January 6, 2009 • 9:54 pm 3
Thanks to Dad for sending this on, he & Mum were there spectating.
I’ve always said that I wanted to have a go at this, but after watching this year’s race I’m reviewing the situation.
It’s a long clip, the race starts at about 1.40 but it’s worth watching the end to see the ‘voiture balai’ (that’d be six stout Essex fellows pulling unlucky competitors out of the mud using ropes)!
March 3, 2008 • 12:32 pm 2
From my Dad…Â Posted because I went home for the weekend and because I wore my white stilettos on Friday night (honestly) and because I don’t forward these things on but it’s worth sharing.
alma chizzit - A request to find the cost of an itemÂ
amant - Quantity; sum total (“Thez a yuge amant of mud in Saffend”)Â
assband - Unable to leave the house because of illness, disability etcÂ
awss - A four legged animal, on which money is won, or more likely lost (“That awss ya tipped cost me a fiver t’day”)Â
branna - More brown than on a previous occasion (“Ere, Trace, ya look branna today, ave you been on sunbed?”)Â
cort a panda - A rather large hamburgerÂ
Dan in the maff - Unhappy (“Wossmatta, Trace, ya look a bit Dan in the maff”)Â
eye-eels - Women’s shoesÂ
Furrock - The location of Lakeside Shopping CentreÂ
garrij - A building where a car is kept or repaired(Trace: “Oi, Darren, I fink the motah needs at go in the garrij cos it aint working proper”)Â
Ibeefa - Balaeric holiday islandÂ
lafarjik - Lacking in energy (“I feel all lafarjik“)Â
OI OI! - Traditional greeting. Often heard from the doorway of pubs or during banging dance tunes at clubsÂ
paipa - The Sun, The Mirror or The SportÂ
reband - The period of recovery and emotional turmoil after rejection by a lover (“I couldn’t elp it, I wuz on the reband from Craig”)Â
Saffend - Essex coastal resort boasting the longest pleasure pier in the world. The place where the characters from TV’s, popular soap opera, Eastenders go on holidayÂ
tan - The city of London , the big smokeÂ
webbats - Querying the location something or someone is. (“Webbats is me dole card Trace? I’ve gotta sign on in arf hour”)Â
wonnid - 1. Desired, needed. 2. Wanted by the policeÂ
zaggerate - To suggest that something is bigger or better than it actually is. (“I told ya a fazzand times already”)
July 27, 2007 • 11:56 am 3
Writing about
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/ram/today4_obscurewords_20070727.ram
And about
Foyle’s Philavery - A Treasury of Unusual Words
Hooray for Christopher Foyle – a good Essex man from near Maldon – and, of course, something to do with a few big bookshops.
I was reminded of this just now (I confess I had forgotten it from this morning!) because I’m in the process of editing something written by an academic colleague.
The thing that reminded me was the question posed by Evan Davis: should we make a point of using obscure words to prolong their existance or should we concentrate on making ourselves understood using say the 800 most commonly-used words?
We certainly claim to have have a good many more words in English than in other languages – but see the Oxford Dictionaries on this….
A system of government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
For those of you who love a good euphemism, Bovine Scatology is a term
coined by General Norman Schwarzkopf, first heard by the viewing public
at a press briefing on status of the air and ground campaigns during the
Persain Gulf War. The general referred to speculations by various
military pundits, employed by CNN and other news gathering/reporting
organizations, as “bovine scatology”.
July 10, 2007 • 12:00 pm 1
Writing about Indian Food Made Easy
I remain to be convinced about buddy food programmes – Tony & Giorgio didn’t work but Neneh and Andi is much better – probably because they are very obviously genuinely friends and comfortable in front of the camera.
Anyway, I’ll give Anjum & Panthea a go…
But what intrigued me most was the addition of grated cheddar to the tandoori marinade! I understand the logic (increased moistness, lardings of fat) but it seems so wrong – I have to try it.
Perhaps for Nan and Grandad’s annual BBQ this weekend?
March 8, 2007 • 2:08 pm 5
Writing about web page http://www.bicknacre.net/
Bizarrely, the village in which I grew up is now online.
You too can learn that:
Opposite the Post Office you will see a lay-by with
a phone box in. On Thursday and Saturday evenings the fish and chip van
parks here!
