Norfolk is well known for its strong accent and regional dialect – which you may well be lucky enough to hear during your holiday, especially in local pubs and shops, or when wandering through the coastal fishing villages. Here at Hemsby Beach Holiday Park, we love all things Norfolk, so we’ve put together two puzzles followed by a little guide to introduce you to some of the county’s very own terms and phrases – some more obscure than others! You can also head over to our Facebook page for regular ‘Guess the Norfolk Slang’ posts.
- Afore – before: “Put on sun cream afore you go out!”
- Barney – argument: “I had a barney with my brother the other day.”
- Bein’as – because: “I haven’t got my homework, bein’as my dog ate it!”
- Bishy Barnaby – ladybird (commonly shortened to bishy): “Do you see that bishy on the leaf over there?”
- Blunder – to fall: “I blundered over I was so excited to get to Hemsby Beach!”
- Clever – smart or handsome: “Those new shoes are clever!”
- Cor blast – oh blast: “Cor blast, our holiday is over already. Let’s book another one!”
- Crockin – crying (also known as blarin’): “Stop blarin’ and crockin, it’s only a bishy!”
- Clout – a heavy blow: “I gave my thumb a clout with the hammer – I was blarin’ all night!”
- Dodman – snail: “Cor blast, these dodmans have eaten all my lettuces!”
- Fosey – stale, mouldy: “The bread has gone all fosey!”
- Hold yew hard – hang on a moment: “Hold yew hard, I don’t think we packed the sun cream.”
- Howsomever – however: “We can get ice cream, howsomever you have to eat all your dinner first!”
- Lollop – walk slowly: “Stop lolloping along or we’ll never make it to the beach.”
- Lummox – a clumsy person: “I’m such a lummox – my shampoo has exploded all over my suitcase!”
- On the huh – on the wonk: “Your sunglasses are on the huh!”
- Mawther – girl or woman: “That mawther over there said the beach is this way.”
- Shannock – a native of Sheringham: “Shannocks of the past were heavily involved with fishing and the RNLI lifeboats.”
- Slow you down – slow down: “Slow you down boy, you’re going to blunder.”
- Up the city – going into Norwich: “We’re going up the city tomorrow – apparently, there’s lots to see and do!”
