state of excitement! Shite'awk is derogatory term used by everyone, everywhere to describe the seagull in general!

A Basky-Burd is a name given to the Yellowhammer, a small perching bird commonly found on arable and mixed farmland. The chatterbox is a name used in association with the Magpie and sometimes the Jay because of their call.
Kris-hawk is the name given to the Kestrel, which, although not a seabird, can often be found near the coast as can the Cliff 'awk or Peregrine Falcon. Of interest to our American friends, in Deb'n a buzzard is known as a Butcher-burd and a butterfly or moth is known as a buzzard. Sometimes, I'm surprised that we ever manage to understand what the other is trying to say!