Some residents add the town of Danbury to their postal addresses- probably because of the ‘posh’ status that goes with it!
There is a reliable bus service (Number 36) to Chelmsford and SWF that runs every half hour. You’re not going to get far by walking- as the pavement soon runs out!
September 2, 2005 • 8:45 am 3
Finally, the mystery is explained thanks to last night’s R4 programme – Comp
Coming
from Essex, where in my time there were still grammar schools and the
11+, the concept of Middle School was unheard of – and frankly it’s
always seemed a bit wierd and pointless.
Well, according to
this programme, the concept started in Leicestershire when they
disbanded the failing bipartite system of grammar and secondary modern
schools. They simply divided the school-age population by age rather
than by academic ability thus still using the same number of schools.
The
other thing that I never realised is that grammar schools were a very
old-school Labour idea – they were supposed to be meritocratic and
“give working class children a chance”.
July 26, 2005 • 9:18 am 0
Writing about web page http://www.thesuninndedham.com/
We had a gorgeous meal here for Mum’s birthday on Sunday.
See – Essex isn’t all Cortinas, white stilettos and lads!
The
main-course dishes we tried combined big robust flavours with a careful
attention to detail. My Moroccan lamb meatballs were just the thing for
someone with an anaesthetised palate – and I mean that as a compliment.
Juicy minced lamb spiked with olives, apricots and coriander in a
smokily reduced tomato sauce, served with herb couscous. A tranche of
shimmeringly fresh cod was combined, Spanish style, with slices of
chorizo that bled orange into a crisp fan of sautéed new potatoes.
There
may be a greater focus on the food than you’d get in your average
village inn, but this is not a gastropub. It’s a proper pub pub, with
Adnams on tap, and heaps of vintage board games, and people drinking
beer at the bar rather than jostling to order caffé lattes. That said,
an old chap did come in at around 3.15 and order a caffé latte. We
braced ourselves for the mocking laughter which would inevitably greet
this request in most British pubs at 3.15 on a Monday afternoon. But no
– it was served without demur.
See the sample menu
…and the reviews
We
all tried each others and unanimously agreed that my sister’s
Moroccan-style Beef and Almond Tagine won, followed by the Slow-Roast
Gloucester Old Spot Belly Pork.
April 16, 2005 • 8:39 pm 5
Had forgotten what pure genius these lyrics are!
They take me back to my Essex roots and my first boyfriend (from East London).
Walking back to Bethnal Green all the way down the Romford Road from The Island in Ilford…
In its own little way, my body was trying to say that you better stop drinking brandy
In its own little way, my body was trying to say that you better stop drinking brandy
Now getting to the bar’s gonna be trouble
So the Marlons’ll have to be doubles
Then you drink doubles
The same speed you drink singles
We eat junk food, sat drunk on the tube
Every time the train clunks I feel like puking
Wonder whether that beautiful bird’ll ring,
Then it all goes hazy, these are the days we’re walking up out and back to the road, talking
Well shouting actually, loads more drunk, by Jove, mind’s focused, balance fucked up
Ra, ra, ra, it’s all back to the Dogstar and if it’s his round I’m quite partial to another
Marlon at the bar
Bad idea to start again late, should’ve given my brain a break
Take it easy mate, you start to think you’re a state, you definitely are a state
Who’s round is it?
Down that beer quick smash my glass back down fall over the table
All rowdy and pissed
Seems the only difference between mid week shit and weekend is how loud I speak
And whether I try to pull a girlfriend
That’s it who’s got dough?
Hey, you know I’d pay but I’m broke, only got coinage to show
Putting off walking home on my own to my throne
Two empty takeaways ashtrays and remains of the day stoned
Pick a bottle off the table, peel the label tell a fable
Offer opinion for free and a solution to the latest big news story
Football and smut daily as I ponder winning the lottery
Buy a drink, chat to a lady, the girls well fit definitely, not maybe, she’s rude I’d shag
her and make tea right there
Addendum: Before anyone else says it, yes, I know I don’t sound like an Essex Girl. …but I am, I’m from Chelmsford
More info on Chelmsford:
Are you Dukesing it tonight?!
