On the occasions that us Derbyshire folk venture out of our magnificent county we can often be met with confused looks when we greet someone with a ‘Ey up duck’ or show our appreciation with a ‘ta very much’. With that in mind we thought we’d compile a list of some words that we use everyday but can leave others slightly baffled.
1. Duck: Most commonly used to greet people i.e ‘ey up m’duck’ or to apologise when you bump into someone ‘sorry duck’, or simply in reply to a question ‘yes, duck.’ The term has now also been made famous by Derby actor Jack O’Connell.
2. ‘Ay up’: Often used to greet someone, often followed by ‘how’s it going?’ ‘How are you/we?’ or ‘you alright?’ Also used as an exclamation i.e ‘Ay up, that’s my biscuit’, or ‘Ay up, it’s snowing.’
3, ‘Int’ it’: This is basically us Derbyshire folk being lazy and not pronouncing ‘Isn’t it’ properly. i.e ‘It’s a nice day int’ it.’
4. Lug: This is when you get a knot in your hair. ‘I’ve got a lug in my hair’ I once exclaimed while in Sussex. ‘A what?’
5. Cob: A round bread roll. The name for this is different depending on which county you go to. Some towns in Derbyshire have cob shops, which has been known to confuse people visiting from the south.
6. Jitty: More commonly known as a pathway or alleyway. When we were younger we would often ‘go down the jitty to the addy’ (adventure playground).
7. Me’sen: This is what we say instead of saying ‘myself’. For example ‘I’m gunna get me’sen to work.’ Probably not as common among the younger generation of Derbyshire.
8. Ta: A shortened version of thank you. i.e ‘Ta very much’ ‘I’m ok, ta’ or ‘I’ll have that one, ta.’
9. Mardy: This is probably best described as when somebody is sulking and takes things to heart very easily. i.e ‘He’s being mardy today.’